FERGAL McCABE DENOTES PAINTING TO GALLEN CS.
Fergal MacCabe,Tullamore native and well known architect and watercolour artist spent a lot of his childhood in Ferbane with his aunt and uncle Nan and Billy Houlihan who lived in Gallen Lodge, opposite our school. Over the years Fergal has won prizes from the Georgian Society for his south elevation drawings of Dublin Castle and won the Sullivan Graphics prize for his “Dublin Capriccio” and more recently “Offaly Capriccio”. Architectural capriccio is a composition of imaginary or real architecture in a picturesque or dramatic setting.
Fergal, in memory of his happy times spent in Ferbane offered us one of his paintings to hang to our school which we were delighted to accept. Fergal and his wife Brid visited us last Friday. To an audience of some invited guests, teachers and students during lunchtime, Fergal talked a little about his memories of Ferbane and formally handed over his watercolour of Lough Boora to Mrs Finnegan and students. Fergal also gave us a book on Offaly in which he did the illustrations and a print of his “Offaly Capriccio”. Many thanks to Fergal and Brid for their generous donation.
SUPER GENERATION
Last Monday 14th Ray Langton from Super Generation presented a three hour Study Skills Workshop to our fifth years which they found excellent to help them focus on the year ahead and the study demands of senior cycle. He also focused on how to make good Mind maps, take good quality notes and improve one’s memory.
OPENING YEAR MASS
We celebrated our Opening year Mass last Monday 21st September with new parish priest Fr Burke in the parish church. Thanks to chaplain Mrs Breen and the religion and music departments for the beautiful liturgy and music which greatly enhanced the ceremony.
HIGHER OPTIONS
A group of sixth and fifth years attended the RDS Higher Options exhibition last Friday with Guidance Counsellor Mrs Donnelly. It was an opportunity for students to meet some college representatives from the Irish and some UK colleges and to collect some prospectus and information for them to pursue over the next few months.
TRANSITION YEARS
The first outing for this year’s Transition years was in Ballymahon Adventure Centre last week where students did kayaking, wall climbing, archery, soccer and team building sports. They got a taste of real camping life and came back happy but tired and more appreciative of their own beds and warm homes we expect!!
