Community School reflects on a very successful year

THIS year has proved particularly successful for pupils and teachers at Gort Community School. As well as two students winning All-Ireland medals on the same team as their teacher, two classmates took home All-Ireland titles for different counties and one of the graduating Leaving Cert class scooped a regional engineering award for the second time. 

THIS year has proved particularly successful for pupils and teachers at Gort Community School. As well as two students winning All-Ireland medals on the same team as their teacher, two classmates took home All-Ireland titles for different counties and one of the graduating Leaving Cert class scooped a regional engineering award for the second time.
“The mix of awards reflects very well on the school and the students because it shows that the business of education is to the forefront and suitably catered for yet, at the same time, quite a number of our boys and girls are excelling outside the classroom. Education is a question of finding a balance between what goes on inside and outside the classroom. I feel we are very fortunate in having teachers who are very effective in both areas and so willing to give of their time,” reflected Denis Corry, school principal.
The school’s physical education teacher Aoife Lynskey has played camogie since she was a child and has played on the Galway senior camogie team for 13 years. After her mother passed away suddenly in January, the 30-year-old Ardrahan woman contemplated retiring from the team but eventually decided to return to the squad. The team exited the championship early in the year and having not played competitively for the senior team Aoife quickly gained a place on the Galway intermediate camogie team that won the All-Ireland title last month. Also on the panel were her Ardrahan clubmates and Gort Community School pupils Noreen Murphy and Rebecca Hennelly.
“The two girls would be a lot younger than I am but I know them well and they will be very good players if they stick with it. I suppose because we play together at club level too, it isn’t really a pupil-teacher relationship; we are friends but I do have to put the foot down with them at school occasionally,” she laughed. 
In the final the Tribeswomen met the Rebel County but the game was forced to a replay after it ended in a draw.
“We nearly left it behind us on the first day and they came back and got a late goal and they could have beat us as quick. Then we had a three-week wait for the replay and that was tough because it meant the season really dragged on for almost another month. We came back then and we got a few goals on the day and beat them by 11 points,” Aoife recalled. The replay finished Galway 3-10 to Cork’s 1-5.
“We had great support from the school, especially on the second day, which was good. A lot of the students were there and we got loads of support in the form of texts, emails and phone calls,” she added.
“I think the extent to which the interest of our students are served is well attested to by the girls and Aoife” Denis reflected. 
“Camogie is very popular in the school and when you see a teacher and coach and some of her pupils winning an All-Ireland on the same adult team, it speaks volumes for the atmosphere that is part and parcel of the school.”  
“Aoife, having been on the senior panel for years, has proved to be a positive influence on and inspiration to the pupils. We are trying to ensure that any girl interested in camogie is encouraged to play it when they come here. We had our first success in the camogie when the girls here won the Connacht Junior Championship last year,” he added.
Two Gort Community School pupils who completed their Leaving Certificate exams in June marked another unusual sporting feat for the school. Classmates Patrick O’Connor from Tubber and Richie Cummins from Gort both won All-Ireland medals for hurling for their respective counties in their respective age groups.
Patrick was on the Clare team that this year brought the national U-21 title to the Banner County for the first time while Richie was on the Galway minor squad that once again basked in All-Ireland glory.
“This is the fifth Connacht Championship success in a row for the boys, narrowly beaten in an All-Ireland semi-final last April. Then for Richie and Patrick, who were in the same class, to win the ultimate prize in their respective age categories in two different counties is quite unique,” Denis claimed.
Separately, Jason Finn, who also completed his Leaving Certificate in the school in June, recently won a major regional engineering competition for his Leaving Certificate work. The award will be presented to the young Limerick Institute of Technology student at the Engineering Technology Teachers Association annual conference and AGM later this week. His Leaving Cert engineering project was selected from all the projects in Galway and Mayo to go forward for consideration for the national prize, which will be announced at the conference.
Not unfamiliar with success, Jason had won a similar prize in 2007. His Junior Certificate metalwork project was awarded an Excellence in Engineering Award from the Engineering Technology Teachers Association and this project was named among the top 10 in the country.
“I think any student who reaches that level, it has to be acknowledged the great work that goes on in the practical classroom and it is nice to see a student and his teacher receiving that kind of recognition,” stated the school principal.
Mr Corry hopes that the school will further develop early next year, with plans to build dressing room facilities and add necessary classroom space.
“We are hoping to start that project in the spring and to appoint a contractor this side of Christmas,” he concluded.