Scoil Colmcille, Letterkenny
Encyclopedia
Scoil Colmcille is the largest all-male national school in County Donegal
, Ireland
located in Letterkenny
. It is located on the Convent Road on the town, across from the Loreto Convent
. The current principal is Pauric Cannon.
departed the school. Principal duties were handed over to Tom Redden in 1983, who retired in 2007, after 24 years on the job. The current principal is Pauric Cannon, a past pupil and former teacher in the school. Other non-teaching staff include a small number of secretaries (a.k.a. Mary McElwaine), a band of cleaners, ancillary workers and a caretaker (a.k.a. Peter Kelly). The school chaplain is Father Kevin Gillespie.
told of the abuse he received at the school. He discussed how the Christian Brothers
would feel him up and attempt to interfere with him. However he has decided not to press charges against the abusers. He stated that he wishes to put it all behind him.
GAA
player Rory Kavanagh
currently teaches at the school. Local philanthropist and businessman Paddy Delap coaches table-tennis to senior pupils at lunch-time.
Pupils are not allowed to run on the grass at playtime, instead they must only play on the tarred surface. In recent years, a number of colourful images have been added to the tar to encourage the children to play hop-skotch and tig. In 2007, a small number of pre-fabs were opened to accommodate the growing number of pupils attending the school. The school is a breeding ground for future students of St Eunan's College, located a short distance up the road.
. The event usually takes place in the Summer months near the end of the school year. Funday 2007 was held on May 2. Activities at the event included the potato
and spoon
race and soccer. A new activity was introduced in 2005. This consisted of a large inflatable slide which pupils ran up and ran down on. Two years later the school decided to introduce more inflatable devices such as The Simpsons
and Smackdown vs. Raw
bouncy castles thus adopting the name Funday. Local businessman Paddy Delap helped out with the setting up of the activities.
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
located in Letterkenny
Letterkenny
Letterkenny , with a population of 17,568, is the largest town in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. The town is located on the River Swilly...
. It is located on the Convent Road on the town, across from the Loreto Convent
Loreto Convent
Loreto Convent is an all-girls secondary school located in Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland. It is located beside the Cathedral of St. Eunan and St Columba. It is one of nineteen Loreto Secondary Schools in Ireland.- History :...
. The current principal is Pauric Cannon.
History
Scoil Colmcille was built in 1974 and took over from the old Scoil Coilm Cille located across from the Cathedral of St. Eunan and St Columba, next to the Parochial House. The "Old Boys School", as it is affectionately referred to by pupils and staff, is still used, mainly to accommodate third and fourth class pupils from Scoil Colmcille and Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál (Girls School). Male boys are housed at the rear end of the school and play in the back yard while female girls are taught at the front entrance and play in the adjoining yard. At the time of the new Scoil Colmcille's opening over 600 boys attended the school. By 1985 school numbers grew to over 700 and employed 23 teachers. 1985 was also the year the Presentation BrothersPresentation Brothers
The Congregation of Presentation Brothers is an international Catholic congregation of laymen founded in 1802 in Waterford, Ireland, by a local businessman, Edmund Ignatius Rice, now Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice....
departed the school. Principal duties were handed over to Tom Redden in 1983, who retired in 2007, after 24 years on the job. The current principal is Pauric Cannon, a past pupil and former teacher in the school. Other non-teaching staff include a small number of secretaries (a.k.a. Mary McElwaine), a band of cleaners, ancillary workers and a caretaker (a.k.a. Peter Kelly). The school chaplain is Father Kevin Gillespie.
Allegations of Child Abuse
In his autobiography which was released in 2010, internationally renowned chef Conrad GallagherConrad Gallagher
Conrad Gallagher is an award-winning Irish chef from Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland. He was educated at Scoil Colmcille and St. Eunan's College.-Early life:...
told of the abuse he received at the school. He discussed how the Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
would feel him up and attempt to interfere with him. However he has decided not to press charges against the abusers. He stated that he wishes to put it all behind him.
Today
Donegal intercountyDonegal GAA
The Donegal County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Donegal GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Donegal. The county board is also responsible for the Donegal inter-county teams.Gaelic football is strongest in the...
GAA
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
player Rory Kavanagh
Rory Kavanagh
Rory Kavanagh ; is an inter-county GAA player with Donegal in Ireland. He plays with St. Eunan's in Letterkenny. He also lives in the town.He played a vital part in Donegal's winning of their first National League title in 2007. Having spent much of the campaign on the bench, he came on as a...
currently teaches at the school. Local philanthropist and businessman Paddy Delap coaches table-tennis to senior pupils at lunch-time.
Pupils are not allowed to run on the grass at playtime, instead they must only play on the tarred surface. In recent years, a number of colourful images have been added to the tar to encourage the children to play hop-skotch and tig. In 2007, a small number of pre-fabs were opened to accommodate the growing number of pupils attending the school. The school is a breeding ground for future students of St Eunan's College, located a short distance up the road.
Funday
Funday is an annual event which takes place in the school. The event was previously called Sports DaySports day
Sports days, sometimes referred to as Field Day, are events staged by many schools and offices in which people take part in competitive sporting activities, often with the aim of winning trophies or prizes...
. The event usually takes place in the Summer months near the end of the school year. Funday 2007 was held on May 2. Activities at the event included the potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
and spoon
Spoon
A spoon is a utensil consisting of a small shallow bowl, oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery , especially as part of a place setting, it is used primarily for serving. Spoons are also used in food preparation to measure, mix, stir and toss ingredients...
race and soccer. A new activity was introduced in 2005. This consisted of a large inflatable slide which pupils ran up and ran down on. Two years later the school decided to introduce more inflatable devices such as The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
and Smackdown vs. Raw
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
bouncy castles thus adopting the name Funday. Local businessman Paddy Delap helped out with the setting up of the activities.
Trivia
- The school has won the prestigious Green Flag award on a number of occasions and is well-known for its environmental endeavours. A school newspaper, The Green Eco, is produced on an irregular basis. http://homepage.eircom.net/~greeneco/eco_mainframe.htm
- Past visitors to the school include Irish artist, writer and nature-lover Don ConroyDon ConroyDon Conroy is an Irish children's author, artist, conservationist and television personality. His artistic and literary work centres around a wildlife theme. "Uncle Don", as he affectionately known, is heavily involved in wildlife conservation work in Ireland and has made regular appearances on The...
(2000/2001).
- Scoil Colmcille will celebrate its centenary in 2074. Celebrations will be planned closer to the date.
- Scoil Colmcille will celebrate its bi-centenary in 2174. Celebrations will be planned closer to the date.
- The school currently holds five Green Flags. (it also holds a blue one and a red one)
Notable alumni
- Conrad GallagherConrad GallagherConrad Gallagher is an award-winning Irish chef from Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland. He was educated at Scoil Colmcille and St. Eunan's College.-Early life:...
, Chef - Pat GibsonPat GibsonPat Gibson is an Irish multiple quiz show winner and a panellist on Eggheads.He was born and educated in Ireland but has lived in the United Kingdom for many years, and has represented England in the European Quizzing Championships since 2005.- Early life and education :Pat was born in Galway in...
, Egghead and Multiple Quiz show winner