Dundalk Grammar School’s junior school will hold an open day on Wednesday October 14th from 3pm to 6pm.
The secondary school will also be open on the day giving you the chance to meet teachers and students and to see the school in action.
For further details visit www.dgs.ie or call 042 9334459.
Dundalk Grammar School received a €12,650 government grant this year for Design and Communications Graphics.
The figure was revealed following a parliamentary question to Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan on how much funding fee-paying schools were given for the purchase of laptops, tablets etc.
This was the first funding the Grammar has received in this regard since 2010 when they got €71,037.02 in ICT Infrastructure Grants.
Hiney Park
The former Dundalk FC-owned site at Hiney Park sold at auction in Dublin yesterday for €60,000 – €40,000 more than its reserve price.
The c1.67 hectares of irregular shaped land, which is zoned as recreational, sits opposite Oriel Park and fronts onto the R178 Carrickmacross Road.
It had been placed on the market by NAMA through Dublin-based estate agents GW2, who carried out the auction at Leopardstown Racecourse yesterday.
Over the years it had been used by Dundalk FC’s underage and ladies sides for training and matches while it was also a popular running route, known locally as ‘The Furry Glen’.
While the buyer’s identity has not been revealed, it is understood that Dundalk FC did not bid for the land. Dundalk Grammar School, who own a nearby piece of land now used by the club for training purposes, were amongst those interested however.
Dundalk FC initially sold Hiney Park – named after former chairman Eamon Hiney – to local businessman Gerry Matthews in 2005 for a sum somewhere between €750,000 and €1m.
Mr Matthews would go on to build the Youth Development Centre, now Oriel Active, on part of the land but this portion of the land is unaffected by the sale.
Hiney Park
A site opposite Oriel Park has gone on the market with a reserve of €20,000.
Hiney Park, which fronts onto the R178 Carrickmacross Road, is for sale with Dublin-based auctioneers GW2 and will go under the hammer at an auction in Leopardstown Racecourse on February 24th.
It is c.1.67 hectares of irregular shaped land, zoned as recreational.
Over the years it had been used by Dundalk FC’s underage and ladies sides for training and matches while it was also a popular running route, known locally as ‘The Furry Glen’.
Oriel Park is owned by the Casey family from the Carrick Road while land adjacent to this is owned by Dundalk Grammar School.
It is believed that former Dundalk FC owner Gerry Matthews bought Hiney Park in 2005 for a sum in the region of €1 million. The club had sold the ground to help them through a difficult financial period, with the local businessman later becoming a board member.
Mr Matthews would go on to build the Youth Development Centre, now Oriel Active, on part of the land but it is understood this portion of the land is not affected by the sale.
The club bought it in 1994/95 for a sum of £44,000 punts from Dundalk Urban Council and named it after then chairman the late Eamon Hiney, whose foresight in overseeing the acquisition of the 3.14 acres of land offered a club the lifeline to survive a decade ago when its sale allowed them to return to Oriel Park after a spell playing in Monaghan.
Mr Hiney died tragically in a car crash, with the 19th anniversary of his passing taking place on February 17th.
The entrance to Hiney Park, off the Carrickmacross Road
Rachael collecting her award from Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan
St Vincent’s Secondary School student Rachael Ní Dhonnachadha picked up the Best Individual Award at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in Dublin on Friday.
The 16-year-old, who is in fifth year, won the award for her project ‘Brap: Boxers handwrap, preventing wrist injury in boxing.’
She was entered in the Biological and Ecological Sciences category at senior level.
Local TD Gerry Adams and Senator Mary Moran were amongst those to praise all the local entrants with participating schools from Louth including Bush Post Primary School, Coláiste Rís, De La Salle College, Dundalk Grammar School, O Fiaich College, Our Lady’s College Drogheda and St Vincent’s.
The overall award went to Ian Sullivan and Eimear Murphy from Kanturk in Co Cork for their project on teenagers’ alcohol consumption.
Clanbrassil Street was one of the areas the survey found to be littered
Dundalk was ranked 29th out of 40 towns in the latest Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) Anti Litter Survey, released today.
The town was found to be Clean to European Norms, although it was in the bottom half of the league.
Neighbouring Drogheda was found to be moderately littered, which suggests that the local authority have work to do to raise the standards heading into the New Year.
Some of the better sites in the town included Dundalk Grammar School, the ‘managed’ Recycle Facility and Dundalk Institute of Technology. Clanbrassil Street was seriously littered as was the connecting road between Dundalk and Drogheda.
The full details of each area surveyed is below:
Approach from the North: Grade A. This was a very good route with attractive red paving for the pedestrian and cycle paths. The grass was neat and shrubbery / trees were in good order.
Dundalk Grammar School: Grade A. A very well presented and maintained educational environment – well done to all involved in same.
Dundalk Recycling: Grade A. This is a ‘managed’ facility where you drive through a barrier. The entrance was in excellent order – red brick paving, abundant flower boxes, grass and road markings / signage were very good. There was a complete absence of litter in the area surveyed.
Dundalk Institute of Technology: Grade A. Dundalk Institute of Technology is very much living up to the ethos of the Green Flag – it was spotless throughout. As well as a lack of litter the overall presentation of buildings / greenery / signage etc. was excellent.
Castleblaney Approach Road: Grade B. There was a variety of litter at this site, much of it food related e.g. sweet papers, plastic bottles, fast-food wrappers and cans. As well as these items cigarette packs and butts were also very much in evidence.
Dunnes Stores Car Park: Grade B. There was litter within the car park proper and the surrounding pedestrian pathways. Chewing gum and cigarette butts were most prevalent with lower levels of fast-food wrappers and plastic bottles.
Clanbrassil Street: Grade C. This street is very well served by litter bins and has had a relatively recent lift in terms of presentation of the square and courthouse so it is a real shame to see it score so poorly – as well as being heavily littered the seating looked very worn and the paving was uneven and dangerous.
Oriel Park: Grade B. A more thorough approach to cleaning could make a big difference to this site – all litter appeared to be ‘new’ i.e. not a long-term build up – a variety of food related litter was present at the main entrance and environs.
Dundalk Train Station: Grade B. This site just missed getting the top litter grade – with a little extra care on behalf of the users of the station this could easily be achieved.
Link road between Dundalk and Drogheda – South Bound: Grade C. All of this route was within County Louth so the results are for the one county. Surveyor noted that there was persistent litter along the left hand side of the road in the ditches and grass. The result of recent grass cutting was ‘chopped up litter’. As well as the usual types of litter there was plenty of plastic.
Dundalk Grammar School is the top feeder school in Co Louth for sending students to third level education, according to the latest figures published in today’s Irish Times.
The Crescent-based school saw 81 of the 84 students who sat the Leaving Certificate earlier this year go on to third level education, a percentage total of 96% Ten of those students went to UCD, ten more to Trinity and nine each to DIT and Maynooth.
The majority (15) stayed locally and attended Dundalk IT.
The Grammar’s record made it the 14th best feeder school in the province.
Drogheda schools Our Lady’s College, Sacred Heart and St Mary’s occupied the next three place on the list.
In fifth was St Vincent’s, which had an 86% rate of students attending third level with 137 of the 160 who sat the Leaving last summer going on to college or university.
It was closely followed by the De La Salle (83%), the Bush (79%), Dun Lughaidh (79%) and Coláiste Rís (78%).
St Mary’s College saw just 90 of its 138 Leaving Cert students go on to third level – a rate of 65% – while O Fiaich College had the lowest total in the Dundalk area with 47%.
Dunleer school Scoil Uí Mhuirí had the lowest total in the county at 44%.
Craig McHugh’s election poster
17-year-old Dundalk Grammar School student Craig McHugh was elected president of the Irish Secondary Students’ Union on Wednesday after fighting off competition from across the island at the ballot box.
Craig announced his interest for running as president only last Sunday after a friend had recommended his characteristics and qualities would suit the role better than his earlier decision for running as PRO.
The elections took place as part of the 2014-2015 ISSU AGM, which were held at Liberty Hall and was attended by over 100 delegates representing schools from across Ireland.
Craig’s day was filled with canvassing for votes and speaking to the delegates about what he felt he could do to help the students of Ireland.
He said: “As president I will campaign diligently for reform in second level education in Ireland, if the students have ideas then those ideas should be put forward to the people who can make them become a reality.”
Craig also spoke from the heart in the run up to the election, saying: “We need to ensure that students taking the new junior cycle course receive a high quality of education with assessment that can be quantified across the nation.
“I want my brother, who starts first year in September, to have just as good if not better an education experience than I did.”
Craig’s passion for reform in second level education was mainly tailored around focusing on the importance of Career Guidance teachers in second level schools and catering for those who do not take up LCVP or Transition Year to offer them the opportunity of work placements as part of a more practical and efficient education system.
He said: “We need more practical experience in our education so that we can make better decisions for our college choices like work placements. These shouldn’t be exclusive to LCVP or TY Students, as well as that career guidance teachers, we need more of them and we need more time with them.”
Craig will be officially introduced to the role of president next Friday by outgoing president Mark Caffrey next Friday at the ISSU’s first meeting of the new executive in Dublin.
Craig told Talk of the Town he is very excited about leading such a passionate group of young people as representatives of Irish students.
“I am truly honoured to have been elected as president of the ISSU, the work this union has done and continues to do on behalf of Irish students is remarkable, and I am thrilled to be in the position I have been bestowed with. I look forward to an exciting year representing this body and working with some of the most articulate and diligent young people in the country.”
Craig McHugh’s election poster
Two Dundalk students, Craig McHugh and Shay McArdle, are running for positions on the national executive of the Irish Secondary Schools Union (ISSU).
Craig McHugh is running for the position of president, while Shay McArdle is contesting the position of welfare officer.
The Union, which has been in existence since the 1970s, represents and works on behalf of the views and opinions of secondary students of Ireland with direct links to government and authorities with the power to make change.
17-year-old Craig is a fifth year student from Dundalk Grammar School. Best known for his appearances in theatre on his YouTube channel and work with youth groups, Craig is contesting for the position of president as he feels he could represent the ever growing union in a strong, efficient and effective manner.
Craig is currently the chair of Dundalk Grammar School’s Student Council, and has recently organised and presented the council’s highly successful Talent Show which raised over €760 for Cara Cancer Support Centre. Craig also sits as Vice Chair of Louth Comhairle na nÓg and is an active member of Louth Young Fine Gael, Dundalk Musical Society and MAD Youth Theatre.
Craig’s main goals as president would be to work for a more practical and efficent education system in Ireland, that caters for students that don’t wish “to be slaves to the point system” and showcase the importance of Career Guidance teachers in Ireland.
Shay McArdle, 16 of O Fiaich College is a sixth year student and is running for the position of ISSU Welfare Officer. Shay is an active member of Craobh Rua, is the policy maker of Louth Young Fine Gael and is the Louth representative of the National Comhairle na nÓg and is currently raising money for charity by skydiving and doing a sponsored starvation day.
Shay is campaigning for Mental Health Awareness among second level students and equality for race, sexual orientation and ethnic backgrounds. Shay wishes to become the Welfare Officer of ISSU because he feels no matter where he goes he strives to make a difference for the good no matter how great or small.
Both candidates will seek election on Wednesday at the ISSU 2014 AGM in Dublin’s Liberty Hall, with voters representing schools across Ireland attending to voice their opinions and decide their future leaders.
You can support the tw0 campaigns via Facebook. Craig’s page can be found here, while Shay’s can be found here.
Shay McArdle’s election poster
Louth Young Fine Gael chairman Ciaran Callan at the launch of the Fair Fares campaign with local students at Clarke Station in Dundalk
Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick TD, Louth Young Fine Gael chairman Ciaran Callan and Cllr Martin Murnaghan with local students at the launch of the Fair Fares campaign at Dundalk Bus Station
Talk of the Town 