St Mel's College in Longford enjoys plenty of activities and successes

St Mel’s College, Longford

Open Night
On Wednesday, November 5, we welcomed 6th class boys and their parents/guardians to our school for our annual open evening. We hope that all 6th class students gained a valuable insight into school life here and found out more about the new subjects, the numerous sports and lunchtime clubs available in St. Mel's College. A huge thank you to all our fantastic students who helped out on the night leading tours, in the classrooms with subject displays and promoting lunchtime clubs, as well as those helping out with activities in the sports hall and athletics track.

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Well done to our musicians who played some traditional music on the night. A special mention to our 1st year students Nicholas Ngwenya and Robert Flynn and our 6th year student Conor Doherty, who gave fantastic speeches on the night. Thank you to all the students and their parents/guardians who attended. This is a reminder that online enrollment is now open.

U15 Soccer
Hard luck to our U15 soccer team who lost out to Dundalk Grammar School in the first round of the Leinster Cup after a hard fought game. The teams were level 3 - 3 after extra time. The game went to penalties and Dundalk took the win 5 - 2. Our goal scorers today were Tom Donohoe, Conor Fox and Devin Barry. All boys played really well throughout the match but a special mention must go to Sean Kelly in goals, Lorcan McDermott in defence and Charlie Maguire in midfield. Well done to the lads for putting in a great performance.

Geography Project Presentation
Our 1st year students presented their Geography projects in class last week. Well done to all of the students who made fantastic models and posters of volcanoes.

Senior Basketball
Well done to our Senior basketball team who registered their second win in the Midland League on Friday, October 24 against Mercy Ballymahon. Starting strongly, St Mel’s surged to an early lead but the home team had reduced the deficit to just two points by the end of the 1st quarter. On the resumption however, St Mel’s built up an unassailable lead, extending this further in the 3rd period. Despite a late surge by the Ballymahon boys, St. Mel’s ran out deserving 55-44 winners in an entertaining derby matchup, played in a great spirit of sportsmanship by both teams.

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La Gaisce
La Gaisce was celebrated recently in the school by our TYs who enjoyed a talk by Mary Yore from Gaisce. The TYs were given a breakdown of the Gaisce programme and how to achieve the bronze medal award. Gaisce encourages young people to get involved in the local community through volunteering, learn a new personal skill and be active in physical recreational activities. All of this is to encourage young people to better themselves and others in life. A big thank you to Mary for another insightful presentation and for her continuous support to our St Mels PAL's.

Comhairle na nÓg
The Student Council attended an AGM hosted by Comhairle na nÓg, where they discussed important issues affecting teenagers in Longford, including mental health,
exam stress, and youth facilities and transport. The event also included fun activities such as West African drumming and a bodhrán workshop.

St Mel’s Fishing Club
Some of our young anglers from the St. Mel's College fishing club are pictured with the new fishing tackle kindly sponsored by Inland Fisheries Ireland. This was provided through the Go Fishing Fund 2024 and was aimed at promoting angling, water safety and environmental awareness. We are very grateful and this is of huge benefit to our growing club and will help develop our club and young anglers in the future.

PE Class
Strength and conditioning with Willow PE class has focused on Power, Coordination, Agility and Core in recent weeks. The students have been putting in serious work in the gym over the past few weeks. Amazing effort, energy, and teamwork all round — every session, the boys are getting stronger and sharper. Keep it up lads!