Longford school news: St Mel's College successes, showcases and charity efforts

St Mel’s College, Longford

Junior Rugby Success
Our Junior Rugby team were crowned Leinster Schools Junior Development Shield Champions at Energia Park last Thursday. The boys in blue beat Mountmellick CC in the final on a scoreline of 26 - 17. It was a proud moment for St. Mel's College as this marks the first time in the school’s history that we have won this tournament. The team showed incredible resilience, skill, and heart from the first whistle to the last. Well done to all the players and coaching staff on an outstanding achievement! A proud and unforgettable day for rugby at St Mel’s College.

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ISTA National Science Quiz
Well done to Sean Ginty, Liam Maguire and Conor Doherty who competed in the Irish Science Teachers Association Quiz national finals in Trinity College Dublin on Saturday 6th December. The boys competed against the strongest teams in the country and were great ambassadors for St Mel’s College. Well done to all involved.

Battle of the Wits Regional Final
The Regional Final of the Battle of Wits Quiz took place in the County Council Chamber in Athlone on 4th December 2025. Longford was represented by teams from St Mel's College and Moyne Community School. Jonah Flanagan, Diarmuid Galvin, Nathanial Flood, and Ben Clarke represented St Mel’s. The two Longford teams competed against teams from Offaly, Laois, and Westmeath. The quizmaster on the day was Longford Library Archivist Martin Morris. Both of the Longford teams were fantastic, and after a very keenly contested quiz Athlone Community College was crowned Battle of Wits 2025 champions. Our St. Mel’s team finished strongly and were unlucky not to be in a prizegiving position. Thank you to Emma Dempsey for all her work preparing the team.

Senior Hurling
Our Senior Hurlers got their season off to a flying start recently with a strong performance against St. Farnan’s, Kildare. A solid defensive display and first half goals from Oisín McHugh and Sebastian Markovic sent the lads into the break with an 8-point lead. St. Farnan’s came out fighting in the second half, but St Mel’s responded well with Diarmuid O’Brien (2) finding the net and Sebastian striking again to seal the win. There were many impressive performances across the field, every player and substitution making another massive impact. It was especially great to see some of the lads return to Hurling after a few years away. Momentum is building for round 2 on the 18th of December.

TY Ice-Skating
All TY students travelled to Dundrum Town Centre last week where they enjoyed ice skating and some Christmas shopping. Thank you to TY coordinator Ms. Dempsey for organising and to Ms. Concar, Ms McGuinness and Mr Rooney for accompanying the boys on the trip. The students had a very enjoyable day out.

Midlands Showcase in TUS Athlone
Our Transition Year students attended the Midlands Showcase in TUS Athlone last Wednesday. The showcase was a celebration of the region's vision, talent, and innovation. Students had the opportunity to talk to different employers such as Medtronic, ESB, and Ericsson and got to experience STEM education and skills. New upcoming businesses gave advice on starting up and the challenges they faced. There were local businesses, such as beekeeping, the creative arts and social enterprise, and of course, there was lots of activity with the robots.

Jolly Jumper Day
Jolly Jumper Day took place on Tuesday in St. Mel's College. Students got into the festive spirit by wearing their Christmas jumper to school and donating €2 to our chosen charity which is De Paul Ireland. Thank you to all the students and staff who donated to this very worthy cause.

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In-house Exams
Well done to all of our 1st, 2nd and 5th year students who sat their in-house Christmas exams last week. Also, well done to our Junior and Leaving Certificate students who sat their Christmas exams in mid-November.

Team Hope Shoe Box Appeal
Thank you to the students who brought in Shoe Boxes for the Team Hope Shoebox Appeal. This annual campaign delivers gifts straight into the hands of children affected by poverty. Often these shoebox gifts are the only gift that a child will receive this Christmas. A huge thank you to Ms O’Hara for promoting the appeal.