Latest News and Media
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FCJ Secondary School Bunclody
(opens in a new tab)From Academics to Sports, and Music to Environmental Awareness Campaigns, FCJ Bunclody endeavours to provide learning and life experiences for all students, whilst underpinning the core values of our ethos: TRUTH, RESPECT, and JUSTICE.
In a controversial week for GAA trophies, a few non controversial ones made their way into school with a number of our current students😅🏆 What a great group of GAA players we have attending our school!⚾️🏐Firstly, Slaney Harriers won the Minor County Championship beating Ballyhogue 4-16 to 1-07. Next Myshall defeated Bagenalstown after extra time in the Carlow Minor Championship 1-24 to 0-26. Also, the Askamore Kilrush lads secured the Minor County title against Rossbawn Gaels on a scoreline of 2-16 to 2-09. Finally, the Kildavin/Clonegal girls pictured here won their county last weekend.Well done to all of them!💪
The FCJ Convent Secondary School Bunclody Class of 1986 had their 40th reunion the other week🎓⏳ As part of the celebration they took a trip down memory lane (And through the corridors) to relive and remember their time in our school📚The group got a guided tour from one of the most knowledgeable faithful companions out there, past student and teacher, Ms Simone O’Neill🏫 The Class of ‘86 were brimming with nostalgia and laughs as they recalled their formative years wearing the green uniform📝The group fondly remembered the 'Long Corridor', which was much longer then than now, as a hive of activity. Current students will know this as the corridor behind the Concert Hall🎶 And although quieter now, it was akin to the M50 or La Ramblas in the 1980s in our school. The group recalled that here once stood the offices of our Principal, Sr Margaret Quirke and Deputy Mr Tony O'Loughlin👩🏫 Also the woman that helped keep the show on the road, the school secretary, Ms Eileen Martin. The past students laughed that in the place where once stood a smoked-filled staffroom was now is the site of pool tables, lamps and potted plants, how indeed times have changed…🎱These were the group who fundraised for the school and supported the famous 'Field Days' on the Golf Links to the back of the school. And only got a few months in the new red brick St Patrick’s building before their Leaving Cert in 1986⛳️🧱#ThrowbackThursday #fcjsisters #fcjsistersireland #schoolreunion #classof86
"I'm ready for my close-up"🎥🎬 - Before our night shows kick off tomorrow at 7.30pm, here’s a bit of an insight into the back stage preparations that happen well before we open the doors at 7pm⏰🎟 Our students and teachers have a 2 hour head start on the audience🎭From hair and makeup💇♂️💅 (Always a favourite of the lads!🤣), to getting into the costumes👗👚👖👔👠 (Which you must admit look super), to the mic checks🎤, the tuning of the orchestra and the back stage and set crew adding the final touches to the plethora of panels🎹🎨🔨(Wait until you see the sets, they’ll blow your mind🤩), it's a hive of activity. So yeah, we've got the work done now. Your job is to show up and enjoy the event😁🙌 Sure with all that, how could you not? See you Thursday, Friday and Saturday night!💃🕺#openingnight #curtaincall #breakaleg #legallyblondethemusical
Stop the presses - We have scored a SUPER hat-trick!🥳 FOR THE 4TH YEAR IN A ROW, FCJ HAS HAD A NAUGHTON SCHOLARSHIP WINNER!!!🥇🤩 And wait until you hear this, we didn’t just have one winner, WE HAD TWO WINNERS FROM THE ONE LEAVING CERT GROUP!🏆 Just to put this into context, FCJ BUNCLODY IS THE ONLY SCHOOL IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY TO HAVE TWO NAUGHTON SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS!!!📚 We are just blown away by this. The recipients this year were; Aaron Cunniffe and Liam Cooney🎓 Last Saturday, Maths teacher, Ms Delvin, had the privilege of representing our school in Trinity College Dublin👩🏫 To give a bit more context again, there were 37 Naughton winners this year (And we got two)🏅🏅 This is a testament to the great students and teachers in our school, just like Noelle pictured here with both of the lads and also Mary and Sarah Byrne, two previous winners themselves!💯#naughtonscholarship #AcademicExcellence #trinitycollegedublin #UCD #lecheileschoolstrust
IT TURNS OUT THAT BLONDES DO ACTUALLY HAVE MORE FUN!!!🎶🎭👱♀️🤩It was easy to see this today as local primary school children were treated to a lesson in law, fashion and all things pink!💗 A huge thanks to the kids for coming to see our show. In a few years time you could be on the very stage that you looked up at today, strutting your stuff, singing your heart out and making memories that will last a lifetime!💃🕺 As it turned out, their favourite character was 'Postman Kyle', AKA JJ Sinnott, who was mobbed by the students after the final curtain!📫💌 (And he only trying to deliver his package!😂)Remember, our first night show is this Thursday 22nd with following shows on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th📅 Doors open at 7pm with the show kicking off at 7.30pm sharp⏰ There are still tickets left but they are selling quickly so get yours now to avoid disappointment. There are still a few available in Eurospar Bunclody or alternatively you can send money in with a student to purchase them at the Attendance Office each morning at 8.20am-8.40am and again at 10.50am-#legallyblondethemusicalt#AnPosta#youvegotmailuvegotmail
Straight from Harvard, Massachusetts, USA - Elle Woods has finally arrived!👱♀️🇺🇸🗽 The law student is here ahead of our musical ‘Legally Blonde’🎭🎶 Ms Woods is getting set to blow the roof off our Concert Hall next week🤩 Oh and just a note for staff and students, watch out for her Chihuahua, Bruiser, apparently he’s a bit of an ankle biter!🐶 Also, Mr Daly likes to think of himself as judge, jury and executioner at times, but he got a bit of a land today when there was an actual judge in his chair!🧑⚖️😂Tickets are selling fast, so get yours quick!🎟 There are still a few available in Eurospar Bunclody or alternatively you can send money in with a student to purchase them at the Attendance Office each morning at 8.20am-8.40am and again at 10.50am-11.05am⏰#legallyblondethemuscial #legallyblonde #musical #BoxOffice #GetYourTicketsNow
A number of our current students have been involved in some HUGE international sporting events recently, stemming across a variety of disciplines!⚽️🏑🏐Firstly, Micheal Redmond was recently selected for the Ireland U18 rugby squad🇮🇪🏈This is coming after years of involvement in the Leinster team🔵⚪️ Despite the enormous time put into his training, Michael never neglects his classwork and always works hard to maintain academic balance. Also, it just so happens that he’s as sound as a bell too💪📚 Sure he has it all!😁Another big well done to siblings, Emily and Jake Nolan👏 The pair were in Athens last week competing in the World International Kenpo Karate Championships🥋 Emily (2nd Year) Bronze in Black Belt U17 Individual Fighting, Silver in Team Fighting and Silver in the Forms. Jake (1st Year) won Gold in Fighting, Gold in Team Fighting and Gold in Weapons Forms🥇🥈🥉 There’ll be no messing with that family!👊Also, having travelled to New York, USA for the Word Wallball Championship, Paddy Byrne (2nd Year), won not one, not two, but three Gold medals!🇺🇸 The jetlag obviously didn't do him any harm! What a super experience this young man is having. The best of luck in upcoming competitions, Paddy!🥇🥇🥇Finally, the Clonee girls had the trophy from their County Final victory win last weekend in school with them today🏆 They even got Mr Daly a jersey for keeps! Hopefully the Baile Dubh Tire women don’t see him in it on the corridor!😅😂
A bit of a 'Throwback Tuesday' for you here⏳ We shared this piece by Niall O'Muirí with you before, but we just love it. Niall wrote this passage after our 2019 musical, Grease. It chronicles what the FCJ musical is all about, and the people in the past and indeed the present who make it such a magical event🖋🎭🎼 Our musical kicks off next week. We wonder, would Pat approve of the paint job on the Concert Hall? Considering the colour he spread in life, we reckon so!😁'The old concert hall is silent now. After eight weeks of having its ancient walls shaking all over with the sounds of Grease. Every two years it comes alive, with the buzz of a thousand students, singing and dancing and laughing and dodging classes, losing themselves in the magic of the school musical.Its spirit is infectious spreading down through school corridors seeping in under closed classroom doors distracting studious students with heads bowed, one eye on the leaving cert and one ear on the concert hall, wishing they could experience it all just one more time. You can feel the buzz, the excitement, the stress, the anticipation as ‘Grease Lightening’ slides through the school grounds, as opening night approaches. The thought of a sold out hall and standing ovations. Proud parents, and past pupils, returning once more, to feel the magic, to reminisce and catch up with old friends and look back and remember…How many kids who struggled with school, and life, and all it throws at them, were saved by the musical? How many kids blossomed and grew and found a new confidence and new friends? How many kids took to the stage and never looked back? How many kids found their way, found themselves, found a belief and a confidence in themselves that carried them through to adulthood? And all because, and all because…There’s a framed collage of photos hanging on the wall in the concert hall. I wonder if anyone notices it now? A small humble tribute in memory of a teacher who, over 30 years ago, strolled in through the gates of the FCJ Convent and brought with him the magic of theatre. And us shadow artists and would-be-actors grabbed onto his humble coat tails and loved every minute of the journey in his company. Weren’t we the lucky ones to have been part of it all. And here on the eve of the first curtain call and in the madness and chaos and fun of those final days of rehearsal, I wonder if any of the kids stop and ponder, for just one split moment to look at the photos and ask…And in the blink of an eye, after all the weeks, all the stress, all the fun, the last night, the last curtain call. The old tired hall packed to its dusty rafters, the low murmur of proud parents, past pupils, all remembering, all wishing. The dulled lights, the orchestra tuning, last night, last curtain call, you can feel the tension backstage. Then, Mr Earls with an acute awareness of history and the shoes he had to fill, steps forward, calls for a moment's silence. And in that stolen moment he reminds us all as to why we are here, and he shares with every student the legacy of Pat Connaughton from the bog arse of Knockcrockery, in County Roscommon. How over thirty years ago he strolled quietly in through the gates of FCJ and introduced a thousand students to the magic of theatre. And musicals and without him there would be nothing. And our lives would have been all the poorer. Aren’t we the lucky ones to have experienced it all? All these years. Isn’t that a wonderful legacy to leave behind, after a lifetime of teaching, to have given so much to so many.Mr Hennessey tunes up the orchestra in the pit. In the hushed silence backstage, Mr Earls calls on Leon to read Seamus Heaney’s ‘Digging’, in memory of Mr Connaughton and all he gave us and all he gave FCJ…‘Between my finger and my thumb, the squat pen rests; snug as a gun.’So, with that in mind, GET YOUR TICKETS FOR THIS YEAR'S MUSICAL NOW!!! Sure with this much history, you'd be mad not to!😁🎟#musical #fcjbunclody #fcjsistersireland #mrconnaughton #englishteacher #beingpartofsomethingbigger #168yearsandstillgoingstrong #memories #inspirationalteachers
WOW, another ACADEMIC MILESTONE here in our school. We’ve even managed to BREAK OUR OWN RECORD!!!📚📝🤩 Here are the students that received the most Distinctions (The HIGHEST grade) in their Junior Cycle exam results last Wednesday🎓🏆 We had students achieve a whooping; 9 Distinctions, 8 Distinctions, 7 Distinctions, 6 Distinctions, 5 Distinctions and 4 Distinctions. What an amazing achievement!👏 You really are an example of where hard work, diligence and commitment can get you. No doubt you will continue to flourish as you move into senior cycle in our school✅💯The students that secured these excellent results were; Nellie Fortune, Robert Bolger, Shannon Atkinson, Zoe Naughton, Conor Gormley, Olivia Burrows, Aoife Redmond, Aoibhínn Byrne, Lucy Malone, Jamie Conway and Lily Doyle. Well done to each of you!😁
Other Media
The HSE Visits FCJ Bunclody – Staying Safe in School
Christmas Prayer Service – December 2020
Enrolment/Open Day Video – October 2020
Graduation Speeches for the 6th Year Class of 2020
Our Lockdown Art Gallery
National Modern Foreign Language Award Winner 2020
“Par ma moustache!”
May Awards & Mass – 2019
‘Grease’ The Musical – 2019
