The TY Mic
Episode 62 is now available on Spotify, episode 1, season 1.
TY 2024-2025
Gaisce President’s Award.
Students who wish to participate in the Gaisce President’s Bronze Award, please register by clicking on the following link: Gaisce President’s Award
Closing date for applications in September 30th at 3pm.
Student information.
Information regarding the following is available in the students TY 2024 -2025 with all the details for applying.
TY Competitions
Students should check their TY 2024-2025 Teams for information on the following:
Houses of Oireachtas TY work experience:
Students who are interested in applying for the Houses of Oireachtas TY work experience please complete the form below.
TY Houses of Oireachtas TY work experience 2024-2025
Applications are now been taken from students who wish to participate in season 3 of The TY Mic podcast. Interested students are asked to register their interest by completing the form below.
Applications are now available for the TY Defence Force Programme.
Students should check their TY 2024-2025 Team
Students from “The TY Mic” podcast got the opportunity to meet the Taoiseach Mr, Simon Harris at a book launch for “Murder at Lordship” by Pat Marry and Robin Schiller.
Pictured in the photo are Austin Noble, Luke O’Sullivan, Taoiseach Mr. Simon Harris and Brian Caffrey.
Pat Marry has been a guest on The TY Mic this year and you can listen back to the episode by clicking on the link below.
Congratulations to Shane Cunningham on being shortlisted for the Gráinne O’Neill Legal Essay Competition 2023/24.
This is a fantastic achievement.
Gráinne O’Neill Memorial Essay Competition information
TY Timetable for Module 5
TY Ski Trip to Andorra 2024
SD4 TY Cookery Day 2
Video clip of the trip coming soon
The best of luck to all our TY’s on their work experience placement and also to the students who are travelling to Andorra for the TY Ski Trip 2024.
TY Work Experience
TY work experience begins on the 19th of February. All students are required to have a placement for the two week compulsory block.
Students must upload their details to the online form which can be located in the TY work experience section.
Here is a link to some pictures from the JFK Forensic Science Workshops.
SD4 TY Cookery Day 1
Oddballs Presentation on testicular cancer.
TY students received a presentation on Tuesday from Conal Bird who is an “oddballs” ambassador. The talk was on testicular cancer awareness.
Please click on the video to see the presentation.
TY Competitions.
In advance of the Holiday World Show Dublin, which takes place Friday 26th through to Sunday 28th January 2024, we are inviting Secondary School Students throughout the country to enter the Holiday World Show Young Travel Writer of the Year Competition.
The competition is open to Transition Year, 4th Year, 5th Year and 6th Year Students.
Entrants are invited to write a 500 word fictional or true life piece about their favorite holiday destination/travel experience beginning with the phrase “My amazing adventure began as I set sail on the Stena Vision from Rosslare to Cherbourg ………..”
To enter the competition, please email writings (no more that 500 words) before Monday 21st January 2024 to: holidayworld@limelight.ie
Entries must be labeled with the following:
- Student Name
- Class
- Teacher’s Name
- Age
- School
- School Address / Eircode
- Contact No.
- Contact Email
The overall winner will receive a return Stena Line ticket to France from Rosslare to Cherbourg for a car + 4 persons, including cabin, on one of the 6 weekly sailings. They will have their winning article published online on www.travelextra.ie, Ireland’s leading source of travel information and travel news. They will also be invited to the Travel Extra Travel Journalist of the Year Awards on Friday 26th January.
All entrants will also receive FREE Family Passes to the Holiday World Show Dublin 2024.
The Holiday World Show Dublin takes place at the RDS Simmonscourt from 26th to 28th January 2024. For three days the Holiday World Show will transform the RDS Simmonscourt into a hub of exotic, vibrant, multi-cultural activity; from the Americas to Asia, Europe to Africa, visitors can meet travel professionals from all over the world. This family friendly event allows visitors to experience a variety of exotic locations through interactive displays and a multicultural entertainment schedule.
For more information visit www.holidayworldshow.com/young-travel-writer-of-the-year
TY Modern Languages Poster Competition.
TY Modern Languages Poster Prize TY Modern Languages poster prize Letter
Please see information in the above links in relation to a TY Modern Languages Poster competition. This competition is run by Trinity College Dublin. Students must produce a creative poster design with the subject “Why we would love to be fluent in ….”
Please note that this is a team competition consisting of 5 members in each team. Individual entries will not be accepted.
The very best of luck,
The deadline for the TY short story competition is the 19th of December. Information can be found via students TY 2023-2024 Team assignment.
TY Timetable for Module 3 beginning on Monday 27th of November.
Group 10 Photography.
Here are some of the pictures from group 10.
The best picture as voted from group 10
Photo taken by Yaroslav Yatsenko
Group 9 Photography.
Here are some of the pictures from group 9.
The best picture as voted by students from group 9.
Photo taken by Finn Watt
“I was walking in the park and I noticed the symmetry of the trees and the path so I decided to stop and try to take a photo. I used a black and white filter as I hadn’t used it before and wanted to experiment with it.”
Group 8 Photography
Here are some pictures from group 8.
The best picture as voted by group 8.
Photo taken by Vojin Stankovic
“I took this photograph on the way back to the college from Blanchardstown Village. Although I was in a hurry, the intense red colour of the wrapper caught my eye, which lead me to the decision to stop and take a photo. The simple shapes in the picture mean it’s easy on the eyes, and the low exposure really makes the subject stand out.”
TY Fencing
SV4 travelled to Mount Sackville to Fence against their TYs on Thursday the 16th of November. Here are some of the photos from the event.
SL4 TY Cookery Day 2
SD4 and SM4 Trip to the Ashtown Teagasc Food Research Centre
On Thursday 16th of November students from SD4 and SM4 had a trip to the Ashtown Teagasc Food Research Centre. Check out there website by clicking on the link. Ashtown-Teagasc-Food Research-Centre
Here are some photos from the trip.
SD4 and SM4 class trip to the Ashtown Teagasc Food Research Centre
SD4 and SV4 Trip to the Botanic Gardens.
SD4 and SV4 Botanical Gardens Trip 7-11-2023
SL4 TY Cookery Day 1
Group 7 Photography.
Here is a link to the best photos from group 7.
The best picture as voted by students from group 7.
Photo taken by Jaden Mollison.
Group 6 Photography
Here is a link to the best photos from group 6.
The best picture as voted by the students:
Photo taken by Rian McEntaggart.
SM4 TY Cookery Day 2
Group 4 Photography
Here is a link to the photos from Group 4
The best picture as voted by the students from group 4:
Photo by Luke Hanly
Here is a link to the photos from group 5
Here is the best picture as voted by the students in group 5:
Photo by Stephen Harcourt
“I took this photo at the back gate of the school. I lay down on the ground and set the exposure to low. I set my focus on the background and tried to get as much detail of the floor as I could. I also put the camera on a vibrant filter to get more colour into my shot.”
TY Photography Group 2
Here is a link to the photos from group 2
The best picture as voted by the students from group 2
Photo taken by Mark Doherty
I went into the Phoenix Park to take this photo. There was a tree stump with different fungi and mushrooms on it. I noticed this group growing off the side of the stump and thought it would be a good photo. I put the camera on the microscope setting and zoomed into the fungus lowered the exposure, made sure it was focused and used a dim flash and then took the photo.
Here is a link to the photos from group 3
The best picture as voted by the students from group 3
Photo taken by Alex Babin
Walking through Phoenix Park I came across a small lake where I noticed two ducks idly swimming within the water. I decided to take this photo as it came across as peaceful and tranquil. I crouched down slightly and snapped a shot of the ducks as they swam making sure to adjust the exposure to really capture the darkness of the foreground and the brightness of the background as well as the ripples of the water.
Students from SK4 and SD4 travelled to UCD for a Classical Studies field trip.
TY Photography
TY photography got underway this week with group 1. Please see the best picture as voted by the students.
Photo taken by Brian Caffrey SM4
“Photo taken while doing TY photography course in Farmleigh. For this photo I spotted that there was an unusual spider peering over the edge of an old wooden structure. To capture the light in the background and to prevent shadows I focused the camera from beneath the structure. I used the microscope features on the camera to focus in on the spider and to blur the background”. – Brian Caffrey
Click on the link to see other photos taken by students
SM4 TY Cookery Day 1
TY Develop Me.
Please see some pictures from the recent Develop Me workshop for TY’s
TY Trip to Carlingford 2023
TY Trip to Carlingford 2023 – 2024
TY Trip to Carlingford Wednesday 20th of Sept – Friday 22nd of Sept.
Buses depart from the College at 08:15am and will return on Friday by 3:30pm.
All students must bring their own sleeping bag.
Students that are interested in a work placement with the Defence Forces please see the application form in the work placement section.
Students who are interested in particular placements please complete the form below. It will be live until Friday 15th at 9am
Transition Year 2022-2023 Review
TY Ski Trip to Andorra.
All footage recorded and edited by Seán Clancy.
TY Activities for Wednesday 3rd of May to Friday the 12th of May
SV4 TY Cookery Day 1
SK4 and SL4 E-scooter training
TY Rock Climbing in Dalkey Quarry
TY e-scooter training
TY Activities for the Week of the 24th of April
SM4 TY Cookery in Mount Sackville
Best of luck to Seán Bridson and Conal Doohan as they embark on a student visit to New Zealand.
The Grainne O’Neill Memorial legal essay competition.
Congratulations to our three TY students who were part of 32 finalists in the national Grainne O’Neill Memorial legal essay competition.
Andrew McGee, Harry Murphy and Aodán Jordan
Please see the article below
Lucan student reaches finals of national essay competition
TY Activities for the week of the 17th of April
TY Interviews
TY’s had their mock interview in the College Library on Thursday 30th of March. Thank you to all the parents who volunteered.
James Lammas’s participation in the Winter Cup
Report on the Winter Cup by James Lammas
TY Competition
The NatPro Boglands creative competition.
This is an art competition with a mission to encourage TY students to be inspired by the Boglands of Ireland and create in writing, art, photography or music. It is free to enter and there are prizes to be won.
The competition details and how to enter, as well as the full Terms and Conditions and Application form, are available on the NatPro Trinity College website at the following link
https://www.tcd.ie/natpro/tymodule/competition/index.php
Closing deadline for entries is May 1st.
SL4 Cookery
Here is a selection of photos from SL4’s cookery class on Wednesday
Schools Rock Climbing Competition
TY Activities for the week of the 13th of March
Archery
Congratulations to Erwan Louis who had a number of achievements at the National Indoor Archery Championships hosted in Galway University last weekend.
Erwan won the Gold medal in the U18 Compound Men’s category.
Silver Medal in the Compound Men’s team category.
Quarter finalist in the Seniors Men’s Compound category and a new personal best score out of 60 arrows. Well done and we look forward to continued success in your upcoming competitions.
Classical Studies Trip to UCD
TY YSI students presenting in the Mansion House on their project.
SK4 Cookery
TY Activities for the week of the 6th of March
World Archery Championships in Nimes, France
From the 19th to the 21st of January me and some members of my archery club attended the Indoor World Series Archery Championship in Nimes, France.
This was the first time I attended a world ranking competition. 1,073 competitors from 44 nations across multiple categories competed at this event.
When we registered on the Thursday, and I was able to see scale of the halls that I would be shooting in. They had banners of all the previous winners of the event on the walls.
On the Friday morning we had a practice session, and it was my first opportunity to shoot beside top-ranking professional archers like Tim Gillingham. I also got the opportunity to meet lots of other pro shooters like Mike Schloesser who is the best compound shooter in the world.
Going into that practice I felt relaxed, and I was shooting very well. However, 30 minutes before the end of that practice session someone stole my release aid. This is a crucial piece of my shooting equipment which is rather personal to each archer. It made me feel uneasy and impacted my shooting.
I managed to get a similar release aid from one of the archery stands in the hall. It took me a couple of ends to adjust to it. I had my competition a few hours later. I shot my first series 1 point below my personal best. And after a short break I shot my second series I didn’t shoot as well as I would have liked. Shooting on the target next to me was the best under 21 archers in the world. After the competition I felt happy with the scores that I got, and I was able to meet more top archers to get some tips on how to improve my shooting. After the competition was over, I got a world ranking which is 48th for the under 21 compound men so I was happy with that.
By Erwan Louis
TY Work Experience
TY work experience begins on the 20th of February. This is a two week compulsory block for all TY students.
Class resumes for TY’s on the 6th of March.
The very best of luck to all our TY’s.
Forensic Science. The JFK assassination.
TY students completed their forensic science workshop in the College Concert Hall this week.
TY Chinese language and culture module.
Here are some pictures from the current Chinese language and culture module which takes place during the MFL period on Monday’s.
TY Photography
Have a look at a video made by Rory McDonogh which details the TY photography module.
SD4 TY Cookery
Here are some photos from SD4’s second cookery day.
TY Activities for the week of the 23rd of January
TY Activities for the week of the 16th of January
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SV4 TY Photography
On Thursday December 15th half of SV4 took part in A Photography module with Tim and went out in the afternoon to take photos, I was with Paul McHugh (seen in picture) and Kyle Lawlor (background) and we went out to a car park and saw an old abandoned motorcycle. Paul is a big fan of motorcycles and wanted me to take a picture of him sitting on it, looking like he’s about to ride off in his motorcycle. I thought the picture turned out quite well and Kyle in the background unintentionally makes the picture even better. I used the flash as we were in a darker area and I zoomed in and stood a further distance away.
Ray Murray
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TY Fencing Competition Day 2
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TY Visit to Croke Park 9-1-2023
Click on the link below to see images from the TY visit to Croke Park on the 9-1-2023. Students got a stadium tour, sky walk and also a visit to the the GAA museum.
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UNICEF Training Day Report
On Friday, 8th of December, I attended a training day with UNICEF in the Ombudsman’s for Children’s Office. The training day was focused on refugee and migrant rights as well as activism. During the day, I learned about refugee rights, children’s rights, the world they live in, and how this can respond to challenges both locally and globally. Throughout the day, I worked with my peers in small groups to explore and learn about the topics of concern, including discrimination, inequality, and the climate crisis. These small exercises helped me to build my capacity to become an active citizen. I also participated in a moving debate, the motion being, “should Ireland take in and home more refugees”. I found this very educational because it was very interesting to listen to different people’s opinions and suggestions.
However, my favourite part of the day was when we watched a YouTube video on a refugee vlogging her way from Syria, into Turkey and then the dangerous trip across The Aegean Sea into Europe. This was my favourite part of the day because I found it very moving to see what it was like to part ways in your country of birth and start a new journey full of challenges, dangers, and fears. It made me realise how lucky I am to live in a war-free country and made me very grateful for my surroundings. I have put a link below to the YouTube video. I really recommend you take 22 minutes out of your day and watch Rania’s moving and emotional journey.
Escape from Syria: Rania’s odyssey
Overall, the day was extremely educational and eye opening.
By Harry Delaney – St Vincent’s 4
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TY Photography
Please see the photos from SM4.
This photo was taken at the boat lake, on the grounds of Farmleigh, in the Phoenix Park. This particular scene of the lake stood out to me as I thought that the trees and bushes framed the lake beautifully and acted almost like a natural picture frame that would bring attention to the reflection of trees in the lake. This photo was taken in landscape and I used the monochrome filter on the camera to add even more depth to the shadows and to add interest to the photograph. The monochrome filter also helped to ensure that the reflection on the lake was captured adding more visual interest to the photograph.
By Ben Orsi
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TY Community Care Placement 19th December – 21st of December.
TY’s will have their 1st placement from the 19th – 21st of December. As part of their placement students are required to write a review of the placement for their digital portfolio.
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TY Work Experience Review
Please read the work experience review by Aayush Gajare
Work Experience Review
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TY Work Experience Review
Recently Oscar Glynn completed a week of additional work experience in a media advertising company.
Click on the link to hear his review.
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SVP Christmas Tree Sale
Please see the short video created by Sean Clancy on the SVP Christmas Tree Sale which took place on Saturday the 3rd of December.
Competition deadlines
- The RTE playwright competition deadline is December 21st.
- The Environmental Innovators submission deadline December 16th
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The TY Mic
Please follow our new podcast. The TY Mic is a podcast where TY students interview people of interest about their career, sport and other things.
A new episode will launch each week.
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The STEPS Engineering Your Future Programme 2023 is now open for applications.
Students should refer to their TY 2022-2023 Teams for further information.
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During the week starting 7th November I had the opportunity to do a TY work experience course with St. Patrick’s Mental Health Hospital. St. Patrick’s is Irelands largest independent Mental health service and provides in-patient and out-patient services. I thought that this would be a great opportunity to get an insight into careers in mental health and to see how a hospital works. There were 25 other TY students from all over the country attending the course.
As it was a working hospital, I had to wear a mask inside the hospital. Throughout the week we had different speakers take time from their day to explain their roles in the hospital, and how they function and work together in the hospital. We had many different people come in to speak to us, including the CEO of the hospital!
We had past users of St Patrick’s Mental health services speak to us about their experience. I found this incredibly insightful as it was a different point of view of the hospital to the perspective, I had been hearing about from the hospital staff.
We also learned about wellbeing and minding your mental health, how mental health services can be accessed, and routes to having a career in Mental Health Services. Some of the most interesting things I learned are the variety of mental health related jobs, including psychiatry and pharmacy, and the variety of treatments and therapies available to service users (patients).
Overall, I found the week hugely interesting as it showed me different careers involved with mental health and the importance of these careers in society.
St. Patrick’s Mental Health Hospital
by Conal Doohan
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Young Social Innovators
Over the past weeks my classmates and I have been working on a project for the YSI movement, (young social innovators). In this project we hope to accomplish social change in the way of climate action. We are building a greenhouse out of recycled plastic bottles to raise awareness for how much plastic we use in our lives.
This also shows that the plastics are not single use despite what people think they can still be used. At this stage in the proceedings, we have our plan finished and have just started to build the wooden frame for the greenhouse and put a protective layer of paint on it. We all hope to inspire change in our local community and further afield to change their ways and try to save our planet.
by Mark Ward.
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IBM TY work experience review
by Ben Orsi
TY Photography
EiSHT TY workshops
TY’s will participate in the EiSHT workshops from Monday 21st – 23rd of November. Students have been informed of their workshop times via Teams
WORKSHOPS
Samsung solve for tomorrow competition.
Please follow the link below for competition details and information.
Photography SL4
Please see the two best pictures from SL4 as voted by the students.
On Monday and Tuesday, the 7th and 8th of November respectively my class and I took part and completed a photography course in which we learned how to use angles and techniques to make pictures appear different and more meaningful. One of my own photos that stuck out to me was that of a rotting pumping found in the Phoenix Park a week after Halloween. To me this showed how autumn was done and we were headed into winter, I found this to be a perfect photo to take and thought it captured how well our photography went.
by Matthew Warnock
I took this photo on the school grounds just outside the tennis courts. The flower caught my eye due to the vibrant colour and satisfying shape. I took the photo at a portrait angle, so I could remove excess background and to make sure the whole view focused on the flower. I used the microscope setting to highlight the details and beauty of the flower, and the triangles that built up the flower.
by Ben Nugent
TY Photography SK4
Please see the two best pictures from SK4 as voted by the students.
I took this picture during our two-day photography module. We went out in groups of two for 2 hours and we were giving tasks such as, take 10 black and white pictures, take 5 close up pictures and five reflection pictures. This was one of the black and white pictures I took off the bench just outside the 1st year locker rooms. The 2 hours were coming to an end, so my partner and I were wandering around the front of the school where I saw this bench beside a bin. I got down low and put my camera up to the bench in colour with the bin in the back, but something was off so i tilted the camera, removed the bin from the background and changed the filter to black and white and this was the result.
Daniel Pierse
As I was walking back to the college on Whites Road, the day was dark, and the rain had calmed down. I noticed a puddle on the floor, and I was taking a lot of refection shots that day, so I decided to take one more. The way it turned out was almost perfect. The raindrops bouncing from the puddle and the shade got brighter the further down the photo created a great effect. I almost walked past this puddle without taking the photo, but it was definitely worth taking.
Sean Bridson
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TY Expo
All TY students attended the TY Expo in the National Sports Arena on Tuesday the 8th of November.
http://transitionyearireland.ie/
Video courtesy of Sean Clancy
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SV4 vs Mount Sackville
On Thursday 10-11-2022 Mount Sackville TY girls took part in a fencing competition with SV4 from Castleknock College. Mount Sackville girls proved very worthy opponents and edged passed our TY students to claim victory on the day.
SD4 Fencing module 2
Erwin Louis proved the better opponent against Peter McMyler in the SD4 competition.
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The Dáil Éireann
On Monday the 7th of November SD4 travelled to the Dáil for a tour of the historic building, we travelled by bus with Mr. MacGabhann and Mr. Cullen When we arrived, we were greeted by our tour guide Géaroid who had been working in the Dáil for the past eleven years, first he brought us into the Dáil chamber where all the big meetings are held and where the voting takes place, this was very cool as we were only used to seeing this room on tv. After that we were brought to the Taoiseach’s landing on this landing there are painted portraits of all the past Taoiseach’s of Ireland the portraits were fascinating, next we went into another voting room for up and coming TDs or past TDs, lastly he showed us the Irish proclamation which was framed on the wall it was one of the original copies and a great piece of Irish history, sadly that was it for our tour of the Dáil but it was a great experience that I would definitely recommend.
by Oz Conboy
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Modúil an chraoltóra
Have a listen to the first of the TY Gaelige podcasts “Gach rud Gaelige” with Daire D’Arcy, Ray Murray and Charlie Bowles.
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TY Photography SD4
Here are the two best photos as voted by the students during their photography workshop.
Senan Bolger
The photo contains several mushrooms with a green background. I decided to take this photo because I was intrigued to see the amount of detail on the mushroom when I had a closer look at it. I took the photo from a low level so it would capture the underneath of the mushroom and the leaves in the background. I used the microscopic feature on the camera to capture detail and to have the mushroom as the main topic. I felt it would be a unique photo as not many people feel the need to take pictures of the small aspects of nature. Overall, I was happy with the final product.
Adam Keogh
The photography course given by Tim Durham was very interesting. In this workshop we were taught the workings of a camera and how to compose a photograph. As part of the module, we had to take our own photos. A camera was supplied by Tim, and we were also given a list of the types of photos we should take. A mystery photo, black and white photo, and perspective photos. My photo was taken in the Fury Glen in the Phoenix Park. When I looked up and saw the sun glistening through the trees with all the different foliage in the forefront it reminded me of a scene from a fairy tale. I captured the view in monochrome because the sun and the trees created lots of bright and dark contrast in the photo. My caption for this photo is “where there is light, there is life”
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Develop Me TY workshop
Last week TY students participated in a workshop called “Develop Me”. This workshop is designed to develop our teamwork, planning, problem solving and leadership skills.
In the first half of the day, we did a board game like exercise called “The search for the Lost Dutchman’s Gold”. In this exercise we had to work together as a class to collect as much gold as possible from the gold mine, while having a time restraint of 20 in game-days, which were two minutes each. In every class we were split up into multiple groups that could work and trade together to achieve the overall goal of collecting the most gold bars. This strengthened the bond of the class as we had to team up to maximise every group’s profits. This exercise was entertaining while also developing our teamwork skills further.
In the second half of the day, we were assigned the task of building a bridge faster than the other classes. In this task, two leaders were appointed who oversaw the building of the bridge and they split the class up into four groups and each had to build different parts of the bridge. There were bases, towers, ramps and roadways. When each team was finished constructing their parts, we connected them all together to make the bridge. This exercise had a 50-minute time limit, so we were under pressure to get it done. In the end we had a bridge that nearly spanned the length of the classroom and was six feet in height. This exercise developed our critical thinking, leadership and once again teamwork skills.
Overall, the workshop helped us develop key skills needed in life while also being an enjoyable and fun experience.
Andrew McGee
On the week commencing the 7th of October, all TY classes took part in a workshop known as ‘Develop Me’. Our two taskmasters of the day’s project were Gerard, and Owen. We quickly came to realize that this was not just a workshop, it was a competition between classes. The project assigned to us was very similar sounding to a fun, strategic board game, however we will find out later what this mirage was really covering. The board game involved five teams devising a plan, to get to the lost dutchman’s mine, which is full of gold and gather as much gold as possible per day at the mine. Each team is granted twenty days (aka 40 minutes) in the mine and making it back to the town with the spoils was essential to prevent disqualification. With the competitive spirit rising in all students, plans were hatched and executed to varying degrees of perfect! When winners of the match ups were announced, cheers could be heard from one room with a muffled silence emitted from the other. Gerard revealed to us that the game was in fact a way of developing an understanding of the key components of project management and self-performance within a team. The takeaway was the fact that the winners had the strategy of sharing resources (fuel and supplies) across all 5 teams and they planned their 20 days at the very beginning of the activity…leading them to victory.
This was not the end however, activity 2 awaited us.
The second activity introduced us to the problem of ‘Tom’s Canyon Ford.’ Now knowing the key components in a successful team project, everybody was focused and ready to fight for a win. The mission – should we choose to accept it, is to build a bridge, using K-nex (lego like) to cross over the Canyon Ford. Two leaders were chosen from the class and they got straight to work managing their teams. Each table was assigned a different piece of the bridge to construct. On top of this, we were being timed against other teams, so the pressure was on. Although there was some undeniable uncertainty in the room on whether the bridge would be complete within the given sixty-minute time limit, we stayed motivated and completed the task. Everybody was overjoyed at our accomplishment, and on top of this we learned to do the following when we are next building a bridge (or undertaking any project):
Appoint a leader
Leader should gather the inputs of the team members
Pair people with the tasks they are most motivated to do
TY’22/23 left the workshop, proud of the accomplishments and more knowledgeable on project management and teamwork.
Bailey Fowler
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Trip to the Alliance Française in Dublin
The trip to the Alliance Française in Dublin was quite an interesting trip for the 4th Year students on the 14th of October. Upon arrival they were greeted by staff members of the Alliance Françoise who eagerly awaited the arrival of the students.
The students were brought up to the library where staff gave a presentation that told them about the history of the Alliance Française and why it was founded over 100 years ago. Here they were informed that the Alliance Française in Dublin is the 3rd largest in Europe and that it has the biggest language library in Ireland.
Students then engaged in a Kahoot and later ate a traditional French dish called a croque monsieur in the Chez Max Cafe.
Afterwards they left the grounds and took a walk through the historic premises of Trinity College. This rounded off their enjoyable trip before heading back to the College.
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My Work Experience in the Air Corps
https://www.military.ie/en/who-we-are/air-corps/
By Benjamin Thomson
Overview
I’ve always had a keen interest in Aviation and applied through the Air Corps website to participate in a weeklong Air Corps Transition Year programme. Once accepted, I was provided with a detailed schedule of activities which involved getting an insight into aircraft maintenance, reconnaissance and safety and air traffic control. The experience was very positive, and I learnt so much about different avenues on offer within the aviation division. For those interested, I provided a breakdown of daily activities to show the content and variety covered. I particularly enjoyed the Air Traffic control and pilot segments.
Monday:
The day began with a short brief on what the week would hold and what was required of participants throughout the week, including a fitness test at the end of the week. After the meeting, we attended a CRM (Crew Resource Management) session. The importance of teamwork in a stressful environment was emphasised. It was clear that if a team worked effectively together the results would be better than one person working alone. Next, we had a fixed wing hangar tour. We were able to speak to pilots and one of the fixed wing maintenance crews. The pilots discussed their qualifications and the different mission sets that they must fly, including air ambulance and surveillance of Irish waters. The aircraft maintenance team spoke about their vital role of maintaining the airworthiness of the aircraft and how they applied to be an apprentice in the air corps. We even got to walk inside the president’s private jet. Finally, we got an interesting brief on photography and the many uses in the military. It is mainly used for surveillance as well as aerial photography using drones for events.
Tuesday:
The day began with a rotary wing tour. We spoke to the helicopter pilots, the crewmen on board and the maintenance team. The helicopter pilot talked us through many of the procedures needed to land. The crewman talked through his job. He was a qualified advanced paramedic, winchman and lineman. It was interesting to learn that there were other jobs inside the helicopter, not just being a pilot. Afterwards, we had a mental health brief about what effects excess stress can have on the body. Finally, we had a hands-on experience of a survival workshop which introduced us to the basics of SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape). This was interesting as we learned how to make a fire using a fire steel and with a battery and steel wool. We also learned about the different uses for knives, for example the difference between a hunting and combat knife.
Wednesday:
We were led to the mechanic’s shop where we were introduced to all the vehicles that the Irish Air Corps use for logistics. This included fuel trucks, range rovers and a Scania troop transport truck. We also visited where the Irish rangers train for aviation anti-terrorism. They train on an old 4 engine plane that was brought from the Irish government for €1. Afterwards, we went to the armory where we had a weapons specialist go through all the different types of weapons that the Irish Rangers and pilots carried. We also got to experience the weight of the packs of equipment that the soldiers carry. Next, we had a military police brief. This was given by the commander of the military police; he explained their role in the military and what procedures change during peace and war time. He also explained the difference between himself and the civilian police. Finally, to end the day we took part in a first aid workshop. This included learning the basics of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and how to apply a tunicate properly. After we received a taste for the practical side, we learned about the different levels of EMT (emergency medical technicians). Then we received a lecture on the importance of good hygiene and how diseases spread quickly overseas in third world countries.
Thursday:
First thing on Thursday we went around to the logistics unit in the Air Corps. This comprised of the welding workshop, fuel depo and the safety workshop. We received an introduction into the jobs that each section covered. Each section worked on keeping the planes up in the sky flying. We learned that no water can be present in the fuel otherwise it will stall the engines in the plane causing it to crash. When a pilot ejects from an airplane his lifejacket will automatically inflate as the G forces can knock the pilot unconscious. The welders provide second line maintenance to aircraft like welding the superstructure on the exhaust pipes. Afterwards, we had a history tour around Baldonnel. We visited the Church inside there was murals on almost all the stain glass windows, depicting fallen soldiers, achievement and the values of the Air Corps. Then we went to the museum this contained many old but restored planes that the Air Corps once flew. Next, we received a fire demonstration by the aviation firefighting unit on side. This was done by setting a mock metal plane alight. The fire was fueled by gas lines inside and outside. The firefighters were tasked with putting out the fire as fast as possible. It took them only 2 and a half minutes to put it out. Afterwards we were talked through the equipment that was used as well as the requirements for being a fire fighter. Finally, we went over to ATC (air traffic control). This was a building closest to the runway with line of sight everywhere on base. We spoke to the air traffic controllers about the stress they face and the precautions they take to make sure every plane makes it back to the ground safely. Next, we went to the radar room where the experience the system that is used to track planes coming through Baldonnel’s airspace. Next, we went to see the BCU (bird control unit). This unit was tasked with keeping bird away from the runway. Bird strikes can destroy engines and other parts of the plane they pose a severe risk to the pilot and crew. The BCU uses birds like the Peregrine Falcon, air rifles and loudspeakers to keep birds away.
Friday:
The final day started with a trip to FTS (Flight Training School). This is where we learned about the avenues to becoming a pilot in the Air Corps. 10 spots are allocated to candidates each year. The programme takes about a year to complete with 128 lessons. The Air Corps also have their own PC-9 flight simulator which is the plane that the cadets learn to fly on. The simulator is also used for replicating scenarios that are too dangerous to do on the real aircraft. This simulator allows pilots to learn and make mistakes without the same consequences. Afterwards we spoke to candidates for the cadet and apprenticeship programmes. The cadets talked us through what they thought of the program which was positive. The students in the apprenticeship talked about their experience on base and what type of opportunities the licence they received from the Air Corps would hold in the future. Finally, we had a health and fitness brief. This was about the importance of a healthy diet and what food they provide to the personnel on base to keep them going. Finally, the minimum fitness requirements for the Air Corps were discussed. This included 20 push-ups in a minute, 20 sit-ups in a minute and a 2.4km run in under 11 minutes 40 seconds. Afterwards, we received a certificate of achievement for the week from the TY coordinator in the Air Corps.
Conclusion
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience in the Air Corps. If you have a keen interest in aviation, I advise this work experience. There was so much variety throughout the work experience which kept the experience interesting.
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Please see the email sent to parents and students on Wednesday 12th of October with information on how students can redeem their free ebook. The code supplied in the email is only valid until the 31st of October.
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Robotics Reviewed
The newly incorporated subject ‘Robotics’, led by Mr. Barnes, is a class where students will find themselves working as a team, embracing technology (both physically and digitally), and putting in some elbow grease to be left with a fully functioning, mobile phone and remote-controlled robot!
The class takes place in Dowley house, where the large lecture hall, spacious classrooms and outdoor tarmacadam allow students to build their robots with space on their side. Over the six-week period of a class’s module, the six robotics classes are sectored into different groups, with activities set out for each class.
Class 1; This class is solely an introduction to Robotics as a class, where Mr. Barnes will explain in detail to the class what will take course over the six weeks.
Class 2; The inchoate stages of the robot’s assembly begins.
Class 3; The continuation of the robot’s assembly progresses.
Class 4; The final stages of the robot’s assembly as well as the forming of a map for the robot to drive is designed.
Class 5; Final design of the map is drawn, and the robot will drive through this course. A video will be taken to show the capabilities of the robot.
Class 6; The disassembly of the robot will take place.
Throughout these six classes, pictures and videos are taken by students to document their progress in assembling the robot and when fully functioning, to document the quality of which their robot can drive and maneuver. The robot is also equipped with a small camera which can allow for photographic quality in the robot’s functions.
The class group is broken into roughly eight groups (depending on class group size). These eight groups are chosen completely at random, ensuing team building exercises to underlyingly take place. Classmates learn to work together during the assembly especially, whether that is to help get a screw in place, or to help bring all the final pieces together.
Each group within the class group will be expected to have a result at the end of the six-week period of a fully functioning robot, pictures of the assembly and disassembly, a video of the robot driving and maneuvering as well as a map detailing where the robot drove. Each student group can dedicate a member to be the documenter, the map designer and the hands-on assembler.
My class, St. Kevin’s 4, took part in this robotics class for the first time in our module one, begging the year. I can confidently speak for all my classmates when I express my appreciation for the class. After classes of writing or calculating, we all enjoyed putting our hands to work by assembling the robots. Being placed in random groups had a great effect on my classmates, as we all worked together, whether that was individually or from one group lending a helping hand to those struggling. We all had a blast when driving the robots took place. Whilst being respectful to the neighboring classes by not disturbing them, we all tested our robots in the halls of Dowley House, as well as on the tarmacadam basketball court facing Dowley.
Personally, I worked very well with my group and received great relief when we finally flicked the on switch to the robot, and all the lights began to light up, the motors began to whirr, and the wheels began to spin. I enjoyed the aspect of taking part in work that was not just reading and writing, but by using my head and classmates to physically assemble the robot. I even felt more at ease in the classes that followed, as I got a break from reading and writing in robotics but did not simply lay back and lose focus. I kept my brain switched on as despite the lack of writing, I was kept focused by the fact of always having another stage of the robot’s project to conduct.
Although it is great to praise the quality of the robotics class, it would all go in vain if the man who kept the cogs spinning was not mentioned. Through Mr. Barnes’s dedication to organizing the weekly plan, keeping students on track in assembly and disassembly, and offering a helping hand to those in a tight spot, he left us with a sense of gratitude. On behalf of my class, we all have great thanks for Mr. Barnes.
Overall, the six classes as a whole was a large success. All students took part in every aspect. We all learned something new, whether it was how to wire a battery to a motor or even simply how to work as a team and finish with a final product. A motorized robot.
By Zachary Storey, St. Kevin 4
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TY Fencing
TY brings many new experiences that we may not have had the opportunity to try before. I know for myself and many others, fencing is one of those experiences. Stepping out of their Vincent’s blue, the 4th year boys were donned, head-to-toe, in white attire. The big and heavy suits that left us sweating buckets by the end were made up of many components such as the lamé jacket, chest protector, glove and exterior jacket. Under the expert eye of Mr Dight, we mastered moves such as the parry and repost along with many defences and the importance of priority.
We, the eager students, had to use composure and inner focus, a new skill for most of us more familiar with a pitch or a field.
We began by learning the basic skills and as the module progressed, moved towards electrics and wore wrist readers, which were a genius piece of equipment invented by Mr. Dight himself. We mastered foil and sabre, two different types of fencing styles with different rules. The module concluded with a tournament, in which we were put into different pools where we fought to progress to the rounds ahead. Even though standards were extremely high, it was Alex Tilly who came away with the win.
Although the fencing module has come to a finish for SV4, the rest of the TY boys who have yet to experience this module will no doubt enjoy it as thoroughly as we did. We are also looking forward to the challenge of competing against the Mount Sackville students. En garde!
By Noah Winders
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TY Classical Studies Trip
On Tuesday the 4th of October, the Transition Year Students of St Declan’s 4 and St Vincent’s 4 made their way to UCD to visit their School of Classics. We partook in a Classical Studies workshop on the Campus following the recent introduction of a classical studies module in Castleknock for Transition Year Studies.
We arrived at the breathtaking campus of UCD at 11:50am and looked around their outstanding grounds and their fabulous facilities. Soon after, we made our way to the School of Classics, located in the Newman Building, where we sat down in the Lecture Hall, and were met by Dr. Joanna Day, an Assistant Professor in Greek Archeology and the Curator of the UCD Classical Museum as well as Dr. Bridget Martin, a lecturer at the School of Classics. We were given an introduction to the School of Classics after which we were split into the two classes. One class took a tour of the Classical Museum with Joanna which has the largest collection of classical antiquities in Ireland. It was opened by Henry Browne in the early 20th Century. The other class learned Ancient Greek with Bridget. After, the two classes swapped over.
My Class, St Vincent’s 4 made their way to the Classical Museum first. Joanna gave us a tour of the museum, followed by handing out a worksheet where we had to find various artefacts around the museum, and give brief descriptions of each one. We really enjoyed this exercise because we got to learn about so many interesting artefacts in a fun and interactive way. For example, a Marble Sarcophagus (a stone coffin) from Rome, the largest artefact in the museum, made in the Third Century AD. Also, we got to see some of the oldest artefacts in the museum, pottery sherds from Knossos, Crete, which date back to 4000 BC, the neolithic period!
We also saw a segment of mummy linen which was on display (studied by Khnumu-Nekht). This is part of the bandages that wrapped the body before it went into a sarcophagus and then a tomb. As well as that, the ancient coins in the museum were fascinating which showed Greek Kings such as Alexander the Great engraved on them. This was interesting because Joanna explained to us that Alexander the Great had Lion Skin on his head which was shown on the coins, because of Hercules (who did the same). Finally, it was intriguing when Joanna showed us a Roman Coin, which was used to pay tax in ancient times. It was a lot heavier and larger than coins today and had a more complex design. You can see some pictures of the artefacts down below.
After that, the two classes swapped over, and we were now back in the lecture hall learning how to translate Ancient Greek with Bridget. We found this part of the workshop very useful because we were given a sheet which showed us the translation of the alphabet from English to Ancient Greek. We were then able to translate our names and different sentences from English to Ancient Greek. It was also interesting because we got to see how different our writing and way of speaking is compared to the Ancient Greeks.
Finally, we were given free time to have a look around the campus for an hour, before heading back to the bus. I was stunned by how enormous and beautiful UCD was and was amazed by all the different opportunities and activities available on the campus. This trip to UCD has not only made us more aware of the classical world but it has also made my classmates and I look forward to university life in the near future. I would love to attend UCD when I’m older and I’m sure a lot of my peers will want to do the same.
By Harry Delaney
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The Law Society invites Transition Year (TY) students from across the country to enter this year’s Gráinne O’Neill Memorial Legal Essay Competition.
The competition calls for TY students to submit a 1,500-word digital essay on this year’s chosen topic by 1 December 2022.
This year’s essay title is: “The law and social media: striking a balance between freedom of expression and responsible usage.”
Competition rules
- All essays must be submitted in by Thursday 1 December 2022.
- Essays must be a maximum of 1,500 and must be submitted digitally.
- Essays may be submitted in either English or Irish.
- A national event final will take place at the Law Society of Ireland, Blackhall Place in March 2023.
- For more information on how Transition Year students and schools can enter, please see: Essay Competition or email EssayCompetition@LawSociety.ie
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The RTE Playwright competition.
This is a unique opportunity for TY students to develop their creative writing skills.
The competition deadline is Wednesday 21st of December.
The theme for the one act play is the “Environment”. This follows on from the one day “Redesign Ireland” workshop where students can use the ideas and videos that they produced during the workshop.
This is also created as an “Assignment” on Teams where students can post their one act play and also include it with the TY portfolio at the end of the year.
All the relevant forms and guidelines have been emailed to students and are also posted with the assignment.
Best of luck,
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TY 2 Brigade Defence Forces Work Experience.
The 2 Bde Defence forces TY program is now open. The program will be running in six locations over 2022/2023. It will last for one week. Application forms must be completed in full. Applications will be selected on a first come first serve basis.
Please note: not all students will be guaranteed a place on the TY work experience
A formal statement from an insurance company must be submitted which expressly confirms that the Minister for Defence is indemnified against all liabilities as an employer in connection with providing a work experience arrangement with the Defence Forces for you.
2 Brigade TY Work Experience Application Form.pdf
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STEPS Engineering Your Future (STEPS EYF) in person/hybrid programmes
STEPS EYF is an engineering experience programme that gives Transition Year students a hands-on, fun and practical insight into engineering at third level and as a career. During the programme, which is run over three to five days, students attend interactive talks and presentations; get hands-on experience with group-based activities; visit local industry and meet engineers at various stages in their careers. STEPS EYF is coordinated by the Engineers Ireland STEPS programme and is hosted by third-level institutes and industry around Ireland. In 2022 we ran 22 programmes in locations all around the country and online and over 520 students participated.
If you would like receive an email when the STEPS Engineering Your Future programme opens for applications in 2022 please add your email at the link here: https://bit.ly/3NV45Su . Applications for the programme will open in November 2022.
We expect that DCU, TCD, UCD and TU Dublin (three campuses) will all run programmes in 2023. There will also be industry programmes in DBFL Consulting Engineers and other locations.
At least two programmes will focus on Engineering Apprenticeships.
Applications are open to all Transition Year students.
Review by Ray Murray
Over the course of the last 3 weeks, the Transition Year group of 2022/23 took part in a full day environmental workshop called ‘Redesign Ireland’ covering the issues of Climate Change and preserving our world’s beautiful wildlife and nature. The man behind the brains of Redesign Ireland is James Fahy. James studied Zoology in college and during that time, had the opportunity to travel across the globe. James travelled through the Americas and South-East Asia working with animals such as pandas, capuchin monkeys, snakes, and scorpions, just to list a few. Picking up a few bites along the way!
We started off the day by being introduced to James and we were shown a slideshow of countries he had been to, supported by videos of animals he had worked with and seen on his travels. We were shown a wide range of videos from spider monkeys in Costa Rica swinging from trees to Siberian Tigers in North China chasing a tour bus. Along with videos of animals, we were shown the nature that James had visited, Rainbow Mountain in Peru and Jasper National Park in Canada are just a few that we were shown. We were highly recommended to travel when we get the chance, to experience the way people in the 3rd and 4th world countries live. Experience a unique way of living, diverse cultures, and different people.
We followed that by being sorted into groups which would later be the people you would make a video on climate change issues with. We partook in a few Kahoots on questions to do with The Earth’s spheres {Atmosphere, Biosphere, Cryosphere, Hydrosphere & Lithosphere} and one to do with Climate risks causing global warming. After, we took two carbon footprint tests online to see how many tons of carbon we used in our daily lives through transportation, food, and appliances at home. For most of us, we were in the double digits when it came to carbon wastage. In the second test, we discovered how long the earth would last if everyone on earth lived the same way we do, (spoiler, most of us did not get through half of the year!) It was a great insight into the way most of us live, which is constantly having a harmful impact on the earth.
We ended our day off by making short videos covering climate issues, most of them with a humorous twist, topics such as ocean issues, agriculture, and biodiversity were covered.
I do believe that this workshop gave us an insight into everything that is damaging and harming our earth is masking the wonderful nature and beauty that desperately needs preserving.
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Mini Science TY programme – RCSI
The Royal College of Surgeons In Ireland are hosting a Mini Science TY programme on the 1st and 2nd of Feb 2023. Please see the following link for more information https://www.systemsmedicineireland.ie/education-and-outreach-2/
If you are interested in applying for this course please complete the form below.
Please note that Q10 of the form will require you to write about why you would like to attend this TY programme.
Registration form
https://forms.office.com/r/vu7yvbYPWT
Please note that this is an onsite programme in the Royal College of Surgeons and places will be limited. If you are successful in gaining a place please complete the “Additional Work Experience Form”.
Environmental Innovators
Environmental Innovators is now available to download (please see the link at the end of this email).The programme is a downloadable PDF that contains four chapters. Each chapter should take no more than 3 hours to complete. There are live links and tasks for students to complete within. Students are NOT required to have any prior knowledge of subject matter. The programme is accessible from school AND home.
Students will have from 19th September – 16th December to complete the programme.
- Four chapters
- 13 tasks – optional aids for student learning and enjoyment
- 1 end of programme project – submit your idea for an innovation that does not have adverse effects on the environment
The project submission portal will be open from the October mid-term break until 16th of December. Students can submit anytime within this period, but it is recommended covering the material first.
Five group finalists will be chosen to take a trip to BiOrbic Bioeconomy Research Centre at University College Dublin to present their idea to agri-food stakeholders. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to meet like-minded peers and to demonstrate their learning over the course of the programme. This finalists meet-up will take place in January. The National Champions, chosen at the close of the day, will receive a grand prize of €250 each.
Follow the Instagram and Twitter @agriaware for more programme updates.
Click on the link below to access the programme.
Environmental Innovators | Agri Aware Transition Year Programme
This programme is also created as an assignment in the students TY Teams account. The assignment will close on December 16th where students will have to upload their project to the assignment as evidence of completion.
Students must also upload their project to the submission portal.
Carlingford 2022
On Monday, the 12th of September, the entirety of the class of 2025 entered the school grounds, suspiciously enthusiastic for 8 am on a Monday. Buzzing, we gathered around Mr. McDonnell who was about to deliver some devastating news. ALL students would be separated from their phones for a whopping 48+ hours! The resulting sea of miserable faces was short-lived as we all began to clamber onto the bus and begin our journey to Carlingford. The small coastal town on the Cooley peninsula slowly revealed its fun side as the activities began. 2 groups were sent on a hike up a mountain to play laser tag, while the other group enjoyed some ‘peaceful’ kayaking in the lough. We enjoyed some of the local delicacies (odd coloured curry with undercooked broccoli) before venturing out for the night on a blindfolded mountain walk – likely organised to tire us out and guarantee a peaceful night for all. How did that work out I hear you say!! Bleary eyed, we were ready for the action packed day that awaited us. Day 2 brought kayaking and zip lining, by day and onto a campfire at nightfall, where we enjoyed smores, after a long wait involving a struggle to kickstart the fire! With the dawning of day 3, we finished the trip with more zip lining and a sausages and chip snack before departing the shadow of the Carlingford Mountain for the bustle of the city and the pinging of the phones. Overall, a great experience was had.
Bailey Fowler
- Swim Team News
- Modúil an Chraoltóra
- Erwan Louis History Project
- Harry Murphy TY Podcast
- My Work Experience in the Air Corps
- Trip to the Alliance Française in Dublin
- Develop Me TY Workshop
- TY Fencing
- Robotics Reviewed
- RTE Playwright Competition
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