Kildare school's awards celebrate students' research
Liz Whelan, Cormac Murray, Sharon Greene, Nábla Kane, Eoghan Ruth, Kackie Dooley, Michael Dempsey, Síanainn O'Rourke, Lorraine Townsend, Jackie Greene, Eamon Keane and Kathleen Phelan
COLÁISTE Lorcáin, Castledermot, hosted its annual Junior Cycle Local History Awards presentation on Tuesday, April 22nd, celebrating the outstanding research completed by second-year students.
The school welcomed members of the Castledermot Local History Group — Liz Whelan, Michael Dempsey, Kathleen Phelan, Nábla Kane, Sharon Greene, Jackie Green and Emmet Kane — who attended to acknowledge the high standard of work produced by the students.
History teacher Eoghan Ruth formally welcomed the guests and highlighted the importance of the occasion in fostering pride among students and deepening their appreciation of the rich historical heritage of Castledermot and its surrounding areas.
Michael Dempsey followed with praise for the overall quality of the projects, noting the exceptional standard of the prizewinning entries. Emmet Kane then invited Nábla Kane to present the awards.
The joint runners up were Cormac Murray and Síanainn O’Rourke. Cormac’s project focused on the history of Moone Church while Síanainn research concentrated on her grandfather, Dom O’Rourke, and his role in the founding of St Michael’s Boxing Club in Athy.
The overall winner was Jackie Dooley for her project on her great-aunt, Ester May Dooley, the only woman present at the historic handover of the Curragh Camp from British to Irish control following 1916.
Jackie received a newly commissioned perpetual trophy, created especially for the school competition by world renowned sculptor Emmet Kane.
The award, titled the Eamon Kane Local History Award, honours Emmet’s father and Nábla Kane’s late husband, a highly respected local history expert who passed away peacefully on April 16th last Easter.
The trophy, crafted from ebonised Irish oak and gilded with 23 carat gold leaf, draws its design inspiration from the passage tomb at Newgrange and the alignment of light at the winter solstice.
Emmet Kane is an internationally acclaimed master craftsman known for his work with native hardwoods, particularly Irish oak.
In 2015, Emmet became the first living person to have an exhibition in the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks, Dublin. Emmet continues to exhibit, lecture and demonstrate his craft worldwide.
Following the presentations, Nábla Kane spoke about each of the winning projects, referencing Harry Clarke, the world famous stained glass artist who created the windows in Moone Church, and sharing personal reflections on Dom O’Rourke and Ester May Dooley, both central figures in the students’ research.
School management, led by principal Eric Gaughran and deputy principal Mr Aodhagán Ó Súilleabháin, expressed sincere thanks to the Castledermot Local History Group for their continued support in encouraging students’ engagement with local history.
They also commended Lorraine Townsend, head of history at Coláiste Lorcáin, for her dedication, enthusiasm and meticulous organisation of the event.
