Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture is a national contest which encourages young designers in second level to create striking couture designs and impressive works of wearable art from everyday junk that would normally find its way into the bin. De La Salle College’s ‘RED WEATHER YELLOW WEATHER’

(Wayne Pepper Craig Cunningham and Tom O Hanlon) and ‘STEAM PUNK’ (Angel Agheria, Sam Walsh and Edward Mullaly) made it to the grand final of the Junk Kouture competition in the 3 Arena on April 19th.

Representing not only De La Salle College but all of Co. Waterford. Both teams are students from Ms Lee’s art class.

RED WEATER YELLOW WEATHER was created from old raincoats and umbrellas and highlights the effects of climate change on our weather.

STEAM PUNK was created from discarded or worn out elements of each of the STEAM subjects Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths.

We had great support from staff and students and a fantastic night was had by all.

Roll on to next years designs….

On the 13th December TY students met the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Tibor Navracsics, & Minister of State for European Affairs Helen McEntee TD in the Royal Irish Academy. The students took part in the interactive and live Q&A session which was a very positive experience for them. The event was moderated by Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin.

Congratulations to Jack O’Neill 6th Year who recently won the Lions Club Young Ambassador Award at the ceremony held in the Tower hotel. Sixteen students were nominated by Waterford schools and youth organisations. Following interviews, six students were short listed for the final panel interviews. Jack is a very active member of the student council and involved with the school debating team. In his spare time Jack coaches football and     lifesaving. De La Salle College are very proud of Jack’s wonderful achievement.

On Sunday the 22nd of October, a very special concert took place in De La Salle College Sports Hall. It was a retirement concert for Br. Ben.
However this was an event like no other in the College as it was planned (and indeed happened) as a complete surprise to him, no mean feat as he is Director of the Brothers’ Community and lives in the building!

For about six months Music teachers Pamela Harrison and Margaret McCann had enlisted the help of teachers Jenny White and Laura Forsey Caulfield and had, with the help of social media contacted past pupils who might be interested in taking part. The response was overwhelming. Even if Br. Ben hadn’t taught them, he still had a big influence on them, either through the school choirs or the annual school musical.

Michelle Condon, past choreographer and director of school shows came on board to help plan the programme and script. Rob O’Connor, Greg Porter and Louise O’Carroll took on a virtual choir, an audio-visual presentation and staging / rehearsal planning respectively. Photographs and biographical material were sourced from Ben’s family and the brothers, in particular Br. Kevin McEvoy. This was then to be
presented to Ben at the end of the night as a memento.

Permission was obtained from the Principal, Ms. Betts, and the Board of Management to stage a charity
concert and call it “De La Salle College and Friends”. The charity to benefit would be Touching Hearts which has a connection with the school through teacher Dermot Dooley. All was almost in place. Now just to keep it a secret and to get him there….

His family and friends, along with the staff of the College, were invited to a reception in the dining hall before the concert. Br. Thomas was given the task of getting Ben to attend, and this is when he realised what was happening. All the plotting worked. He was surprised.

With Deputy Principal Declan O’Brien as MC, the concert began. A brass ensemble conducted by our brass teacher Michael Quinlan opened with “2001 a Space Odyssey” and the Virtual Choir followed with “When I’m 64” a favourite of Ben’s. We then began looking at past shows that Ben had himself conducted. The line-up included many past pupils who have now gone on to make their living as professional actors, musicians, composers and singers as soloists, including Andrew Holden, Ray Collins, Bill Stafford, Peter Power, David Flynn, Jamie Beamish, Richie Hayes, and Glenn Murphy. Younger past pupils Evan Croke and Ben Nolan also sang as soloists. The accompanists for the evening were Billy O’Brien, Richard Coady and Dylan Browne. Shows we visited included Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Fiddler on the Roof, Jesus Christ Superstar, Guys and Dolls, My Fair Lady and West Side Story.

Margaret McCann played “Moon Tango”, a piece written by Ben. Emmet Byrne played a beautiful Sonata by Telemann on oboe and Billy O’Brien treated us to a Chopin Mazurka on piano. Ad Hoc Chorale, a choir that Ben sings in gave us “Who will Buy?” from the musical Oliver, and an octet from that group sang “Lida Rose” from Music Man. The Alumni Choir made a wonderful sound as they performed Mansions of the Lord, Shenandoah and Ben’s own composition, Ár nAthair. The evening finished with Richie Hayes, Lynsey Penkert, Keith Reville and the entire ensemble singing “Brotherhood of Man” from How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

It was a wonderful occasion which hopefully did the man himself justice. When he spoke at the end of the night, Ben said how much the people of Waterford had given him and how happy he has been here. This concert has hopefully gone a little way in showing him that the people of Waterford, and the staff and students of De La Salle College in particular, appreciate all he has done for its young people by getting them involved in music and by showing them, to quote the song from How to Succeed, “I Believe in You.”

To commemorate the centenary of the death of Thomas Ashe past pupil of the De la Salle Teacher Training College a special commemorative Mass was held in the College Chapel on the 5TH October. The College choir conducted by Br. Ben sang at the Mass. The Mass was followed by a lecture on Thomas Ashe’s life delivered by Mícheál Ó Móráin from Baile Riach, Co. Kerry author of the book ‘Thomas Ashe 1885-1917’Thomas Ashe was called to the De la Salle Training College in 1905. He completed his Christian Doctrine Diploma and also qualified in Irish,vocal music and plain chant. Whilst here in De la Salle College he played on thefootball team 1907. Thomas Ashe was an active member of the Gaelic League and GAA also whilst in the College. He was regarded as a gifted teacher who had a keen interest in the Irish Language, history, music and song.

A reception was held for all in the College dining hall following the Mass and lecture commemorating the centenary of the death of Thomas Ashe.

De La Salle College are working towards attaining Green Flag status. The Green Schools Committee took part in a “litter pick” initiative in the College and in The People’s Park. Councillor Jason Murphy and Paul Flynn of Waterford City Council spoke with the committee and their teachers Mr Tallon and Ms Meagher in The People’s Park about litter and waste in the city. The committee is working hard to reduce litter in De La Salle College and the surrounding areas.