Trinity College Award Winners

Trinity College’s annual Educational Achievement Awards were held on May 16th. Twelve students received an award to recognise their engagement with education. Valentino Alexandru, Conor Nolan, Ryan Vu and Leo Duffy won awards for academic engagement.  Adam Sterio, Rhys Barzaga, Ian Mercado and Alex McCall won awards for their contribution to the school spirit.  Ross Manning, Roshan Jagan, Conor Doyle and Jake Hendirck won the Salter Sterling Leadership award to recognise their contribution to school life by volunteering on the school councils, cinniri and helping out at events.  They are great assets to our school community through the example they set to other students. Congratulations to all. 

Read on below to see a sample of some of the initiatives and projects that our students are involved in.


Winnit O’Keeffe and David Amler


There have been many school activities this year so far. We will be talking about one of these activities.


We were part of the select few to be able to go to Trinity College to represent the school alongside Evan Burke and Ciaran Kildee Doolin from our class. We went to Trinity College on the first day with loads of other schools and got an introduction from the PhD students that would be teaching us. We had a Tutor who was named Adrienn Maria Szucs. Our topic for the Trinity Access Programme was “Are Rare Earth Elements Really Rare?”.

We also got a tour of the College and we got to go into the famous Trinity College Library. We spent almost the whole day getting a tour of Trinity College.


Our Tutor spent several weeks teaching us about the Rare Earth Elements. We learned about what are Rare Earth Elements, what they are used for and where they come from/where you can find them. We learnt that Rare Earth Elements aren’t actually that rare but most of them are only found in really small bits in minerals that are almost impossible to extract which is what makes them “Rare”. During this time we also did group work, small projects, etc.


After she finished teaching us we had to make a “Final Assignment” which would be a group project about everything we had learnt throughout the month. We had several weeks to research and make this project and our group decided our topic would be “Recycling Rare Earth Elements”. I worked with Evan, Tomas and Winnit for the project. Throughout the weeks we worked on this we had learned a lot about REE and recycling them, and then we had to present them. We were the first to present our project and during the presentation there was a bit of a technical error with the slideshow but we managed to do well and still got 67% for our project. 


After that we went back to Trinity and had a graduation ceremony from the Trinity Access Programme. They told us to be proud of ourselves as we got our certificates. After the ceremony we had some spare time to go around town and we went out to eat. Then we went to Stephens Green Park with the teachers. We walked around the park and then we went to the bus stop. We got the bus back to school and were allowed to go home early.

I really enjoyed the Trinity Access Programme as it gave me a taste of what College would be like and how it’d be to work in a group in college. I'd recommend this experience to everyone if given the chance.



Trinity College Leadership Project - BIO BOYS

By Conor Doyle


As part of Transition Year, students take part in a number of projects. One of these is the Trinity College Leadership project. This project is where TY Students who did Bridge to College with Trinity Access do a project under a different theme every year. Bridge to College is where TY students go into City Wise Education Centre and work with other schools to complete fun small activities. This year's theme is ‘Sustainability’. These projects are shown off in Trinity College at a showcase when they are done in May.  


The transition Year Students this year are doing a project revolving around Biodiversity in our local area and community. This project involves teaching 1st year students about what Biodiversity is and what Biodiversity is in the local community. They will do this through Presentations and videos.  They will also be doing a quiz with the 1st year classes about Biodiversity and the environment.This will aim to teach them about Biodiversity in our area. 


We showed our 1st year students examples of biodiversity in the school. This included areas in the school such as the garden, the pond and the moat outside around the castle. We also told them about how all these areas link in with local Biodiversity.


We held a competition for 1st year students as well. This involved students coming up and designing a new invention to help Biodiversity in the local community. There were examples given on the day to help them. 


We also did work with some of the trees we planted with An Taisce 🌳 They include many that are native to Ireland and are just one thing around our school that will help with biodiversity. Finally, we  visited Sonairte in their Eco-Centre. They are an environmental charity and we were lucky enough to get a tour and spend a full day learning about what they do . We learned how to make  homemade pesto made with ingredients from the garden!


The lads also have an Instagram and a TikTok account. They are both called the.bio.boys.  On the social media accounts, the lads post updates and progress of our project. It will also be used as evidence that we did the work for the project. See the link below:


The Bio-Boys (@the.bio.boys) | Instagram 

Trinity College Scholars Ireland Programme

My name is Ciarán. I am currently participating in the Trinity Access Programme. This is where a PHD student who attends Trinity College, comes into our school and teaches us a college course. Our student María,  who is originally from Hungary, is teaching us about Rare Earth Elements. We all find this indubitably interesting. We have to make a google project on Rare earth elements, their uses and future potential. 


We have been taught how to research topics thoroughly and I have already learnt so much from just the research. We have also learnt how to make citations and how to check if a source is reliable or not. My partner in this  endeavour is my good friend Jayden Donaghy. 


On the first day of TAP we (The students chosen to take part) were whisked away to Trinity college. We were given an introduction to the Trinity Access Programme in an auditorium. There was a myriad of other schools at this event, and I saw many people my own age there. After this event, my friends and I ventured off to explore the Trinity College campus. We got to walk around the grounds and eat in the cafe.


The following week, we truly started the lesson. I feel deeply lucky that my school has the resources to allow its students to go get a tester of what colleges we may like. I hope in the future, after I’ve finished my leaving certificate, that I get to go to Trinity College to receive a third level education.


Ciarán Kildee Doolan



Trinity College School of Distinction Community Award

On the 19th November, Drimnagh Castle was awarded a School of Distinction Community Award at a ceremony in Trinity College Dublin. This award recognises the achievements of  Trinity Access schools who have joined a Community of Practice and engaged in a process of evaluating and identifying the needs of their students and teachers. 


As a Community Award winner, our school set relevant targets to address the need of the student cohort and implemented student centred programmes such as the current Cinnire programme which was set up in 2019. The sixth year Cinniri facilitate a mentoring programme with second year students with the aim of embedding a college-going culture in their school. Schools that win this award have begun the process of engaging their students in the 3 core practices of the Trinity Access Programme: Pathways to College, Mentoring and Leadership in Learning. We are very proud to receive this award and  have plans to expand these innovative programmes in the future so that more students in our school recognise third level education as a viable option. 



Trinity Access Educational Awards



Five Drimnagh Castle students received medals and certificates at this year’s Trinity Access Educational Awards ceremony on Tuesday the 18th of May. The event, which took place online, recognises the achievements of students in three different areas:


Congratulations to 6th Year Student Jamie Cunningham who was given the Salter Sterling Leadership Award for his role as Príomhcinnire and his overall contribution to the school community. Well done to third year students, Samuel O Sofowora, Sebastian Nagy and Benamrane Nekrouf, and second year student Adam Browne who were awarded medals for academic achievement and engagement.


It was extremely inspiring to see these students awarded in what has been a very challenging academic year. Each student was nominated by their teachers for their effort across various aspects of school life. From academic achievement and mentoring to showing respect and maintaining a positive attitude, these students encapsulate the true spirit of our school. Well done lads! 



21st Century Teaching & Learning Graduates

21st Century Teaching and learning

Another three Drimnagh Castle teachers graduated from Trinity College's postgraduate certificate in 21st century teaching and learning in January.

With three teachers having completed the course 2 years ago and another three teachers currently undertaking this course, it brings to 9 the number of teachers developing their teaching & learning skills and preparing for the 21st Century Classroom.  This group of teachers hope to bring about the innovations needed to help prepare our students for the times of enormous change which are ahead of us. 

This exciting new course aims to enhance the expertise of teachers in new models of teaching and learning, with a particular emphasis on the technology and skills of the 21st century. A number of exciting modules are thought including:

Teachers themselves are more energised, invested and convinced that they can improve teaching & learning in their school. Students enjoy many of these new techniques & learning styles and are more motivated in the classroom.

Trip To Trinity

Cian Foley gives an account of the second year trip to Trinity College on Wednesday 5/12/2018 as part of college awareness week.


From the long wait in the G.P.A Room, to the route home it was an all around great trip for all the second year students. Here are some of the things we got up to.


As soon as we saw the College and crossed a few roads to get there, we walked through that “BIG” famous door. We were greeted by a really nice man and were brought into a demonstration room. We discussed why people go to college and why it is important to go to college to pursue your dreams and do what you like to do.


We then got a tour of the campus. The whole year got split up into groups and the people giving the tour were actual students of Trinity College.


It was a great experience !! It has given me and some of the lads a taste of what college life will be like.