Scoil Ursula has been nominated for a national award in the Annual Cornmarket Cumann na mBunscol Awards. The school submitted an account of its GAA promotional activities over recent years and was nominated in the Promotion of Gaelic Games and Culture Category. The school will be up against  Cumann na mBunscol Ath Cliath and Loreto, Crumlin Rd, Dublin for first prize. The award winners will be announced at a ceremony in the Oriel Hotel in Cork on Friday March 11th. Well done to 5th & 6th classes for their contributions and to Ms Munnelly who co-ordinated the project which you can view below:

Scoil Ursula achieved an historic first Cumann na mBuscoil Hurling title yesterday evening in Markiewicz Park, with a nail-biting victory over worthy runners-up, St. Enda's of Carraroe. In only the school's first ever final, Scoil Ursula carried the game to their opponents with determination and vigour. It was a low-scoring game with both defences on top and the only score of the first half was a Michael Morgan point. Carraroe levelled soon into the second half and then got their noses in front with a pointed free. It was end to end stuff with Scoil Ursula getting back on terms and subsequently taking the lead with a lovely score on the turn from Fintan Campbell. However, straight from the puck-out Carraroe were awarded another free and the game was level again. Michael Morgan saw the last chance in normal time tail agonisingly wide and we were headed into extra time. Patryk Badowski emerged as the hero with two unanswered scores at the death to secure our first hurling championship. There were huge performances from all the team. Kacper Janowski, Eoghan Furey and Johnny Stewart defended bravely while Stephen Mahon kept out a number of goal bound efforts. Michael Morgan played a captain's role ably assisted in midfield by the free running Finn Young. Up front, Fintan Campbell got on a lot of ball while Ben Fahy pressurised the Carraroe defence to give his team mates some breathing space. But in the end, it was down to Patryk Badowski's strength around the goal that forced the crucial scores and sealed a sweet victory for the boys in purple & gold.
Well done to all the panel including Muna Islam, Conor Flynn and Eli Rooney for their efforts this year. To win the championship in only our third year competing at this level is a remarkable achievement and credit must go to our hurling coaches, Johnny Mullins originally and in latter years Benny Kenny, who played an invaluable role in promoting the game in our school. Scoil Ursula Abú!!!
Following on from the hurlers' success, our footballers have had a good start to their Cumann na mBunscoil campaign also. Today, the boys' team had two hard-earned victories over Grange NS and Rathcormack NS in Kent Park. Our girls' team are one from two. After an opening defeat to Rathcormack, they bounced back to save their season with a hard fought victory over defending champions, Grange NS. Both teams now have a good chance of progressing to the semi-finals and we wish them well.

Well done to our hurling team, who qualified for the quarter-finals of this year's Cumann na mBunscoil competition in Kent Park today. The team had victories over Maugherow NS (5-1) and Ransboro NS (3-0) to set up a group final clash with Rathcormac NS. In an exciting decider, Scoil Usula emerged victorious by 6 points to 3 and qualify as Group 2 winners. They will meet the runners-up of Group 1 later in the month. Well done to all the lads, particularly our captain, Michael Morgan, who led by example with three outstanding displays, Kacper Janowski, who was solid in defence and to Fintan Campbell, whose sharp-shooting was a huge factor in our victories. Also well done to our new players, Connor Flynn and Eli Rooney, both of whom made their debuts today with Connor chipping in with a goal. The players involved in the three games were Eoghan Furey, Johnny Stewart, Kacper Janowski, Ben Fahy, Eamonn Flynn, Finn Young, Michael Morgan (C), Stephen Mahon, Fintan Campbell, Muna Islam, Connor Flynn and Eli Rooney. Comhgairdeas to gach duine!!!

There was heartbreak in Markievicz Park on Saturday as our Girls' Football Team lost out in a pulsating final to Scoil Naomh Molaise by just one point. It was a fantastic display by both teams who served up a most entertaining end-to-end game of football which had the supporters from both schools enthralled to the final whistle. Scoil Ursula started slowly in the first half and fell behind their opponents by a few points by half time. However, the found their rhythm early in the second half and some excellent combined play saw them levelling the match with minutes to go. Unfortunately, they weren't able to find that elusive score to get their noses in front and the Grange team came back strongly at the finish and got the winning point at the death.
Well done to our girls for a fabulous year's football and to our coaches Ms Caffrey & Ms Munnelly who had the team in great shape for the final. 

Congratulations to our hurlers who have qualified for the Cumann na mBunscoil Semi-Finals for the first time ever. It took a huge comeback with three scores in the last 5 minutes against the Gaelscoil to force the game into extra time and in a tense nail-biting finish Scoil Ursula squeezed out a one-point victory. Well done to our whole panel who have trained very hard this year to improve hurling in the school.

Congratulations to our Hurling Team who made history by becoming the first ever hurling team from Scoil Ursula to gain a victory in a Cumann na mBunscoil game. The team travelled to Rathcormac today, where they had a deserved 9-point win against the home side in less than ideal conditions for hurling. They now need one more win after Christmas to qualify for the next stage of the competition. Hurling is a fledgling sport in the school with coaching only introduced in 2010 with 1st & 2nd classes. That early work by Coach John Mullins was built on by his successor Benny Kenny and is now paying off as these young hurlers enter the senior classes. We entered the competition for the first time last year but didn't manage a win. This first victory is an important step in building confidence in the squad and encouraging more pupils to take up this fantastic game of ours. Well done to all our players on this great achievement!!  

It was with an open door and big smiles that Scoil Ursula’s Student Council officially welcomed Bishop Christopher Jones and An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, along with many other dignitaries and invited guests our school on Monday the 7th of October 2013. There were a lot of important people in the school that day to witness the official opening and blessing of our two room extension including, Canon Tom Hever, Board of Management Members including the Chairperson Marian Moore, Mayor of Sligo, Marcella Mc Garry, Senators Marc Mc Sharry, Michael Comiskey, Imelda Henry and Susan O’Keeffe. There were also TD’s and Councillors there including Minister John Perry, Tony Mc Loughlin, Michael Colreavy, Matt Lyons, David Cawley and Rosaleen O’Grady. There were members of the Parents Association, former Principals and Deputy Principal of Scoil Ursula, Principals and a President of neighbouring schools and colleges and of course the whole staff and pupils of the school.

It was all of these very important people that the whole of the Scoil Ursula Family welcomed with open arms on Monday. Flowers festooned the steps to the school and the children’s work was displayed in the Hall for all to see and admire.

The school Principal, Mr. Gallagher, welcomed everyone to the Hall for the auspicious occasion and thanked all of the staff, parents and pupils for their hard work and dedication in helping to bring about the extension. Thanks was also expressed to the Department of Education and Skills for funding the project, Rhatigan and Co.  for their work as project planners and managers and to Castlelough Corporation Construction Company. 

Mr. Gallagher spoke of the many changes that have taken place in education over the past number of years including the many initiatives, curriculum changes and other progressive improvements in primary education. While acknowledging all of these as positives he also urged An Taoiseach to use his influence to prevent a rise in class sizes in primary education and the loss of one or more teachers in Scoil Ursula along with a loss of services for children with special educational needs. The principal spoke highly of his predecessors, past staff and indeed the founders of the Ursuline order and committed, in St. Angela’s words to:

He then invited the Mayor of Sligo to speak to the crowd. Marcella Mc Garry spoke of the high regard that Scoil Ursula is held by the people of Sligo and its achievements in sport, academics, culture and community project. Scoil Ursula, she said, had a reputation for excellence in education locally and that the extension to the school was to be welcomed in helping to place this education in modern classrooms.

In his address Bishop Jones praised the work of the Ursuline Order in founding Scoil Ursula and the staff and principals, both Sisters and lay people, down through the years that kept up the Ursuline ethos of holistic child centred education that always aimed for excellence. He also reminded all those present that while the building the school is in is important, it is the people inside that make a school what it is. Bishop Christy also spoke of how much school life has changed since he was young and of his delight to see happiness being at the centre of what takes place in school nowadays.

The Chairperson of the Board of Management also spoke welcoming and thanking all for their presence. While extolling the virtues of an Ursuline school committed to linking with the community and the wider world and the excellence in education that it provides, Mrs. Moore also compared the new modern extension to the older buildings of the school. These, she said, addressing the Taoiseach, are falling into disrepair and need proper maintenance with the finances to go along with it. She asked that

In his speech to the assembled crowd An Taoiseach thanked the school for the invitation and spoke of his pleasure being invited to perform the opening of the extension to the school. Mr. Kenny revealed how his own mother had been taught in an Ursuline School. The then echoed the views of the Mayor, speaking of the excellent work being done in the school and the long list of awards and achievement we have won and the projects we have taken part in, including our fifth Green Flag, Golden Pen Awards, singing with the National Children’s Choir, Cumann na mBunscoil trophies, the Golden Spider Award and many Cathaoirleach’s Awards too.

An Taoiseach went on to respond to the Chairperson’s speech with the hope that soon there would be some more flexibility in future budgets for school building and maintenance projects like the one outlined by Mrs. Moore for Scoil Ursula. He also noted that there was €13 billion to be spent on capital projects nationally between now and 2015 and that had to be split up between various departments. He also stated that both he and the Department of Education would work with school management to improve the buildings. He asked the Chairperson to keep in contact so that they could plot the progress together.

After this the school choir sang beautifully for all to hear. There followed an address by Bishop Jones asking God’s Blessing on the school and in particular on the extension. Children came to read Prayers of the Faithful asking God to bless the work of the school, their teachers and parents. Prayers were also said for national and world leaders and for the sick and the poor.

Following this the assembled guests were led out to the new extension where An Taoiseach officially opened it and Bishop Christy prayed for God’s Blessing on it. They were joined there by the pupils from Ms. Cogan and Ms. Mitchell’s who have their classes in the new rooms. Both An Taoiseach and the Bishop were presented with gifts and cards by the children.

It was a wonderful day for our school and we are so happy to share it with the whole school community. Thanks are due to so many people for their help and support throughout the project and in the lead up to the official opening. So to one and all we say Thanks!

We hope that this will be a stepping stone to further upgrades, improvements and successes for the school and the boys and girls of Scoil Ursula.

There was some local and national media coverage of the opening including (Click the links below)

• Ocean FM: An Taoiseach to Visit Sligo Today (including an interview with the Principal Mr. Gallagher)
  
• Sligo Today: Taoiseach for Sligo Visit Today
  
• Irish Independent: Enda Back to School After Lesson from Voters
• Sligo Champion (see below)
  
  

Congratulations to the Girls' and Boys' Football teams who were both victorious over Ballisodare today. The win qualifies the girls for the semi-final, while the boys need one more win to make it to the same stage after slipping up in their first match against Carraroe. The last group match away against Ballymote takes place on Wednesday at 11:30am.  A big thank you to our coaches, Ms Caffrey & Ms Munnelly for all their hard work. We are also grateful to Castlelough Corporation for sponsoring a set of jerseys for our boys' team. The picture shows Declan Hughes of Castlelough presenting to the Boys Team Captain, Seán Casey.