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Lucan Community College
Past Pupil Success: Congratulations to three students from the Lucan CC class of 2025, who have recently been awarded prestigious Entrance Scholarships from Maynooth University and University College Dublin. Yu Ma received the Maynooth University Entrance Scholarship, awarded to students who achieve 575 points or more in the Leaving Certificate examination. Alba Cooney Mercadal was presented with the Academic High Achiever Award from UCD, while Onyekachukwu Uwechue received the Cothrom na Feinne Scholarship from UCD.
The school was also presented with two beautiful commemorative plaques as recognition of these outstanding achievements.
Soccer Success: Well done to the girls U19 soccer team who have secured their place in the Division 2 Regional Final after completing an unbeaten league campaign in style. They finished with an impressive 4-2 victory over Luttrellstown CC, with goals from Reka Kiss Kalo (2), Ella McGrath, and Amber Brennan Corey.
Well done, girls and best of luck in the final.
Colaiste Phadraig
School Tour: Forty 5th yr students and six teachers returned safely last week from a truly memorable six-day mid-term ski trip to Krynica-Zdroj, a picturesque spa town nestled in the Polish mountains. The journey began in Dublin Airport with an early morning flight to south-eastern Poland - on Friday 13th February. The group enjoyed a scenic coach transfer to Krynica, a renowned winter sports resort in the Carpathian Mountains. On arrival, students and staff settled into Hotel Zdrowie, which served as a comfortable base for the five-night stay.
The heart of the trip was a structured ski programme at Master Ski, one of Poland's leading ski centres. Each day included four hours of professional ski tuition, with students grouped according to ability level. Beginners built confidence on the nursery slopes, while more experienced skiers refined their technique on increasingly challenging runs.
However, the trip was about far more than skiing. Ice skating was a major highlight. Ice-skating was one of the favourite apres-ski activities, with some students gliding gracefully around the rink, while others relied on the assistance of the famous training penguin to guide them safely around the ice!! Tobogganing was another firm favourite, where our bravest students combined speed and control with fearless enthusiasm.
Evenings were filled with laughter and friendly rivalry. The two pool tables in the hotel hosted many competitive matches between students and teachers, while a visit to the bowling alley provided further entertainment.
Students embraced the opportunity to immerse themselves in Polish culture. They were given a significant degree of freedom to explore the town in the evenings, mingle and interact with locals - and they responded exceptionally well to the trust placed in them. They were punctual at all times, turning up promptly for buses, meals and organised activities so that teachers were never left searching for anyone.
They also picked up useful Polish phrases including 'Dzien dobry' (hello), 'Prosze' (please), 'Dziekuje' (thank you) and 'Prosze bardzo' (you're welcome), which they used enthusiastically. A particularly special moment occurred when students overheard two adults conversing as Gaeilge in a local shop. The married teachers from Galway were deeply impressed when our students confidently engaged them in conversation as Gaeilge. Beatha teanga i a labhairt! (A language lives through being spoken).
On the final day, the group travelled to Krakow, one of Poland's most historic and vibrant cities. Time was spent exploring the magnificent Main Market Square, wandering through the historic Kazimierz district and admiring the splendour of Wawel Castle. The visit offered students the opportunity to appreciate the rich history and culture of this beautiful city - a fitting conclusion to an action-packed week.
Sincere thanks must be extended to the six teachers - Mr. Todd, Ms. Hunt, Mr. Flynn, Mr. Douglas, Mr. Canning and Mr. Dunne - whose dedication, vigilance and care ensured the trip was safe, structured and deeply rewarding.
This ski trip will be remembered for its snowy slopes, cultural encounters, shared laughter and unforgettable moments. It was a week filled with adventure, challenge and joy - one that will undoubtedly be talked about for years to come.
Hurling: Hard luck to our Senior Hurlers, who were beaten 2-21 to 0-16 by Colaiste Naomh Cormac, Offaly on Tuesday in the Leinster League C Final, held in Mullingar. Lucan hurled very well throughout, but the absence of four key players undoubtedly impacted the final result. Michael O' Brien in particular, who scored 3-7 in both the Dublin League semi-final and Final, was a massive loss through injury. Aidan Doyle (0-5), Derry Ware (0-1), Brian Whelan (0-3), Paidi Murphy (0-5), Conor McHugh (0-1) and Dara Garrigan (0-1) got the team's scores. The team can be proud of an outstanding campaign, with this defeat being their only loss of the season.
Our 2nd yr hurlers began their Dublin League group-stage campaign on Friday 13th February with a tough away fixture against a strong Oatlands College team. Lucan opened up a 2-5 to 1-2 lead by half time, but Oatlands were excellent in the 2nd half as they eventually won 8-4 to 2-13.
Soccer: Our u15 soccer team advanced to Dublin West League semi-finals on Tuesday after a dramatic 6-5 win on penalties against Kingswood CC. The game finished 3-3 at full time and 20mins of extra time failed to produce any further goals. Bobby Guy scored two of Lucan's goals while Kanshen He equalised in the final minute with a headed goal from a corner. Finn O' Sullivan scored the crucial winning penalty that secured a hard-fought victory for the team. They will play Colaiste Pobail, Setanta for a place in the final.
St Joseph's College Lucan
Minor Camogie: Well done to our minor camogie team who had a great win in their second championship game against Loreto on the Green. In a tough game our girls played brilliantly and came away with the win on a scoreline of 3-5 to 1-3.
Senior Concern Debaters: Before midterm break our fantastic senior Concern debate team gave an outstanding performance against St. Gerard's, Bray - opposing the motion 'Significant progress has been made towards gender equality in the 21st century'. This week the found out they were victorious in this round of the competition and now progress into the last 16 of the All Ireland.
Mansion House and Leinster House visit: Last week, a group of 8 Flag Day students were invited by the Thomas Francis Meagher Foundation to help launch the Flag Day 2026 message on Dublin Bus for this year's Flag Day. Our school and St. Paul's CBS North Brunswick Street attended the Mansion House with the Lord Mayor Ray McAdam, Senator Mark Daly and many other distinguished guests, not least among them 102 Year Old Charlie O'Leary, the legendary FAI kitman who met the Pope alongside Jack Charlton during Italia 90.
The theme of Flag Day this year is 'The Flag of All of Us' and it will be displayed on over 150 buses and Dart stations for the next month. The students were treated to a nice reception in the Mansion house, followed by lunch and a tour of Leinster House. On the 100th anniversary of women in the Senate. The students left feeling inspired by all they heard and saw.
Badminton: Well done to our Joey's Badminton club who had great success at our Under 16s Badminton Blitz in Adamstown Community College today. A special well done to Erin Eldho and Avanthika Hemanth who won the Spirit of Badminton award.
Gaelic Football: The U14 Gaelic football team won their first match on Wednesday. They had a great comeback in the 2nd half against Portmarnock Community School. This win now gives the team a great opportunity to progress to the knockout stages of the competition.
Follow Us on Twitter: @StJosephsLucan
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Find us on our Website: www.stjosephslucan.com
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