Author: Aine Corcoran

18th June 2020

Ireland now stands in imminent danger. If Popery succeeds – our fairest plains will once more witness days worthy to rank with those of Bloody Mary – and the Walls of Derry shall again become the lamentable bulwark against Popish treachery and massacre! Strong words of alarm there! Strong words indeed! …….. the tocsin was…read article

9th June 2020

In the mid-1980s – for a sabbatical year – I volunteered for the Jesuit Refugee Service – founded a few years previously by our then Fr General [now Servant of God] Pedro Arrupe. I found myself assigned to Port Sudan – to an educational project for Ethiopian Refugees run by the Comboni Missionaries. The capital,…read article

2nd June 2020

It is pleasing to end this bizarre summer term with the inclusion of two Clongownians on Dave Rudden’s winners’ list for the inaugural tri-school short story competition, ‘The Full Story’.  Rhetoric student Julian Jimenez-Ospina was awarded Runner-Up in the Senior category for his story titled ‘Dance in City Square’ inspired by the image of Dutch…read article

27th May 2020

Did you ever come across a group of people looking at the sky and wonder what was up there? Did you perhaps go gazing skywards yourself?  And what if someone asked you what are you doing? His questions, you might now be saying to yourself, are getting stranger and stranger by the week! Well –…read article

25th May 2020

The Medal Essay competition each year opens a window on the creative writing talent of our students. Some are soaring at great heights, brave in their expression, offering perspectives and insight with a maturity of thought and sensitivity of mind. Others have gathered the courage to begin their flight, have just taken off and hopefully…read article

25th May 2020

We’re asking you to ‘Click-4-Crumlin‘ to help our TY students raise money for a covid-19 testing machine for sick children in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin. Due to the current restrictions, the annual Duck Push in its traditional form, unfortunately, cannot take place. Undeterred, our TY students have come together to launch an online Duck…read article

20th May 2020

In my 3rd motu proprio at the end of March I asked if anyone had a favourite tree – and received a great and varied response – with many reasons for the relationship. If you thought that my question was strange then – try this one now: Do you have a Braveheart Tree ?! I…read article

20th May 2020

We’re all looking forward to the school re-opening and to seeing the boys back at Clongowes! The staff came together to make a short video – we hope you enjoy it.  

13th May 2020

Last Friday, the well-leaked news that this year’s Leaving Cert. was to be cancelled made it a unique day in the annals of the DES – and in the life of Rhetoric’20. Amid all the media frenzy and the rumours – a final (?!) and definitive (?!) Plan C brought to an end the agony…read article

6th May 2020

What wins???  YOU decide!! The librarians of Belvedere College SJ., Clongowes Wood College SJ, and Gonzaga  College SJ, invite our students, parents, staff and alumni to choose our inaugural ‘3 Schools,1 Book‘ summer holiday read. Look at the shortlist (see below), choose your favourite option as a summer 2020 read, cast your vote and if…read article