This was my last week of Transition Year and I must say, I will miss it! It was great week because I was told by Ms McComish that I am going to be Secretary General of WCDMUN next year. This means I will be in charge of running the conference, which will be an awful lot of work but I'm looking forward to it!
I also did my Irish oral on Monday, which I was not happy with! I was very nervous and when I came out, I was very disappointed in myself because I thought it was awful! However, I got my results back on Thursday and it turns out that I got 92%!! This means I get a 'Fainne Oir' (a gold fainne) on TY Awards evening! I am absolutely delighted with myself and very very surprised!
I also had my singing exam for Grade 4 Classical Singing, which went very well.
Overall, I have loved every minute of Transition Year and I don't think I would have done anything differently. The extra curricular activities that I was involved in definitely made the year for me. Getting involved in everything that I could was paramount to my experience of TY.
It was definitely the most stressful year of my life, especially because of the play, but it was definitely the best year! I have loved challenging myself and doing things that put me out of my comfort zone, two things that I definitely, definitely did this year!
Thursday 16 May 2013
Week 29
This week was mostly just winding down from the play on Thursday last. I was also preparing for an audition on Friday. I am auditioning for the Royal Irish Academy of Music, to get singing lessons.
I don't usually get nervous when I'm performing but I was petrified! I had to sing two pieces for my audition and one of them went really well but the other was awful so I don't think I will get in but it was a great experience! I will find out in the next two or three weeks.
I don't usually get nervous when I'm performing but I was petrified! I had to sing two pieces for my audition and one of them went really well but the other was awful so I don't think I will get in but it was a great experience! I will find out in the next two or three weeks.
Week 28
So this week was showtime! It finally all pulled together and I couldn't be more proud!
They were all amazing and everyone seemed to enjoy it. I was so happy with everyone's performances and I was lucky that I was conducting because it meant I got to sit out the front with the audience. It was funny seeing the show from the audience's point of view. I had heard all of the jokes and had seen all of the dances loads of times so I was used to them but when I was with the audience and they were all laughing, it made me realise how funny some of the scenes were!
The speeches were the best part for me because, although they were very long, they were really heartfelt and I felt like all of mine and Alex's hard work was appreciated! It was a lot of work and stress and I did wonder why I was doing it in a few rehearsals but in the end, it was definitely worth it! I was very proud of all of the cast and crew, and myself, for pulling it off in the end and it was definitely a great thing to have done, for my own personal development.
They were all amazing and everyone seemed to enjoy it. I was so happy with everyone's performances and I was lucky that I was conducting because it meant I got to sit out the front with the audience. It was funny seeing the show from the audience's point of view. I had heard all of the jokes and had seen all of the dances loads of times so I was used to them but when I was with the audience and they were all laughing, it made me realise how funny some of the scenes were!
The speeches were the best part for me because, although they were very long, they were really heartfelt and I felt like all of mine and Alex's hard work was appreciated! It was a lot of work and stress and I did wonder why I was doing it in a few rehearsals but in the end, it was definitely worth it! I was very proud of all of the cast and crew, and myself, for pulling it off in the end and it was definitely a great thing to have done, for my own personal development.
Week 27
It was back to rehearsals this week with our first Full Run Through of the entire play! It was very, very stressful and I am now very, very worried about the performance. People do know their lines pretty well but they don't know their blocking and some of the dances are awful! The one I'm most worried about is Status Quo which isn't nearly up to scratch!
This week, I also finished my Community Involvement and wrote it all up. I went to my final Comhairle na nOg in the Council Chamber on Thursday and got it signed. I'm glad I have it all done now and I really enjoyed it!
This week, I also finished my Community Involvement and wrote it all up. I went to my final Comhairle na nOg in the Council Chamber on Thursday and got it signed. I'm glad I have it all done now and I really enjoyed it!
Week 26
This was one of the best weeks of Transition Year so far! It was our Outdoor Pursuits week and I enjoyed every single moment of Achill!
It was a really nice break to get away from the city for a week and spend it in the wilderness. My group decided that myself, along with Alex (the other director of High School Musical), wasn't allowed to talk or think about the play for the whole week so it was great to escape from those stresses!
We were split up into sub-groups in Achill and I really bonded with mine on our activities! Some of the other groups didn't mesh very well but mine really did!
The camping was amazing because, although we didn't have tents and had to make shelters out of twigs and moss, it was really authentic and I felt like a proper explorer!
I actually miss Achill and it was definitely the best week so far!
It was a really nice break to get away from the city for a week and spend it in the wilderness. My group decided that myself, along with Alex (the other director of High School Musical), wasn't allowed to talk or think about the play for the whole week so it was great to escape from those stresses!
We were split up into sub-groups in Achill and I really bonded with mine on our activities! Some of the other groups didn't mesh very well but mine really did!
The camping was amazing because, although we didn't have tents and had to make shelters out of twigs and moss, it was really authentic and I felt like a proper explorer!
I actually miss Achill and it was definitely the best week so far!
Week 25
This week was the first week back from Easter and was very busy! I was organising lots of things for High School Musical and in rehearsals every day. I am pretty exhausted because I had SAIMUN for the first half week of Easter and then had High School Musical rehearsals every day of the second week.
It's all coming together now but I'm still very worried about the admin side of things, such as set construction and design and ticket sales!
It's all coming together now but I'm still very worried about the admin side of things, such as set construction and design and ticket sales!
Week 24
This was the week before the Easter holidays. The week itself was quite uneventful but I was preparing for SAIMUN in the first week of Easter. This was the St. Andrew's International Model United Nations Conference which was being held in the Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoighare. I was the ambassador for the Wesley delegation that were representing the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea).
The conference was four days long and we spent the four days debating resolutions in committees and in General Assembly. I had to make an ambassador's opening speech in front of the 700 delegates and 200 admin staff on the first day which was really fun! I then merged my resolution on data privacy and protection with three other countries. I was put down as the main submitter which meant that I was the main author of the resolution, which was chosen to be debated in my committee, Political 2.
I had to speak in front of my committee of 150 delegates about my resolution and tell them why they should agree with it. As North Korea, I did not think my resolution would be passed, especially since it was about data privacy! But, it was actually passed in the end but, unfortunately, wasn't debated in General Assembly!
It was a great four days and made me even more enthusiastic about MUN.
The conference was four days long and we spent the four days debating resolutions in committees and in General Assembly. I had to make an ambassador's opening speech in front of the 700 delegates and 200 admin staff on the first day which was really fun! I then merged my resolution on data privacy and protection with three other countries. I was put down as the main submitter which meant that I was the main author of the resolution, which was chosen to be debated in my committee, Political 2.
I had to speak in front of my committee of 150 delegates about my resolution and tell them why they should agree with it. As North Korea, I did not think my resolution would be passed, especially since it was about data privacy! But, it was actually passed in the end but, unfortunately, wasn't debated in General Assembly!
It was a great four days and made me even more enthusiastic about MUN.
Week 23
I wasn't in school much this week because of music and debating. On Monday, I was in the RDS all day, competing in the Feis Ceoil. I was in the Girls' Vocal Solo B Competition (U16 Solo Singing). It was a massive challenge for me, as it was the first competition I had sung solo in outside of Wesley. The fact that it was the national music festival was very intimidating, especially since it was being held in the RDS!
I got Highly Commended which I was delighted with because it was my first year entering the competition and there were over thirty other competitors!
On the Tuesday, I was back at the Feis Ceoil, singing in the Sacred Music competition with Chamber Choir. I was quite disappointed, as we came second and we felt we deserved first because we didn't think the winners were very good. However, it was a great experience and I got the day off school!
On the Wednesday, I was in Griffith College, debating with three other Wesley students in the Law Faculty's Debating Competition. We were debating in teams, different to the usual style of debating in pairs. We had to do two rounds of debate and then we were put forward into the final, which we were delighted with! We ended up coming second, losing the final motion. We were proposing that Ireland is a better place to live than it was 10 years ago, which was a very difficult case to argue!
I got Highly Commended which I was delighted with because it was my first year entering the competition and there were over thirty other competitors!
On the Tuesday, I was back at the Feis Ceoil, singing in the Sacred Music competition with Chamber Choir. I was quite disappointed, as we came second and we felt we deserved first because we didn't think the winners were very good. However, it was a great experience and I got the day off school!
On the Wednesday, I was in Griffith College, debating with three other Wesley students in the Law Faculty's Debating Competition. We were debating in teams, different to the usual style of debating in pairs. We had to do two rounds of debate and then we were put forward into the final, which we were delighted with! We ended up coming second, losing the final motion. We were proposing that Ireland is a better place to live than it was 10 years ago, which was a very difficult case to argue!
Wednesday 15 May 2013
Week 22
On Tuesday, we had the final part of Les Mis for this year; a performance in the National Concert Hall. It was an amazing experience, singing in the biggest concert hall in the country. We were singing in the main auditorium, unlike when I sang with Senior Choir when we sang in the John Field room.
The best part was actually being in our dressing room because I felt like a proper performer, doing my makeup in the massive mirrors with the lights around them and doing sound checks and things like that.
It was incredible and made me want to do loads more performing!
The next morning, we had our mock interviews in school. I love doing that kind of thing and really enjoyed it! However, the interviewer thought I seemed nervous at the beginning and took away some marks for that. I didn't feel nervous at all but I think I came across that way because I was over enthusiastic!
The best part was actually being in our dressing room because I felt like a proper performer, doing my makeup in the massive mirrors with the lights around them and doing sound checks and things like that.
It was incredible and made me want to do loads more performing!
The next morning, we had our mock interviews in school. I love doing that kind of thing and really enjoyed it! However, the interviewer thought I seemed nervous at the beginning and took away some marks for that. I didn't feel nervous at all but I think I came across that way because I was over enthusiastic!
Monday 13 May 2013
Week 21
This Thursday I had the quarter-finals of the Leinster's Debating Competition in UCD. I was proposing a rather ridiculous motion that This House would Allow People to Advertise on their Faces. It was a fun debate to do but was very competitive because we didn't get through. It was quite disappointing and the most frustrating part was that one of the three adjudicators gave us feedback afterwards and said that he thought we should have gone through but was overruled by the head adjudicator! It was really annoying but I was proud to have got that far in my first year of the senior competition!
This week I was up in the music rooms every day after school, rather than my usual three times a week, rehearsing for the Interschools Music Festival. I was quite confident in my singing until Wednesday, when I lost my voice! I immediately stopped singing and spent Thursday and Friday eating Soothers and drinking tea. It was really scary because I thought I wouldn't be able to perform but, after not speaking at all during school on Friday (yep, a whole DAY not speaking!!), I was fine by my first competition that afternoon.
My first was the U16 Solo Singing Popular. I was singing 'I Feel Pretty' from West Side Story, which I was very nervous about! I wasn't happy with my performance at all but in the end, I won first prize so I was delighted!! I then had to run to my other solo competition that day, U16 Solo Singing Classical, which I came second in! I then had to run over to choir rehearsal because I had the Chamber Choir competition.
We were singing two songs in the SAB competition which we won as well! We then had the Unaccompanied Choir competition, which I was in with a smaller version of Chamber Choir, singing 'And So it Goes' by Billy Joel. Unfortunately, we didn't win that one but we got Highly Commended which was a great achievement in such a tough category.
My last competition of the night was my competition with Senior Choir which we all wanted to win because it was our last performance with Ms Doyle before she left on maternity leave. We sang two pieces and won!
The next morning, I had the O15 Unaccompanied Irish Song, which was also a solo. I also came second in that competition, which both I, and my Irish teacher, were delighted with!
That afternoon I had my duet competition with Ella Gaynor which, unfortunately, we didn't get placed in!
It was an amazing weekend but I am truly exhausted!
This week I was up in the music rooms every day after school, rather than my usual three times a week, rehearsing for the Interschools Music Festival. I was quite confident in my singing until Wednesday, when I lost my voice! I immediately stopped singing and spent Thursday and Friday eating Soothers and drinking tea. It was really scary because I thought I wouldn't be able to perform but, after not speaking at all during school on Friday (yep, a whole DAY not speaking!!), I was fine by my first competition that afternoon.
My first was the U16 Solo Singing Popular. I was singing 'I Feel Pretty' from West Side Story, which I was very nervous about! I wasn't happy with my performance at all but in the end, I won first prize so I was delighted!! I then had to run to my other solo competition that day, U16 Solo Singing Classical, which I came second in! I then had to run over to choir rehearsal because I had the Chamber Choir competition.
We were singing two songs in the SAB competition which we won as well! We then had the Unaccompanied Choir competition, which I was in with a smaller version of Chamber Choir, singing 'And So it Goes' by Billy Joel. Unfortunately, we didn't win that one but we got Highly Commended which was a great achievement in such a tough category.
My last competition of the night was my competition with Senior Choir which we all wanted to win because it was our last performance with Ms Doyle before she left on maternity leave. We sang two pieces and won!
The next morning, I had the O15 Unaccompanied Irish Song, which was also a solo. I also came second in that competition, which both I, and my Irish teacher, were delighted with!
That afternoon I had my duet competition with Ella Gaynor which, unfortunately, we didn't get placed in!
It was an amazing weekend but I am truly exhausted!
Week 20
This week was busy from the outset, with the second round of the Leinster Schools' Debating Competition taking place on Monday. My partner and I got through, meaning we are going to the semi-finals of the competition. I am delighted with this because it is a senior competition so I was competing against Fourth, Fifth and Sixth years!
My Tuesday afternoon was incredibly busy because I had a meeting with all of the Chairs for WCDMUN where I had to brief them, as I am Deputy Head of Chairs for WCDMUN 2013. I then had to run across to the Myles Hall for a Senior Choir rehearsal because we are competing next weekend at the Interschools Music Festival in Wesley. After that, I had a rehearsal for the Les Mis concert in the National Concert Hall, another one following on Thursday.
That weekend was WCDMUN 2013 which was incredible! Stressful, but incredible. I was Deputy Head of Chairs, as well as being the Chair of the Africa Committee. It took place on the Friday evening and all day Saturday. On the Friday, we had the opening ceremony and the beginning of the committee sessions. We debated one resolution that evening and then went to the social, which was a sort of Jazz Cafe. There were performers from all different years in Wesley; Laura Breen, Olly Brooks, Joyce Murphy and I performed, along with Jamie Mathews. It was terrifying but really enjoyable as well.
On the second day, we debated two more resolutions in committee and then went into General Assembly. My committee was so much fun; between people drawing manga pictures of me, to one boy bringing in what looked like the entire sweet section of Tesco to 'bribe' us chairs.
General Assembly was a bit of a rest, as the chairs didn't have to do much work. However, I did, along with the Head of Chairs, Nadia Skelton, help the secretaries by passing notes between delegates.
The weekend was brought to a great finish with the disco on the Friday night.
I enjoyed this WCDMUN more than I have any others and can't wait until next year!
My Tuesday afternoon was incredibly busy because I had a meeting with all of the Chairs for WCDMUN where I had to brief them, as I am Deputy Head of Chairs for WCDMUN 2013. I then had to run across to the Myles Hall for a Senior Choir rehearsal because we are competing next weekend at the Interschools Music Festival in Wesley. After that, I had a rehearsal for the Les Mis concert in the National Concert Hall, another one following on Thursday.
That weekend was WCDMUN 2013 which was incredible! Stressful, but incredible. I was Deputy Head of Chairs, as well as being the Chair of the Africa Committee. It took place on the Friday evening and all day Saturday. On the Friday, we had the opening ceremony and the beginning of the committee sessions. We debated one resolution that evening and then went to the social, which was a sort of Jazz Cafe. There were performers from all different years in Wesley; Laura Breen, Olly Brooks, Joyce Murphy and I performed, along with Jamie Mathews. It was terrifying but really enjoyable as well.
On the second day, we debated two more resolutions in committee and then went into General Assembly. My committee was so much fun; between people drawing manga pictures of me, to one boy bringing in what looked like the entire sweet section of Tesco to 'bribe' us chairs.
General Assembly was a bit of a rest, as the chairs didn't have to do much work. However, I did, along with the Head of Chairs, Nadia Skelton, help the secretaries by passing notes between delegates.
The weekend was brought to a great finish with the disco on the Friday night.
I enjoyed this WCDMUN more than I have any others and can't wait until next year!
Week 19
This week, I went on a trip with my music class, along with the fifth year music classes, to the National Concert Hall for a showcase of Mr Nangle's compositions. It was really fun to go on a trip with the music teachers and the fifth years, especially because we were brought there on a wedding bus!
We saw a sound installation that Mr Nangle made and then we saw an interview with him and then we heard a concert of his music, being performed by the RTE Concert Orchestra. It was amazing to see a teacher from Wesley being recognised in such an amazing way!
This week, I also had rehearsals for the concert I am doing in the National Concert Hall with the cast of Les Mis. We are doing a medley of Les Mis songs, along with the Battle Hymn of the Republic.
I am also in the Les Mis choir, who are singing a Gaelic Blessing and Puttin' on the Ritz.
We saw a sound installation that Mr Nangle made and then we saw an interview with him and then we heard a concert of his music, being performed by the RTE Concert Orchestra. It was amazing to see a teacher from Wesley being recognised in such an amazing way!
This week, I also had rehearsals for the concert I am doing in the National Concert Hall with the cast of Les Mis. We are doing a medley of Les Mis songs, along with the Battle Hymn of the Republic.
I am also in the Les Mis choir, who are singing a Gaelic Blessing and Puttin' on the Ritz.
Week 18
This week I was singing with Senior Choir in St Patrick's Cathedral. We took a bus out to the Cathedral's choir school and saw the choristers in music class. We then went over for a rehearsal in the Cathedral, which was an incredible building. It was the first time I had ever been there, let alone sung there, so it was an amazing experience. It was very formal and we had to practice processing up the aisle and getting into our pews, which were facing each other.
It was weird singing that way, as we usually can only see Ms Doyle in front of us. Another task for us was that Mr Hughes was accompanying us on the organ but he was in a balcony above us so he couldn't see us or Ms Doyle so we had to follow him, not Ms Doyle. It was very good for us as a choir though because it meant we really had to listen to the organ and to each other.
It was weird singing that way, as we usually can only see Ms Doyle in front of us. Another task for us was that Mr Hughes was accompanying us on the organ but he was in a balcony above us so he couldn't see us or Ms Doyle so we had to follow him, not Ms Doyle. It was very good for us as a choir though because it meant we really had to listen to the organ and to each other.
Sunday 24 March 2013
Week 17
This week was very busy because it was the week of the Wesley Shield Debating Competition for which I am convener. There was a lot of preparation to be done, such as organising rooms, food and a reception for our special guest. On Wednesday, however, I had an evening off from organising because I went, along with the cast of Les Mis, to see the new Les Mis film in Dundrum. It was an incredible film and seeing it with the cast made it all the more atmospheric. I really am missing rehearsals and the cast so going out to see the film with all of them was a nice little reunion.
This weekend was one of the most stressful two days of my life! The Wesley Shield was on Friday and Saturday and we had sixteen teams of two speakers from over twelve different schools from Dublin, Cork and Wexford. I was in charge of running the competition, adjudicating some of the rooms and I also had to come up with the motions for the four rounds of debate.
It was very challenging and stressful to try and run such a large competition, especially because the snow meant a lot of teams cancelled, but it was definitely a positive experience. On the Saturday I also had the pleasuring of welcoming the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter to chair the final of the Wesley Shield. I had to meet him at the front steps of the school and bring him to a reception with Mr Woods and Mr Bredin and then I had to sit with him in the final and tell him what to say.
I was exhausted by the end but it was definitely a good experience and, although it was definitely stressful, it was loads of fun!
This weekend was one of the most stressful two days of my life! The Wesley Shield was on Friday and Saturday and we had sixteen teams of two speakers from over twelve different schools from Dublin, Cork and Wexford. I was in charge of running the competition, adjudicating some of the rooms and I also had to come up with the motions for the four rounds of debate.
It was very challenging and stressful to try and run such a large competition, especially because the snow meant a lot of teams cancelled, but it was definitely a positive experience. On the Saturday I also had the pleasuring of welcoming the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter to chair the final of the Wesley Shield. I had to meet him at the front steps of the school and bring him to a reception with Mr Woods and Mr Bredin and then I had to sit with him in the final and tell him what to say.
I was exhausted by the end but it was definitely a good experience and, although it was definitely stressful, it was loads of fun!
Week 16
This was the first week back after the Christmas Holidays so it was quite a calm week. On the Monday I had Amnesty and Debating, as per usual and on Tuesday I had Senior Choir. Wednesday was a big day because I had trials for the Oxford University Schools Debating Competition. Unfortunately, I was not one of the two teams that made it through but it was great experience and I really enjoyed it a lot.
It was a pretty normal week and I was just getting things ready for the TY Play. After posting the Cast List, it was difficult to face my friends who didn't get the parts they'd wanted and it was definitely a challenge to remain professional but I managed to just focus on the organising of the play.
I had a meeting with our staff supervisor, Mr Wallace on Friday and it was great to finally get some plans laid down, it was exciting to finally feel like the play is going ahead!
It was a pretty normal week and I was just getting things ready for the TY Play. After posting the Cast List, it was difficult to face my friends who didn't get the parts they'd wanted and it was definitely a challenge to remain professional but I managed to just focus on the organising of the play.
I had a meeting with our staff supervisor, Mr Wallace on Friday and it was great to finally get some plans laid down, it was exciting to finally feel like the play is going ahead!
Saturday 26 January 2013
Week 15
This week was pretty hectic, as usual! On the Monday evening, I had the Callbacks for the TY Play, for which I am music director. It was a very long and gruelling process because it took hours and hours to decide on the cast list! Luckily Alex (the director) and I had the help of Joyce, Tommy, Aaron and Simon Blay but it was still extremely difficult to decide!
The next evening was the Senior Carol service. I sang once again with Chamber Choir and I also performed with Senior Choir. We sang 'O Holy Night' and 'Gaudete'.
We had another school trip on the Wednesday to the ice rink in Dundrum. This was brilliant fun, despite my lack of skating skills! We then went into town to see a bilingual play in the Smock Alley Theatre. That evening was a reunion of the cast of Les Mis to watch the video of our performance. It was great fun but I did sink down into my seat when I had to watch myself as the Old Woman!!
The next evening was the Senior Carol service. I sang once again with Chamber Choir and I also performed with Senior Choir. We sang 'O Holy Night' and 'Gaudete'.
We had another school trip on the Wednesday to the ice rink in Dundrum. This was brilliant fun, despite my lack of skating skills! We then went into town to see a bilingual play in the Smock Alley Theatre. That evening was a reunion of the cast of Les Mis to watch the video of our performance. It was great fun but I did sink down into my seat when I had to watch myself as the Old Woman!!
Week 14
My trip to Paris didn't slow down my busy schedule and the day I came back to school we were on a trip into the city centre, collecting for the ISPCC. I really enjoyed selling the pieces of holly and I managed to sell all of mine! It was quite a mean feat as I was on Harcourt Street mid-morning which meant there weren't many people around! The Friday was the Junior Carol Service. I was performing at this with Chamber Choir. We performed the Shepherd's Pipe Carol for the Preps, First and Second Years.
I had attended my second Comhairle na nOg meeting this week. I am one of two Wesley delegates for the Dun Laoighare-Rathdown Comhairle. We were discussing the 'lost years' campaign they have been working on. We were discussing the fact that teenagers between the ages of 16-18 are charged adult prices on public transport and in the cinemas, even though they cannot learn the same amount of money as adults.
This week has been quite festive and I am feeling very Christmassy!!
Week 13
This week of school was rather insignificant as I couldn't concentrate all week. The reason being I was going on the Senior Choir trip to Paris at the weekend!
It honestly was one of the best weekends of my life and definitely in Fourth Year!
We were all told to meet in the school at 3.45 a.m. to get a bus to the airport for our flight at 7. It was extremely early but I was far too excited to be tired!! We flew into Paris and were at our hotel at 11 o'clock. I was sharing a room with Ella and so I knew I wasn't going to get much sleep! We then went out to the Arc de Triomphe on our first excursion. This was incredible but the stairs to the top and down were very, very, very narrow and twisted around all the way up......my claustrophobia was not happy! It was worth it though as we had an amazing view right across Paris!
Then we walked to the Eiffel Tower and walked around that area. Unfortunately, I didn't think the Eiffel Tower lived up to its reputation and I was quite unimpressed! The surrounding area was incredible though and we were allowed go off on our own to look around and get something to eat. I managed to convince my friends not to go to McDonalds because I wanted an authentic Parisien meal! We ended up going to a gorgeous little creperie down one of the side streets......very authentic and Parisien!
We then met the rest of the choir and the teachers for a boat cruise down the River Seine. This was one of the highlights of the trip for me because it was an amazing way to see the sights of Paris, despite the freezing temperatures. In the evening we went to a little Italian restaurant in the heart of Paris which was beautiful inside and had incredible food! To end the first day we went to a workshop in the chapel of the Irish Cultural Institute with a soprano named Lena. This was fun at the beginning but we were all exhausted after out early start and busy day so we all just wanted to go back to our hotel!!
The second day began with a trip to the L'Orangerie Gallery to see Monet's waterlillies. I absolutely loved them!! They were incredible! We then crossed the park to the Louvre Museum where we were given four hours of free time to look around the Louvre and to make our way to Notre Dame. I loved the Louvre, mostly because of the stunning architecture! Myself and a few others went shopping after a few hours and, after Aaron got us very lost, we made it to the Notre Dame which, again, had breathtaking architecture.
We then returned to the Irish Cultural Institute for a Carol Service in the Chapel which was really fun and very festive.
The best part of the trip for me was that evening when we went to see the West End production of West Side Story! I had never seen it live and it is now my second favourite musical (just behind The Phantom of the Opera!).
The next day was really sad because it was our last day in Paris. However, we definitely made the most of our final 12 hours. We spent the morning in Monmatre on a guided walking tour and in Sacre Coeur Cathedral. This was incredible and made me want to live in Monmatre in the future! After that culturally enriching morning, we then made the two and a half hour bus trip to Disneyland! I thought this would be the best part but it's not really my thing! I was too scared to go on Space Mountain and Indiana Jones with the boys so I sat outside! I then made them come up the Princess Castle with me and go on the Carousel so it was alright in the end!!
We then flew back to Dublin and got back to Wesley late that night.
It was an absolutely incredible weekend and definitely one of the highlights of Fourth Year so far!!
It honestly was one of the best weekends of my life and definitely in Fourth Year!
We were all told to meet in the school at 3.45 a.m. to get a bus to the airport for our flight at 7. It was extremely early but I was far too excited to be tired!! We flew into Paris and were at our hotel at 11 o'clock. I was sharing a room with Ella and so I knew I wasn't going to get much sleep! We then went out to the Arc de Triomphe on our first excursion. This was incredible but the stairs to the top and down were very, very, very narrow and twisted around all the way up......my claustrophobia was not happy! It was worth it though as we had an amazing view right across Paris!
Then we walked to the Eiffel Tower and walked around that area. Unfortunately, I didn't think the Eiffel Tower lived up to its reputation and I was quite unimpressed! The surrounding area was incredible though and we were allowed go off on our own to look around and get something to eat. I managed to convince my friends not to go to McDonalds because I wanted an authentic Parisien meal! We ended up going to a gorgeous little creperie down one of the side streets......very authentic and Parisien!
We then met the rest of the choir and the teachers for a boat cruise down the River Seine. This was one of the highlights of the trip for me because it was an amazing way to see the sights of Paris, despite the freezing temperatures. In the evening we went to a little Italian restaurant in the heart of Paris which was beautiful inside and had incredible food! To end the first day we went to a workshop in the chapel of the Irish Cultural Institute with a soprano named Lena. This was fun at the beginning but we were all exhausted after out early start and busy day so we all just wanted to go back to our hotel!!
The second day began with a trip to the L'Orangerie Gallery to see Monet's waterlillies. I absolutely loved them!! They were incredible! We then crossed the park to the Louvre Museum where we were given four hours of free time to look around the Louvre and to make our way to Notre Dame. I loved the Louvre, mostly because of the stunning architecture! Myself and a few others went shopping after a few hours and, after Aaron got us very lost, we made it to the Notre Dame which, again, had breathtaking architecture.
We then returned to the Irish Cultural Institute for a Carol Service in the Chapel which was really fun and very festive.
The best part of the trip for me was that evening when we went to see the West End production of West Side Story! I had never seen it live and it is now my second favourite musical (just behind The Phantom of the Opera!).
The next day was really sad because it was our last day in Paris. However, we definitely made the most of our final 12 hours. We spent the morning in Monmatre on a guided walking tour and in Sacre Coeur Cathedral. This was incredible and made me want to live in Monmatre in the future! After that culturally enriching morning, we then made the two and a half hour bus trip to Disneyland! I thought this would be the best part but it's not really my thing! I was too scared to go on Space Mountain and Indiana Jones with the boys so I sat outside! I then made them come up the Princess Castle with me and go on the Carousel so it was alright in the end!!
We then flew back to Dublin and got back to Wesley late that night.
It was an absolutely incredible weekend and definitely one of the highlights of Fourth Year so far!!
Week 12
This week was the week of the Aptitude Tests. It felt like the tests we took at the end of sixth class to sort us into classes. We also had a hockey match which was the quarter final of the cup. Unfortunately, we lost to Alex 2-1 which was really disappointing as it meant we were out of the cup.
The Saturday was the Salvation Army concert in St Anne's Church on Dawson Street. I was performing there with Senior Choir which was really fun and festive as well! We all went out for dinner in Little Caesar's restaurant beforehand which was great fun and really tasty!
This week was very Christmassy and I was very excited for the festive season to kick off, as I love carol services!
The Saturday was the Salvation Army concert in St Anne's Church on Dawson Street. I was performing there with Senior Choir which was really fun and festive as well! We all went out for dinner in Little Caesar's restaurant beforehand which was great fun and really tasty!
This week was very Christmassy and I was very excited for the festive season to kick off, as I love carol services!
Week 11
This week was quite a contrast to the previous two. It was very normal and very uneventful.I did all my usual extra-curriculars like Amnesty, Debating, Senior Choir, Chamber Choir and Hockey. It was very weird not having rehearsals for Les Mis but I began to start on the organising of the Fourth Year Play with Nadia and Alex; High School Musical. On the Saturday I was adjudicating at the Castleknock Community College Junior Debating Mace, along with some of the other Wesley debaters.
Week 10
After my busy week, and indeed weekend, the stress didn't let up as this week was the week of Les Miserables. We had our Dress Rehearsal on the Monday, straight after the Belfast trip the evening before. This was in front of a paying audience form various local primary schools. It was so much fun performing in front of a live audience and I loved the buzz backstage and the costumes. We had the proper performances on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which were all incredible. I also had a Legal Studies trip to the Criminal Courts of Justice on the Thursday. It was a bit of a disappointment because the cases weren't as good as they had been when I was in the courts for Work Experience but it was still a fun trip.
Nadia and I then rushed back from the courts to Wesley to get into our costumes for the second performance of Les Mis. The first two nights were a huge success and, despite the small mishap of the fire alarm going off and the building being evacuated, closing night was brilliant too. The best part of the week, however was the cast party on Friday night. It was great to be able to talk to the other members of the cast in a more relaxed and less stressful environment!
Week 10 was ended with the Kicoole Music Festival on the Sunday. I competed in two competitions, one with Senior Choir and the other with Chamber Choir, both of which we won!
Nadia and I then rushed back from the courts to Wesley to get into our costumes for the second performance of Les Mis. The first two nights were a huge success and, despite the small mishap of the fire alarm going off and the building being evacuated, closing night was brilliant too. The best part of the week, however was the cast party on Friday night. It was great to be able to talk to the other members of the cast in a more relaxed and less stressful environment!
Week 10 was ended with the Kicoole Music Festival on the Sunday. I competed in two competitions, one with Senior Choir and the other with Chamber Choir, both of which we won!
Week 9
This was probably my busiest week yet because it was the week of my first Work Experience. I was working in the Criminal Courts of Justice in Parkgate Street with Martina Baxter and Barry Murphy. This was extremely interesting but very tiring as I was sitting in on court cases which was quite mentally draining.I was then at play rehearsals each night as Les Mis is coming swiftly down the tracks. I was only there for four out of the five says because on the Friday I went to Sligo with Chamber Choir. We were competing in the Sligo International Music Festival. We sang firstly at the Founder's Day service, followed by a Senior Choir rehearsal. We then got on the bus and drove off to Sligo, where we were awarded second place, narrowly losing out to Presentation College, Kilkenny. I had lots of fun on the trip because there is quite a large crossover between the people in Senior Choir, Chamber Choir and Les Miserables and I love getting to know all the people in other years who have mutual interests with me.
On the Saturday, I had the first dress rehearsal for Les Mis. This wasn't the official dress rehearsal but it was the last run through we have until the dress rehearsal in front of an audience.
Sunday was a very important day and a great end to the 9th week of term. I travelled up to Belfast with Senior Choir. We were competing in the All Island School Choir of the Year Competition Final in the Titanic Centre Belfast. It was an amazing experience and I really enjoyed being the challenging and bustling environment of a television production. We came second overall to Wesley's sister school Methodist College Belfast but I wasn't that disappointed as we had performed the songs the best we had ever done and I had really enjoyed the day in Belfast. The bus journey home was the best part as we all sang songs and ate chocolate on the way back to Wesley!!
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