GONZAGA COLLEGE SJ

Beautiful footage from the walled garden and grounds of Gonzaga College SJ. The video is an excerpt from the documentary 'Plean Bee' about the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. The programme was produced by Dearcán Media for TG4 and aired on Thursday 20 May (World Bee Day). It can be viewed in full on the TG4 player here. The programme features school librarian, Ms Siobhán McNamara, who talks about some recent biodiversity initiatives in the school such as the planting of a new na

Today 500 years ago, one painful moment changed a man's life, which in turn changed history. This man was Iñigo de Loyola, who later became St Ignatius, the founder of the Society of Jesus, and therefore ultimately the founding father of our Gonzaga College SJ. This painful moment is today known as Ignatius' "cannonball moment". While Ignatius was recuperating from the wound that damaged his leg at the battle of Pamplona, God brought about his conversion and put him on the ro

National Biodiversity Week 2021 (15 - 23 May) is about connecting people with nature, communicating the importance of biodiversity, and motivating people to play their part in protecting it. See the Biodiversity Week website to find out about a range of competitions and events for all ages. One biodiversity initiative we have in school is the 'Managed for Wildlife' areas near the back gate and junior pitch. In accordance with the guidelines of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan

There are a number of upcoming events to launch the Ignatian Year 2021-2022: a year to celebrate the anniversary of the conversion of St Ignatius beginning with the siege at Pamplona in May 1521. There will be many activities throughout the year both nationally and internationally. Here are some things to keep in mind in May: 1. Our Provincial Leonard Moloney will launch the year at a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Dermot Farrell at Gardiner Street Church beginning 7.30pm Thur

All TY students are taking part in 'The Big Dig' today, getting the chance to experience what it is like to be an archaeologist by learning how to excavate the remains of a Viking house. Thanks to Mark and Anna from The School of Irish Archaeology for their hard work.

We invite you to join us in taking part in ‘Darkness into Light’ at sunrise on Saturday 8 May. While we must run this event at home, we aim to make this a whole school event and encourage all to walk, run, cycle or swim 10km to help create awareness on the work that Pieta House do. If you have any any photographs on the day, please send them to library@gonzaga.ie. Pieta’s vision is a world where suicide, self-harm and stigma have been replaced by hope, self-care and acceptanc

Tri-College Writing Competition Results Thanks to all the students who entered the second annual 'Full Story' writing competition for students of Belvedere, Clongowes and Gonzaga. Our judge this year was the award-winning novelist Sheena Wilkinson. Her encouraging words to all the writers who submitted work can be taken on board and easily followed: “I enter writing competitions myself, and I’ve had the experience of a story not even being longlisted for one competition, the

Five students qualified for the final exam of the All-Ireland Linguistics Competition, which took place in March. The results were as follows: Cormac Hannon (3D) 3rd placed Junior & 28th overall in Ireland Seán Radcliffe (3C) 5th placed Junior & 41st overall in Ireland Jacques Murphy (5D) 15th in Ireland Henry Li (5D) 29th in Ireland Daniel Kelly (6D) 81st in Ireland Thanks to Mr Lynch and all the teachers who facilitated the students sitting the exams during class time and t

Congratulations to Patrick Corkery SJ on the publication of his new book Saint Ignatius of Loyola; a convert's story. The book is published by Messenger and can be purchased online here. Several copies have been added to our school Library collection.

We were delighted to be able to run the first ever ‘Ignatian Heroes Retreat’ for First Years from Monday 26 to Friday 30 April 2021. The retreat was inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius and under the guiding theme of ‘Love in Action’ was adjusted to the needs of First Year students. The boys reflected on their own gifts and talents, strengths and weaknesses through meditation and journalling, but also by discovering one inspiring saint, mystic or social justice