Do you watch "Glenroe"? If you don't know about Glenroe , well, it's a serial or "soap" based on life in a small rural Irish town. It's on RTE 1 every Sunday night, most of the year at 8:30pm.

If you know about Glenroe, then you'll be able to name most of the regular characters- Miley, Biddy, Dinny, Teazie, Blackie…..

The actor who plays the part of Blackie visited our school on Wednesday, 28th April, 1999. His name is Liam Heffernan. Liam did two drama workshops; one with Leaving Cert. Applied, who study drama anyway - the other with Transition Year Students whose life is dramatic anyway.

As well as being known for his role in Glenroe, Liam has done extensive Theatre-in-Education work. He worked with the Cork based "Grafitti Theatre Company". He combines television, theatre and film roles working in both the English and Irish languages.

There was a great buzz around the school the day of Liam's visit. Students recognised him on the corridor; some asked and got his autograph: those who worked with him co-operated and experimented with various types of role-play and finished wanting more.

Maybe he'll come back next year……….

(L/R) Marie Fogarty (TYO), Gerry Dee(TYO), Liam Heffernan, Marie Stokes (LCA1),
Patricia Ryan (Drama Teacher), William McGrath (LCA1)

 I Giovani Solisti

 American Orchestra

On Tuesday April20th, I Giovani Solisti performed in concert for the senior students and staff at St. Ailbe's Tipperary Town Ireland. The orchestra were on a return visit to Ireland and Tipperary. In Tipperary they were hosted by Michael John Ryan, conductor to the Ryan Youth Orchestra from Tipperary and the surrounding area.

I Giovani Solisti, is a 21 member ensemble consisting of the most gifted and committed string players of Conrad and Hall High Schools in West Hartford Connecticut Public Schools.

Begun in 1983 by Edwin C. de Groat, it was conceived with the intention of providing the very talented an opportunity to perform literature that is composed for this size ensemble.

The repertoire was a mixture if classical and Irish works and students were delighted and amazed by such talents and outstanding performances, both as soloists and an ensemble.

Later the students joined us at St Ailbe's for lunch. St Ailbe's enjoyed wonderful music resonating through the rooms of the school. Thank you I Giovani Solisti and your conductor. Thank you for bringing young musicians into our school and hearts.

March 5^th, 1999

The u/13 boys soccer team were most unlucky to lose to the abbey in Tipperary Town yesterday. Even though the Ailbes lads conceded size to the abbey, they more than matched them in every other department, particularly heart and effort. Indeed, Michael Kenny was most unlucky to have two goalbound attempts cleared off the line by abbey defenders in the dying moments of a very exciting match. Both St. Ailbes goals were scored in the first half;

Vincent Stokes calmly tucking away the first with an excellent strike and John Tuohy scoring the second with a speculative lob that went all the way to the net. Unfortunately, we could not find the net in the second half, even though we dominated for long periods. The team lined out as follows;

1. JONATHON LYNCH
2. EOIN McENIRY
3. JOHN TUOHY
4. FRANCIS KIELY
5. GARY POWER
6. JASON DONNELLY
7. ANTHONY GLASHEEN
8. BRENDAN WHELAN
9. WILLIE O' BRIEN
10. MICHAEL KENNY
11. VINCENT STOKES

SUBS; STEVEN WARREN; PJ. CONNOLLY.

February 11^th, 1999

ST. AILBE'S SENIOR RUGBY
NORTH-MUNSTER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

St. Ailbe's School Tipperary Town captured the Munster Development League Tiltle in dramatic style on Thursday with a late one point win over fellow Tipperary men, Cashel Community School.

This was a unique final as in only it's second year two West Tipperary teams were to contest a Munster Final. Both sides are new to competitive rugby and both were contesting the Munster Final in their first year in the competition. Despite being Development League this was a tremendous game of rugby played at a standard easily equal to division two.

Cashel certainly were bitterly disappointed after watching a lead, which they had enjoyed for 68 minutes, slip away in the dying moments of the game. The huge crowd which packed into the Hill at Kilfeacle, were left on the edge of their seats right up to the final whistle following a late penalty kick from St. Ailbe's out-half Niall Sheehan which saw St. Ailbe's steel the lead in dramatic style. In many respects this was a game which echoed the Ireland - France game of last week for excitement.

Cashel started the brightest taking the game to St. Ailbe's from the kickoff. As a heavy mist lifted, Cashel dominated proceedings in the opening exchanges and it was St. Ailbe's who were slow to settle into the game and appeared nervous. Cashel were moving the ball well and dictated the pace to the Tipperary men. St. Ailbe's handling was poor in the opening exchanges and there was none of the confidence apparent from the earlier rounds of the competition. Tommy Russell moved into the full-back position, a position vacated by Mark Ryan who picked up a knock in training on the previous Tuesday. Russell, playing in only his fourth game of competitive rugby, was unsettled in his new position and drifted up field leaving space behind which Cashel begun to exploit.

Cashel piled on the pressure to the St. Ailbe's forwards and took advantage of poor handling by their counterparts and worked at controlling the mauls, moving the ball well and made the gain-line with ease. Cashel exploited some poor St. Ailbe's discipline and on nine minutes Johnny Maher was unlucky not to score the game's first try. Following a good Cashel drive, Maher broke from the maul and it appeared he was going to put Cashel's first points on the board but he was denied thanks to a fantastic, last minute tackle from Cieran Hickey on the try line. Hickey took the ball out and St. Ailbe's won the scrum inside their own 22. It seemed as though St. Ailbe's had relieved the pressure for the moment however, Niall Sheehan was not having his best day and his kick from the scrum gained little ground and Cashel won the lineout inside their opponents half.

Cashel showed their strength in the line-out taking the ball well and spreading the ball out wide and were looking threatening as Brendan O'Connor intelligently kicked through for what looked like a certain try forcing Niall Sheehan into obstructing the number 8, giving Cashel the opportunity to register the games opening score. Johnny Maher stepped up and with confidence he kicked Cashel into the lead on 16 minutes. This was a lead which the Cashel men deserved and for St. Ailbe's coach Alan Quinlan, it was worrying, the ease with which Cashel were driving on.

As may have been expected, St. Ailbe's lifted their game and responded to the challenge set by their opponents. Following the Cashel score St. Ailbe's seemed to settle into the game more and begun to use the ball with more purpose. On 18 minutes St. Ailbe's won a penalty in a kickable position, but Sheehan kicked for the corner which perhaps reflected his level of confidence. Sheehan's kick resulted in the best passage of play in the half for St. Ailbe's. David Kinahan was denied in the corner by a wonderful tackle by Cashel's James Ryan. The St. Ailbe's backs moved the ball well through Tommy Ellard and Thomas O'Mahony to give Kinahan his chance.

Moments latter St. Ailbe's were given a second chance when Thomas Ellard, blocked Danny Hallissey's kick from a scrum inside the Cashel endline. It was a lack of options which denied St. Ailbe's the try as Ellard moved the ball out wide instead of setting up the drive. The Cashel backs were defending well and they suceeded in preventing their counterparts from expanding their game. It was a case of St. Ailbe's taking the wrong options within sight of the Cashel tryline. This was the main feature of the St. Ailbe's game, taking the wrong option at the wrong time, along with poor handling which let them down at decisive moments.

Despite this St. Ailbe's pressure, it was the Cashel men who were to come the closest to scoring the game's first try. Again in a move which was typical of their dominance in the first half St. Ailbe's were lucky to get the 22 drop out after Cashel's Danny Hallissey's kick caught the Ailbe's backs out of position. Hallissey kicked for the space left by his counterparts and gave Denis Ryan the opportunity to touch down for the five points on 31 minutes. Ryan was denied however by some excellent covering by Derek Sheils who touched down preventing the Cashel score.

Cashel went in the happiest at the break although despite their dominance they had only registered three points. Danny Hallissey played a fantastic game in the first half for Cashel and some excellent kicking from him had put St. Ailbe's under fierce pressure throughout the half.

The second half begun in the same manner as the first, with Cashel dictating the early pace with more good kicking from Hallissey. The difference however was that St. Ailbe's rose to the challenge and it was apparent that this was gong to be a tremendous half. The exchanges in the opening minutes of this half were tight with some excellent tackling on both sides. In what proved to be a turning point for St. Ailbe's Mark Ryan replaced Derek Sheils on 4 minutes. Ryan took up his usual position at full back which saw Tommy Russell take up his more familiar position on the wing. This move opened the game out for the Tipperary men and Ryan was better suited to coping with Hallissey's kicks.

Within 5 minutes Cashel had put another 3 points on the board thanks to the boot of Johnny Maher following a St. Ailbe's infringement for offside in the rucks. Indiscipline was a problem for the Tipperary Town men and it seemed that any Cashel drive could result in a Cashel penalty. Again as in the first half Maher calmly kicked to extend his sides lead. St. Ailbe's needed to respond to the Cashel attack and get themselves into the game. Russell now playing in a more familiar position begun to drive on well for St. Ailbe's. Paul Ryan too was opening up carrying on well and St. Ailbe's begun to make better use of recycled ball. The Cashel score appeared to have woken up the Tipperary men up and following the Cashel score it was St. Ailbe's who begun to dominate.

With the score at 6-0 Ailbe's responded with good pressure and for long periods they were camped in their opponents half. The crowd responded on both sides creating a huge volume of noise and making this game quite the spectacle. Russell, Ryan and Kinahan were combining well an some good kicking from Sheehan who was gettng into the game saw St. Ailbe's threaten the Cashel line for long periods of the second-half. Yet again, however, the Cashel defense seemed too strong and seemed well capable of keeping the Tipperary Town men from scoring. Shane Nolan, David Keenan and again Danny Hallissey were playing well and it seemed as though there was now way through for St. Ailbe's. On a number of occasions St. Ailbe's decisions were questionable deciding on two occasions to run penalties rather than kicking for the points.

As the game entered the final quarter it appeared as though the Cashel men would hold out to the final whistle. It what was an incredible final ten minutes the lead was to switch three times in the most extraordinary circumstances. On 68 minutes St. Ailbe's got the break they were looking for. Paul Ryan took the ball in for St. Ailbe's within meters of the Cashel try-line. St. Ailbe's recycled the ball well through Robert Baker and Cieran Hickey. Tommy Ellard moved the ball out wide to Kinahan and Russell was there in the corner to touch down. This was the best move of the game and as Niall Sheehan stepped up to kick what was a difficult conversion the crowd went silent. Despite a poor first half performance Sheehan took the extra points with what truly was a pressure kick.

As expected, Cashel, who had seen the lead which they had maintained for 50 minutes melt away, immediately attacked the St. Ailbe's gain-line right from the kick-off. Cashel again moved the ball well and went in search of the winning score. Nothing was held in reserve and it came down to who was the most disciplined under pressure. On 74 minutes St. Ailbe's. under fierce Cashel pressure, were punished for going in over the top and referee, Fr. Jerry Slattery, awarded the penalty. Johnny Maher was again on hand to coolly slot the kick over the bar from a distance to re-establish a Cashel lead.

At 9-7 you could have been forgiven for thinking that it was all over at this point and there seemed that with under five minutes left in the game that there was no way back for St. Ailbe's. Certainly Cashel must have felt they had it all done. However St. Ailbe's had other ideas and in a great drive, lead by Jack O'Sullivan, St. Ailbe's put Cashel under some terrific pressure. St. Ailbe's were desperate at this point and nothing was spared as they went in search of a late winner. The opportunity arose on 78 minutes when Cashel were penalised for barging and Sheehan stood up to take the penalty. Rarely will you see a player's fortunes so dramatically change in the course of a game and Sheehan became the hero as his kick sailed over the bar in dramatic style to take St. Ailbe's into the lead at the eleventh hour.

St. Ailbe's managed to hold on in the final minutes of the game to take their first ever Munster Title in rugby; a tremendous day for the Tipperary Town School. All hearts went out to Cashel who played excellent rugby all through the game and who were obviously heartbroken on the final whistle.

What made this game memorable was the spirit in which both sides approached the game. Presenting the league trophy to St. Ailbe's captain Thomas O' Mahony, Eamonn Tobin Chairman of the IRFU Munster Branch paid tribute to the defeated team and the disipline which they exhibited through-out and acknowledged the work put in by the mentors on both sides. In accepting the cup Thomas O'Mahony creditied Alan Quinlan( of Shannon, Munster and Ireland A), Paul O'Callaghan and Jonny Lonergan for their efforts in getting rugby off the ground in the school and he also paid tribute to the Cashel Squad.

For St. Ailbe's the celebrations are just beginning and this win establishes the game in the school. For Cashel while disappointed they can take encouragement for their performance and from the knowledge that the this was a young Cashel side which will loose only 1 player in next years competition. One thing is certain following Thursdays game, the future of rugby is bright in West Tipperary.

February 8^th, 1999

Athletics were the main focus of attention in the school this week as the team from the school took part in the County School's Championships in Templemore last Wednesday. In tough competition the girls brought home an array of Bronze Medals. Sinead Connolly was first to clench a position taking third place in the Minor Girls 1,200 meters while in the Senior Girls 2,000 Bríd o'Dwyer, Geraldine Ryan and Doireann Lawlor also took third place.

This year is proving to be an exceptional one for athletics in the school. The team, trained by Dave Hickey and Deirdre Clifford, were also in the honours at the recent Munster Secondary Schools Indoor Games. On that occasion Mandy Crowe showed her true class in taking the gold in the 60 meters Junior Girls while Sinead Connolly took the silver in the 800 meters Minor Girls. Mandy, has also recently qualified to represent Ireland at the upcoming Triple A International meet in Birmingham. The Ladies relay team also tasted success at the Munster Indoor Games winning the silver medal in the grueling Senior Girls Relay. Well done to all involved.

 Transition Year Tyndall Lecture

Last Thursday over 50 Transition Year students traveled to University College Cork to attend a Tyndall lecture on Physics Demonstrations. The Tyndall Lectures cover a range of practicals in the Leaving Certificate and students had the chance to experience these demonstrations first hand outside the classroom. Perhaps the most interesting moment for students came when they discovered how to put a tennis ball into space. The day proved to be both educational and enjoyable in this respect and the experience proved to be well worth the trip to Cork.

February 1^th, 1999

ST. AILBE'S ADVANCE TO HISTORIC FIRST
NORTH-MUNSTER LEAGUE FINAL

St. Ailbe's School, Tipperary, advanced to a first ever North-Munster League Final in rugby, following last Thursday's hard fought victory over Kanturk.

In what was a tremendously exciting game both teams worked very hard in tough conditions but it was St. Ailbe's determination that saw them advance to a truly unique meeting with neighbours Cashel in the final.

The game, played in Kilfeacle, was to be a tight affair with nothing spared from either side in the opening minutes. St. Ailbe's, coming off the back of two comprehensive victories over Shannon and Newport, were reminded early on of the threat which the Cork men posed. Kanturk exploded into life taking the game to the St. Ailbe's pack, driving well when the opportunities arose.

St. Ailbe's needed to settle well and some intelligent kicking from out-half Niall Sheehan in the early minutes ensured that the deadlock extended beyond the first ten minutes. As to be expected in the heavy conditions, basic handling errors were abundant from both sides. St. Ailbe's were guilty of rushing their game and it was the Kanturk men who dictated the pace for much of the first half.

St. Ailbe's looked to the experience of Tommy Ellard and Jack O'Sullivan to shift the momentum in favour of the Tipperary men and open the game out. Ellard responded delivering some good ball out wide spreading the play and taking the pressure off the forwards. However this was to be a good day for the Kanturk defense who were alive, tackling well and preventing St. Ailbe's from turning their considerable possession into scores. In particular, Kanturk's Alan Brosnan produced a number of excellent relieving kicks that any out-half would have been proud of.

Kanturk had certainly done their homework on their Tipperary opponents and they kept the lineouts tight closing an important channel for the St. Ailbe's men. However, handling was again to let the Corkmen down and on 14 minutes and St. Ailbe's were awarded a penalty in scoring distance following a knock-on. The conditions were to prove decisive, however, denying Niall Sheehan the first score of the game from the resulting penalty and certainly it looked as though St. Ailbe's, playing with the wind, were to have no early luck.

Through Sheehan and Ellard the St. Ailbe's backs came more into the game raising the pace in the second quarter. Tommy Russell in particular was having a great game showing his confidence by taking the ball on at speed on a number of occasions. Despite this however, support was slow in coming at times and Kanturk were proving the better in the rucks. St. Ailbe's appeared to lack direction and the frustration was apparent as the game became very scrappy. As expected in the conditions, both teams were having problems with their tackling game.

The first score of the game came on twenty-four minutes, following a good passage of play from St Ailbe's, when Tommy Russell scored under the posts. Russell, playing in only his third competitive rugby game, showed great instincts as he drove through to break the deadlock. The St. Ailbe's forwards played a big part in this score piling on the pressure on the Kanturk men. The St. Ailbe's backs, recycled the ball well in the move. Niall Sheehan delivered his best pass of the day to open a channel for Russell. Sheehan was on hand, minutes later, for the easy conversion to take the game to 10-0.

St. Ailbe's closed down the game from here and took then lead into to the break. Despite this however, Kanturk begun to move the ball well and exploited their dominance in the rucks. Alan Bresnan was given the chance to open his account after a St. Ailbe's offside that he took with confidence to bring the score to 10-3. During half time both managers were concerned the amount of unforced errors during the first half and the lack of direction with which both sides were playing.

As expected Kanturk again took the game to the Tipperary men in the opening minutes of the second half. The Kanturk pack was dominating their counterparts and this was the area that the Corkmen hoped to use to full advantage. Indeed St. Ailbe's were lucky on a number of occasions as referee Noel McMahon's whistle saved them more than once. In their urgency, Kanturk were guilty of coming in on the wrong side and Kanturk found themselves offside on a number of occasions. These were mistakes that Kanturk didn't need, but good play from scrumhalf Paul Cotter and out-half Alan Bresnan kept the pressure on. Tadhg Duggan on the wing was unlucky on 50 minutes not to score on the overlap after some excellent running. The St. Ailbe's defence had to work tremendously hard after the restart to deny Kanturk.

St. Ailbe's took time in settling in the second half but they were to extend their lead on 62 minutes when David Kinahan finished a great St. Ailbe's move to add his name to the score sheet. Kinahan who had been impressive in previous games again showed his experience and positioned himself well to carry over in the corner. The score came following the hard work of the forwards Cieran Hickey and Micheal Doherty in particular were working tirelessly in the mauls with Paul Ryan driving well making good ground. The St. Ailbe's work rate in rucks and mauls had increased and had kept the game in the Kanturk half for long periods.

Kanturk were not finished however and looked their most menacing in the third quarter. The Cork side got to grips with the position game in the third quarter and some good kicking from Bresnan gave Kanturk possession in good attacking position. Kanturk put St. Ailbe's under the same type of pressure which they had been under in the first half and on 72 minutes this pressure paid off for the visitors when Tadhg Duggan split the St. Ailbe's defense on the overlap to notch up his side's first try of the game. With the score now at 15-8, a Kanturk comeback was on the cards and St. Ailbe's found themselves under all kinds off pressure.

The remainder of the game saw St. Ailbe's working hard to hang under renewed pressure from Kanturk. Mark Ryan at full back found himself under pressure from the long ball. Ryan was having difficulty placing the returned ball, clearing up the centre that put his own side under pressure. Certainly this is an area which St. Ailbe's will have to work on over the coming weeks, and had Kanturk been given the room to exploit the returned ball St. Ailbe's could have been facing a very different result.

It was a relieved St. Ailbe's side which greeted the final whistle in the knowledge that they had created their own little piece of history in qualifying for the North Munster League Final in the first year of competitive rugby. For Kanturk it was a case of what might have been as had they exploited the chances this game could have been theirs. Following the game St. Ailbe's coach Alan Quinlan praised the work rate of his team, but acknowledged that there were too many basic handling and positional errors throughout. Alan was also quick to point to the positive rugby that Kanturk played and the sporting way in which they approached the game. Speaking afterwards Kanturk coach Ger Crotty was obviously disappointed but was proud of the effort of his side. Echoing the comments of his counterpart, Crotty complemented the opposition on the sporting nature of the game and wished St. Ailbe's the best in the final.

All in all this was a tense but enjoyable game and certainly the stage has been set for a classic final with two Tipperary neighbours, St. Ailbe's Tipperary and Cashel Community School meeting in the final. Cashel will prove tough opposition and a great, competitive game is expected.

Ladies Football

The Lady-footballers in the school went to Lisvernane on Friday in the hope of emulating the rugby team's success, in the County Ladies Football final. In a well contested game St. Ailbe's were beaten by Coláiste Dún Iascaigh, Cahir, on a scoreline of 3-4 to 1-3. While Cahir were the better team on the day the scoreline does not reflect what really was a tight game. On the day there were good performances from player of the match Marian Riordan, Margaret Moroney, Edel Hanley and Annette Hannon in goals. For the senior players this was their last chance to take home a medal as they will be leaving the school and the disappointment was apparent as they left the game. Coach Edel Ní Bhriain was full of praise for her team and shared their disappointment but was quick to wish Cahir the best of luck in the Munster competition.

January 18^th, 1999

 Visit from Mountjoy Jail

On Wednesday 15th January, 1999, Mr. John Lonergan, Governor, Mountjoy Jail, (Dublin) visited Leaving Cert. Applied Students here at St. Ailbe's. The visit was arranged as part of their English and Communications class.

Mr. Lonergan spoke about his "30 years in Prison!!!". He highlighted facts about the social backgrounds of the majority of the prisoners in Mountjoy. Most of them would have left school before completing their secondary education; a majority of them would have been unemployed; a good number would have been drug addicts.

Students had prepared well for the visit and they asked a number of questions. Mr. Lonergan left the impression that Irish society, as a whole, is failing margainalised and disadvantaged groups of people who are living in poverty, in spite of the so-called "Celtic Tiger" economy. He said that the media tends to emphasise the wrongs done by prisoners and yet neglect factors such as poverty and educational disadvantage, which often leave people in hopeless situations and, in some cases, drives them into crime. However, he did stress that he was aware of the trauma of victims of crime; he was not a "do-gooder", only concentrating on prisoners rights.

Overall, the visit was very successful and thought-provoking. Students were left to wonder why the vast majority of the prison population came from seriously disadvantaged areas in our country, areas where unemployment and poverty are the norm and where opportunities for training, education and leisure activities are almost non-existent.

Despite a valiant effort against a very strong Bandon side St. Ailbe's School were to progress no further in this years All Ireland competition in basketball. The girls certainly dug deep during the toughest game of the season and can take consolation in the level of their performance. Bandon, as expected, were well organised and disiplined and took the lead from early on. Despite this however St. Ailbe's showed great commitment and played some of their best basketball.

 Ryle Nugent

Recently, Ryle Nugent , RTÉ Sports Presenter, visited St. Ailbe's to talk to Transition Year Students. He spoke about how he got involved in Broadcasting and about the time he spent on "The Grip".
The students were particularly interested in the production and broadcasting of "The Premiership" programme, with which Ryle is involved.
The student's main questions revolved around Broadcast Journalism as career in RTÉ. They also tried to get an insight as to what some presenters are "really like"!!.

 Ham Radio

Last week Joe Leahy, retired marine officer, gave a ham-radio demonstration to Transition Year students. During the demonstration Joe made contact with fellow ham-radio enthusiasts in America, the Ukraine and in war torn Kosovo in Yugoslavia. Joe hopes to give a course to some transition year students over the coming weeks which will result in a licence being issued. Next week Transition Years are off to U.C.C. to attend Tyndall lectures on physics.

December 14^th, 1998

ST AILBE'S WIN OVER NEWPORT CLINCHES HISTORICAL SEMI-FINAL PLACE

St. Ailbe's School, Tipperary Town, took their place in the semi-finals of the North Munster Development League for the first time following their 46-21 defeat of fellow Tipperary rivals Newport on Thursday last.

The game played in Clanwilliam lived up to all expectations as both sides opened brightly with both teams setting out their stalls from early on. St. Ailbe's made the best of a good start and ran at the opposition at every available opportunity. St. Ailbe's showed their intentions early when Robert Baker finished an excellent move to score in the corner after only seven minutes. The strenght of the St. Ailbe's back line was apparent in the move and in particular some intelligent handling from Captain Thomas O'Mahony, along with a powerful drive from Micheal Doherty, contributed to the score. Niall Sheehan's fast hands released Baker who took the score with great confidence. Despite being the rookie team of the league St. Ailbe's, who draw on the local talent from the Clanwilliam, Kilfeacle and Galbally Clubs, were certainly settling the better and took the game to their rivals.

Although Sheehan missed the conversion St. Ailbe's were off to the perfect start. Newport seemed overwhelmed with the power of the St. Ailbe's forwards and had difficulty clearing their own lines. Colin Watters, for the Tipperary Town side, carried the ball with tremendous strength and punished the at times poor tackling of the Newport forwards. David Kinahan too was beginning to find his feet and Thomas Ellard, the St. Ailbe's srum-half, begun to settle on the ball despite a tentitive start.

Newport were unable to stamp their authority on the game and when Jack O'Sullivan made a surging run for the line, Newport were on the back foot yet again. Paul Ryan for St. Ailbe's kept up the momentum set by his vice-captain, O'Sullivan, with Colin Watters taking up the drive to touch down for an excellent forwards try. The ease with which the St. Ailbe's forwards rolled forward was alarming for the Newport side who now had it all to do and with just under fifteen minutes gone in the game.

Full credit to Newport however, with the score at 10-0, and after absorbing tremendous pressure from the St. Ailbe's pack, they begun to put movements together which saw them threaten the St. Ailbe's line for the first time in the half. Following good work in the scrum Newport were awarded a penalty within scoring distance. Richard Brennan, the Newport out-half, will not remember with favour his penalty attempt which really should have been converted. This was a score that Newport needed to get them into the game and in missing we saw a clear indication that they were rattled by the St. Ailbe's performance.

St. Ailbe's continued to dominate the first half and lead at the break 31-0. Tries came from all angles in the final minutes of the half from Colin Watters, clinching his second, Niall Sheehan and David Kinahan. St. Ailbe's appeared to be dominating all over the pitch. Jack O' Sullivan was having a tremendous game proving himself to be the best player on the day. While St. Ailbe's were controlling the rucks and easily winning the head-to-heads in the scrums, it was worring for Newport that they were having great difficulty in clearing their lines and relieving the pressure. Newport, despite a good individual performance from Kieran O'Connell really struggled to put any moves together.

Despite taking in such a huge lead at half-time St. Ailbe's had grounds for worry. Sheehan at out-half was having difficulty with place kicks, scoring only three from six conversion attempts. While the missed attempts could not be described as easy, against tougher opposition such misses could prove costly. A further worry for Coach Alan Quinlan, and the management team of Johnny Lonergan and Paul O'Callaghan, was the amount of unforced errors conceeded.

The second half seemed to hearld the same fate for the Newport men as again St. Ailbe's opened the brighter. Two minutes into the second half a great move involving David Kinehan and Mark Ryan saw Tommy Russell score in the corner. Kinahan was playing with real style and it was with the confidence of a professional that he kicked over the top to realease Ryan in what was the move of the day. This was real free-flowing rugby from the Tipperary Town men and it really should have been the final nail in the cofin of the Newport side.

It was not until the tenth minute of the second half did Newport begin to play the rugby that was expected of them. Following a number of substitutions Newport came alive, working at a harder rate and taking control of the rucks. St. Ailbe's were coasting but the Newport men were not going to be beaten that easily. After some good possession play by the Newport forwards Aidan Whealan was unlucky not to convert the pressure into points and record Newports first score of the game. Whelan's drive seemed to give Newport added energy and they now took the game to St. Ailbe's.

Another blow for the men from North Tipperary came on fifteen minutes when despite good Newport pressure and against the run of play Thomas O'Mahony fed David Kinahan who ran the length of the field to score what was in the end an easy try. Basic errors had let Newport down all day and again on 19 minutes Newport were to suffer when they were all but in for their first try of the game only to be have been judged to have passed forward in the build up. This was certainly Newport's finest moments of what was for them a forgetable game.

Fortune did eventually shine on the Newport men when tremendous work from the pack led to the first Newport try. In this move were indications of the potential of the Newport side; a potential which was not realised on the day. Further tries came from Richard Brennan and number six, David Bourke. Both tries were well taken and converted easily by the impressive Danny Healy. However it was a case of too little too late and St. Ailbe's easily held out to win comprehensively on a final score-line of 46-21. Newport's disapointment was obivious in a game where they simply did not live up to their potential.

St. Ailbe's now progress to the semi-final stage, although they have one game remaining in their pool that against Edmund Rice of Limerick. The semi-final will take place early in the new year.

December 7^th, 1998

Fund raising for the All-Ireland Inter-Schools Hunter Trials begun in earnest recently with a table-quiz in the Tipperary Golf Club. Organised by the Parent's Council, and in particular thanks to the tremendous efforts of Mrs. Eileen O'Donnell, the quiz proved a great success. Well over twenty tables took part, a good night was had by all and of course a sizable sum of money was raised for the event. The Hunter Trials Committee would like to thank all those involved in the organising of the event, the Tipperary Golf Club for the use of their excellent facilities and in particular everyone who supported the event.

 Mol an Óige

Last week the 2B Group headed to Kilfinane Outdoor Education Centre as part of their Mol an Óige Programme. In Kilfinane the group enjoyed a variety of outdoor activities including canoeing, hill-walking, and orienteering. The day proved a great success and everyone enjoyed themselves. The hard work now begins for the 2B as they must now report on the activities they were involved in and also on what they learned while there.

Ladies Football

The upsurge in support for Ladies football following this years All-Ireland Final has been reflected in this years Senior Ladies football team in the school. St. Ailbe's took on Cashel Community School on Wednesday last in a game which proved every bit as exciting as the Inter-county showcase. St. Ailbe's progressed to the County Final on the narrowest of margins in a heart stopping contest winning out on a score-line of 5-7 to 5-6. In the first half of the game, played in Lisvernane, St. Ailbe's dominated at mid-field and strong performances from Margaret Moroney and Edel Handly saw St. Ailbe's open up a considerable scoring margin over their Cashel rivals. Cashel, who defeated St. Ailbe's in the same fixture last year seemed overwhelmed as wave after wave of St. Ailbe's attack resulted in scores.

Despite taking a significant lead into the second half, St. Ailbe's certainly had not won the game as Cashel mounted one of the most courageous comebacks for some time. Cashel begun to command mid-field and their inside forward line found their shooting boots knocking over a number of early scores to put them back into contention. Lisa McGrath and her counterparts in the full back line found themselves under some tremendous pressure as Cashel fought hard to keep the game alive. The killer blow for St. Ailbe's came after the mid-point in the second half when Cashel fired home three excellent goals. Indeed if it were not for some excellent saves from Annette Hannon in goals Cashel could have taken the lead at a very important stage of the game. Marian Riordan at mid-field worked tirelessly throughout the second half and provided the momentum to hold out against the Cashel onslaught.

A relieved St. Ailbe's side acknowledged the fantastic efforts of the opposition following the final whistle. This truly was a competitive game which has done a lot for the sport in the school. The girls are already looking forward to the final to be held in the coming weeks when St. Ailbe's face Coláiste Dún Iascaigh, Cahir.

November 30^th, 1998

Ladies Soccer

The Ladies Senior Soccer Squad took on the might of the very experienced Cashel Community School during the week. Despite loosing heavely on a score line of 9-0 the game was an important step forward for the team which is mainly organinsed by LCA Student Annette Hogan. The inexperience of the team showed against a Cashel side which got to the All-Ireland semi-final last year, and which had very little difficulty spliting the St. Ailbe's defence. Although disapointed in the result the girls were happy with their performance and acknowledged that they learned a lot from the experience. Already attention is focused on the next game and the hope that ladies soccer will go from strenght to strenght in the school.

Mens Soccer

The men were also in action during the week as the Under 15 soccer team took on St. Brendan's Kilarney in the first round of the Munster Cup. Refixed after a controversal first meeting, this game proved exciting and full of commitment. St. Ailbe's took an early lead with a superb strike from Declan Peters. Luke Edmonds and John Donnelley added to this early goal finishing two well worked moves. However St. Brendan's were not beaten until the final whistle and thay scored twice to make this a thourghly exciting game. The Brendan's goal-keeper had a fantastic game denying St. Ailbe's on numerous occassions. A mix up between Declan Paeters and John Russell in goals almost result in the equaliser for St. Breandan's. St. Ailbe's certainly can be happy to have come through this fixture

St Ailbe's record historic first Rugby win over Shannon.

St. Ailbe's Senior Development side recorded their first ever competitive win over Shannon Comprehensive in the North Munster Development League on Thursday.

The game played in Kilfeacle, was one which the St. Ailbe's side will remember for some time to come. Niall Sheehan became the first St. Ailbe's player to touch a competitive ball in schools rubgy when he kicked off into what was a severe gail. From early on there were indications that this clash was to be a great game off rugby as both sides opened positively. Tommy Ellard at scrum-half and David Kinahan playing at second-centre impressed early on with some good handling. The St. Ailbe's forwards piled on the pressure from the kick off and they dominated Shannon from early on.

This early pressure from the St. Ailbe's pack paid off when Jack O' Sullivan wrote his name into the history books when he carried over to score the first try of the game following a period of sustained St. Aibe's pressure. Shannon proved too eager to get over the ball and were caught off side on a number of occassions giving posession to St. Ailbe's in threatening positions. St. Ailbe's used these opportunities well and from a srum within 5 meters of the Shannon line O' Sullivan combined some neat footwork and good use of the blind side to score in the corner. The experienced club men on the St Ailbe's side, with players from the Clanwilliam, Kilfeacle and Galbally clubs, ensured a good supply of ball to the backs and St. Ailbe's controlled the rucks well which contributed to the score.

Sheehan at out -half was having difficulty kicking into the wind as was his Shannnon counterpart Brian O'Donoghue and he failed to convert the points but all in all St. Ailbe's could be happy with the brightest of starts.

Shannon responded well in spite of the waves of St. Ailbe's pressure and begun to make better use of possession following the St. Ailbe's score . Colin Ryan at scrum-half begun to give the type of performance which was expected of him. A knock on from Sheehan under the garryowen brought Shannon's best moments of the first half and they kicked the penalty well bringing play winthin the St. Ailbe's twenty-two. Despite good work in the rucks, Shannon had difficulty moving the ball and failed to put points on the board. A combination of basic errors and lack of space from Shannon allowed St. Ailbe's to turn over ball after ball.

St. Ailbe's were proving to be very strong from set play. There was a notable difference between the packs as St. Ailbe's controlled the scrums winnning three against the head in the first half. Lineouts were also a concern for Shannon as they failed to win even their own against they well organised St. Ailbe's side.

At half time St. Ailbe's coach Alan Quinlan was quick to point out the poor handling his side exhibited in the frist half. Despite all their dominance in the first half it was certainly a concern that St. Ailbe's had failed to increase the margin. Shannon too were worried about the amount of turnovers against them in good positions in the field. While the pack were doing well Shannon Coach Eamonn Chaser was worried about the level of support going forward.

The best rugby was kept for the second half. From the restart St. Ailbe's showed their intentions and immediately broke forward following a poor Shannon kick-off. St. Ailbe's surged forward and after some creative rugby, and good handling in the line, Paul Ryan was put through to make the score 10-0. In the build up to the score Kieran Hickey made a powerful run and some good handling by Tommy Russell from recycled ball left Ryan clear to score his first try. Niall Sheehan again had difficulty in the wind and was unable to increase the advantage.

From the Shannon kick off it looked as though things were to get worse for the visitors as a powerful run from David Kinahan put St. Ailbe's within scoring distance again. On this occasion Shannon were saved by a wayward pass from Kinahan. Paul Ryan took the score to 15-0 when he capitalised on some poor handling from the Shannon forwards shortly afterwards and scored under the posts. Sheehan had little difficulty on this occassion in taking the extra points and it looked as though there was no way back for Shannon.

The flood gates had opened at this stage and St. Ailbe's really begun to pile on the pressure. In open play St. Ailbe's, led by Thomas O'Mahony, begun to move the ball easily and begun to force the opposition into making basic handling errors under pressure. Shannon were having real problems in the srum St. Ailbe's managed to turn over possession following another Shannon infringment. Again good work from the St. Ailbe's second row was rewarded when Tommy Russell and Paul Ryan combined well moments later to release Jack O'Sullivan for his second try of the day. Sheehan was left with an easy conversion attempt which he took with little difficulty.

Further tries came from Derek Sheils, who replaced Robert Baker in the last fifteen minutes, and from David Kinahan. Sheils on the wing impressed with some tidy footwork and a great turn of pace to score his first try in school colours. For Kinahan it was just reward for a good evenings work. St. Ailbe's ran out easy winners on a scoreline of 36-0 in what was a very comprehensive first victory.

Commenting after the game Alan Quinlan and John Lonergan were delighted with the efforts of the whole team. Alan Quinlan acknowledged the performance of both teams in what were tough conditions and also commented that there was still plenty of work to be done over the coming months. Tommy Russell came in for particular praise from John Lonergan as this was his first ever competitive rugby game. Colin Watters at number six also gave an exhibition in tackling through-out the game with some truly brave tackling.

The Shannon management team of Martin Wallace and Eamonn Chaser were obivously disappointed in the result but very happy with what was a very gutsy Shannon performance. "We were missing players which made all the difference, and really Shannon Comprehensive is better known for its hurling, but I was very happy with the performances of David Hughes on the wing, Colin Ryan at srum-half and in particular Brian O' Donoghue at out-half," Chaser commented after the game. Both sides were happy with the spirit in which the game was played, which was visible as both teams clapped each other off the field of play in a very sporting gesture following the game. It was a credit to both teams that in the poor conditons underfoot there was only one accidental injury to Shannon's Brendan Considine. At times it was important to remember that this was development league rugby and that the game was a learning experience for both teams but in particular for the fledgling St. Ailbe's side.

 Sponsored Walk

Well done to all involved in the recent Sponsored 10k Walk in the school. The walk, in aid of the schools Extra Curricular and Transition year funds, was organised by Transition Year students and proved a great success. For their efforts students raised over £1,500. Local charities, including the Red Cross, also benefited from everyone's efforts and received upwards of £300. A special word of thanks must go to Garda P.J.Griffin and Garda Sharon O'Connor, the Garda Liaison officers for the school, and Garda Brian Conway whose help was invaluable in ensuring everyone's safety during the course of the walk. Indeed even the weather held good despite a bad forecast. Thank you to everyone who supported.

Preparations got under way in earnest for the All Ireland Inter-Schools Hunter Trials with a meeting in the school to discuss sponsorship during the week. As a result of the hard work of the organising committee a map of the course will be displayed in the Cannon Hayes Recreation Centre, the Bank of Ireland and other businesses in town to help promote the event. Business are invited to sponsor a fence at £200 or to take out anadvertisment in the event brochure for a price ranging from £25 to £100. The hot issue of marshaling such a huge venture was also discussed and preparations are underway to organise experienced people to score fences. It is hoped to hold further meeting will take place before Christmas on December 15th.

November 16^th, 1998

St. Ailbe's School is to host the 1999 All Ireland Inter-Schools Hunter Trials next March. This event will attract national attention as schools, individuals and teams from all over the country will attend. Over 800 competitors are expected to take part in jumping which will take place over two days, March 13th and 14th , at the Hillcrest Riding Centre in Galbally. Valerie Lewis and Siobhan Landers, among many others, begun work on organising what is proving to be a mammoth undertaking last April. The work will certainly reach fever pitch over the coming months as a course of 24 fences, ranging from banks and ditches to water jumps, has to be finalised. To ensure the smooth running of such an important event the organising committee are looking for support in the publicising, promotion and running of what will prove to be an exciting and unique event.

On Friday night next the St. Ailbe's School Choir will join the County Tipperary Ryan Youth Orchestra and the Glenstal Abbey School Orchestra in a gala night of music. The evening begins at 8pm in St. Ailbe's School and promises a fantastic nights entertainment covering a wide range musical tastes. The Ryan School of Music will also attend with proceeds from the event going towards the funding of the Youth Orchestra's trip to America in the New Year. All in all, a spectacular nights entertainment can be expected. Admission is £3.00.

Hurling

The Senior Hurlers were in action recently as St. Ailbe's took on Croom in the first round of the Munster Senior Championship. In a game which never really sparked into life, St. Ailbe's were trailing from early on; chasing the game after two Croom goals mid-way through the first half. Despite playing well Colm Riordan in goals could only watch as Croom struck home and took the advantage into the second half. Mark Ryan at mid field and Paul Ryan at centre back led the St. Ailbe's comeback at a time when Croom appeared to be dominating the game, yet the inside forward line of Jimmy O'Donnell, Mark O'Connor and Patrick O'Donnell had difficulty penetrating a resolute Croom defense. For most of the second half St. Ailbe's piled on the pressure thanks to strong performances from the backs, in particular Patrick Hennessy, and begun to claw their way back into the game. However, the Croom defense proved too strong and despite all their possession St. Ailbe's were unable to take their scores. Croom ran out convincing 3:1 to 1:1 winners in the end on a day when St. Ailbe's really should have performed much better.

October 12^th, 1998

  Golf

The staff and students of St. Ailbe's School would like to congratulate Marian Riordan on her unique achievement at the 1998 Volkswagen/Irish Independent Lady Captain's Classic. Marian playing with Ballykisteen Lady Captain Josephine O'Neill clenched the top prize in style at the K Club last week. Well done Marian and Josephine.

This week proved a busy one on the sporting fields. The first year hurlers pulled off a spectacular win against a highly fancied Newport in Newport on Tuesday. Despite going behind to a well worked goal in the opening minutes St. Ailbe's rallied and kept themselves in the game with a number of well taken points. The game was quite close at the end of the first half. St. Ailbe's found another gear in the second half and took the game beyond Newport with an array of goals. Mark O'Connor struck home in style mid way through the second half with a goal that John Fenton would have been proud of. This set the tone for the final quarter as St. Ailbe's dominated. The final score was a suprising 10-3 to 1-3 in favour of the visitors.

The Senior hurlers however were not so lucky as they lined out against a very strong Nenagh side in the league on Friday. In spite of a very strong performance all over the field, Nenagh eventually wore down the St. Ailbe's defense to notch up three goals at end of the first half. Despite the score-line of 3-9 to 0-7 St. Ailbe's showed great determination and character throughout the game. Patrick Hennessy, Chris Higgins and Damien Grisewood in particular played extremely well and helped keep the pressure on Nenagh throughout a well contested second half. However St. Ailbe's had great difficulty converting scores in the difficult conditions and were never able to recover from the first half onslaught and Nenagh ran out as deserved winners in a well-spirited and enjoyable game.

October 5^th, 1998

  Sponsored Walk

Congratulations to all involved in last weeks Sponsored 10k Walk in the school. The walk, in aid of the schools Extra Curricular and Transition year funds, was organised by Transition Year students and proved a great success. For their efforts students raised over £1,500. Local charities, including the Red Cross, also benefited from everyone's efforts and received upwards of £300. A special word of thanks must go to Garda P.J.Griffin and Garda Sharon O'Connor, the Garda Liaison officers for the school, and Garda Brian Conway whose help was invaluable in ensuring everyone's safety during the course of the walk. Indeed even the weather held good despite a bad forecast. Thank you to everyone who supported.

St. Ailbe's Basketball Senior and Cadet teams made the best possible start to their league campaign with wins against Carrick-on-Suir last week. The Seniors recorded a significant win running out victorious on a score line of 61-24. The Cadets did it the hard way stealing the victory in the last minute of the game to beat Carrick by 1 on a scoreline of 20-19. Despite winning the overall performance of both teams needs to improve if both teams are to go the distance. However there were some excellent performances worth mentioning from Ciara Heneghan and Anna Kennedy.

Athletics

The staff and students of St. Ailbe's would like to pass on a special word of congratulations to Mandy Crowe, a third year student, on her fantastic achievements over the Summer. Mandy brought home an All-Ireland U14 100 meters medal from Mosney . Mandy also took gold in the U13 200 meters and silver in the U13 80 meters at the Nationals in Tullamore. Well done Mandy!

Hurling

The school's first year hurlers were out against Borrisleigh last Wednesday in the second round of the league. Having lost their first round fixture against Thurles Vocational School, St. Ailbe's were hoping to notch up their first win of the campaign. St. Ailbe's opened strongly and put two early points on the board but were chasing the game from the start when Borrisleigh fired home two early goals. Despite these early goals St. Ailbe's dug deep and kept within three points of their opponents into the second half. Mark O'Brien at corner back combined well with James Halligan at full back and indeed the scoreline could have been much worse if it had not been for their efforts. Geard Crowe at wing forward acquitted himself well and contributed two excellent long range points from play. However despite a much improved display from that of the game against Thurles it wasn't to be and St. Ailbe's went down on a scoreline of 5-3 to 3-3.