World Holocaust Memorial Day
In Ireland World Holocaust Memorial Day was marked by Holocaust Education Ireland, on Sunday last, in the beautiful surrounds of The Royal Hospital Kilmainham. Three of our senior students, Isaac Conway, Michaela Hunarova, both Sixth year, and TY student, Levi Conway, attended the event with history teacher, Ms Ann Chambers, and participated in the reading of the scroll of names. Each name on the scroll is of a cherished relative of the Jewish people living in Ireland, who perished in the Holocaust.
The key note address was given by Taoiseach Micheál Martin who spoke of remembering "the six million Jews who were persecuted and murdered and the millions of other victims targeted on the basis of their ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, or political and religious beliefs."
There was a host of speakers who highlighted some of the key atrocities which took place at this time: Nuremberg Laws, November Pogramme, killing squads, death camps. Among the speakers was the living testimony of Holocaust survivor, Suzi Diamond, who urged "young people to speak out about hate speech, about bullying and about Holocaust denial."
We were reminded of how important it is to educate the youth of today as so few survivors remain. In particular, they referenced Ireland's oldest man and Holocaust survivor, Joe Veselsky, who passed away earlier this month. Professor Thomas O'Dowd, chairperson of Holocaust Education Ireland, also called on the young generation " to speak out against the scourge of disinformation, prejudice and hatred so that they might learn lessons from the past that are relevant to their lives today."
It was a very moving and solemn occasion and CCM students were very honoured to have been invited to be a part of it.
Letter from Holocaust Survivor, Fredi Gluecksmann, to CCM Students
In 2024, 1 Foyle English class had the opportunity to communicate in writing with Fredi Gluecksmann, a 95 year-old Holocaust survivor (supported by his Irish wife, Mr. Martin’s aunt), while studying ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’.
Fredi recalled Kristallnacht, the night of glass, 9th November 1938, when Nazis and their followers destroyed Jewish shops and homes and attacked many Jews across Germany. The shop and windows of his father’s tailor business were also smashed and the equipment thrown onto the street. The next day, his tenth birthday, he spent cleaning up the shop and the street front. His uncle was taken at this time to Dachau concentration camp.
These events convinced Fredi’s parents to send Fredi and his seven-year old sister, Edith, to England a few months later in 1939 without them on the Kindertransport programme. This eventually brought 10,000 Jewish children from Germany and some other European countries to Britain – but without their parents as adults were not permitted visas.
Fredi encountered much kindness and some cruelty as a child in England. He remembered both for the rest of his life.
At war’s end, Fredi, then aged 16, wrote for information about his parents from various authorities including the Search Bureau – Control Commission for Germany and the Red Cross. He eventually learned that his whole extended family, except one maternal aunt, had been killed in the concentration camps.
Fredi’s parents, Max and Rosa, were deported in early 1942. Gathered with other Jews in Dortmund football stadium, they were transported to Riga, Latvia, a distance of approximately 1500kms in cattle trains. Max was executed on arrival. Rosa survived to 1945 but died of typhus shortly after liberation by the Russians. Max Markus, his grandfather, aged 76, was killed in Treblinka extermination camp in Poland. His remaining relatives were murdered in other camps across Europe.
Although frail, in 2024, Fredi consented to recount these painful memories for the first time. This information enabled research on other family members killed by the Nazis. Much of this was previously unknown to Fredi or his sister's family.
Fredi died in London in July 2025 aged 96. An emotionally guarded person without children of his own, in his final year Fredi expressed a degree of satisfaction and personal relief for how CCM students had allowed him to open up about and record these events for the following generations.
He wrote the attached to CCM students in 2024 to communicate his key message from what he and millions of others had endured. We are sharing it this week to mark World Holocaust Day.
Education for Sustainability - Collaborative teaching with TY and First Year Students in CCM
To mark the end of our time with our guest sustainability speaker, Ms Aoife Brezina from education for sustainability (who was working with Ms Garde and the TY groups), we had a collaborative teaching day; where TYs taught the First years through a series of hands-on games through 'action station rotation', all related to sustainability content learned through the module. It was a very entertaining for all involved, and it was really nice to see how our Ty students interacted with our First year CCM group.
Sculpture in Woodland - Seamus Heaney Walk
The Rotary Club has gifted the school 100 copies of the booklet they produced about the Seamus Heaney Walk in the Devil’s Glen Forest, Ashford. While the walk has been long established, it has recently been restored, with many of the benches featuring inscriptions of quotes from Heaney's works. The booklet is a mixture of the geography of the area along with the explanations for the choice of quotes by Heaney.
Thank you to the Rotary Club for their very kind gift to the school.
5 Eske Trip to County Library
5 Eske students enjoyed a fantastic educational visit to Wicklow County Library on Wednesday, 4 February, where they explored the county archives and learned how historical documents are stored and preserved. They examined how life in the town has changed over the past 150 years, developed their map-reading skills through different areas of the county, and were given a guided tour of the library. The visit ended on a high note with beautiful rooftop views of the town – followed, of course, by a well-earned trip to the chipper! Thanks to Gerlanda in the library for making this possible.
Green Schools
The Green-Schools Committee hosted a wonderful Bake Sale on Thursday, 5 February, at lunchtime in the canteen area, raising an impressive €150.25 for LauraLynn Children’s Hospice. The event was a great success thanks to the generosity and engagement of both students and staff.
Students had the opportunity to meet members of the Green Schools Committee, to hear more about the initiatives they’re working on as part of the Water Theme and discover ways to get involved in making our school and community a more sustainable place. Thank you to our committee members for their wonderful baking and everyone who engaged and supported on the day.
First and Second Years Girls’ Basketball
The First and Second year girls’ basketball teams got their league off to a start on Friday, 23 January, playing in CCM against Greystones Community School.
The Second year girls have been training on Wednesday mornings and this paid off with a great performance. At the end of the first quarter they were level. However, Greystones CC pulled away in the second quarter and remained ahead for the rest of the game. There were some great performances from Summer Fitzsimons, Layla Judge, Anna Grennell and Sadhbh Fitzsimons. Final score 32-45
The First year girls played their first ever game together and a first basketball game for most of them. Once they settled into the game and started playing together, the scores started coming and by half time, they were only one basket behind. They battled on and with only one minute to go, they managed to get ahead. It was a really tight game. Final score 21-20 to CCM. There were some great performances from all the girls.
The following week, both basketball teams played St Mary’s on Tuesday, 27 January. The Second years had a tight game, with the CCM girls defending well for the first half. However, St Mary's pulled away in the final quarter and won the game.
The First year match was very tight for the whole game, with St. Mary’s winning by one basket in the end.
On Wednesday 28 January, the girls had a home game v CCA. The First years went ahead early in the game and won well. The Second year game was much closer but CCM worked well in offence and managed to pull away in the last quarter winning the game.
Both teams had their final game of the league on Tuesday, 3 February, against St. David’s. The First years took an early lead in the game, and working together and defending well, they won the game 21-13.
They await the final results of the other games in the league and hope to progress to the next round. There were some very impressive performances, as always, from Anna Grennell and Sadhbh Fitzsimons. Sophie Healy, Ava Byrne, Gabbie O'Byrne, Grace Ivers, Moya Abel Ward and Bella Connelly also played really well.
The Second years played really well, gelling as a team and working the ball well in defence. They went ahead by a basket in the first half and kept that close lead until the final quarter where they pulled away to win 20-15. There were some excellent performances from Summer Fitzsimons, Grace Sweeney, Ella Chidi, Layla Judge and Anya Moore.
A great win for both teams in their last league game.
First Year Football
Friday, 30 January, proved a great day out for the CCM First years as they came away with a strong win, finishing 5-5 to 3-3 against Coláiste Chraobh Abhainn to top their Wicklow group. The game was tight early on, with both teams trading scores. At half-time, there was very little between the teams, with the score at 1-1 to 1-1 at halftime.
CCM really kicked on in the second half, with goals from Max, Aaron, Paddy and Eoghan giving them the edge and swinging the momentum their way. The forwards were sharp, took their chances well, and the teamwork all over the pitch was excellent. Dara, our keeper, remarked that he hadn’t touched the ball for the first 20 minutes in the second half as he came off, showing how solid the backs had been at repelling CCA’s attacks. The opposition kept battling right to the end, but CCM stayed solid and managed the game well to see it out as all subs came on for the last ten minutes.
Overall, it was a brilliant team performance with all players contributing and a well-deserved win for the First years. As it was the third game, every player on the panel had game time.
First and Second Year Boys’ Basketball vs East Glendalough School: Tuesday, 20 January
The First year teammade a strong start, leading by two points after the opening quarter thanks to excellent teamwork and communication. EGS responded in the second quarter with five quick points, but CCM showed great composure to fight back, leaving the score at 11–10 to EGS. The third quarter was fiercely contested, with both teams matching each other in attack and defence. A late scoring burst from EGS saw them edge ahead 15–10 going into the final quarter. The last quarter was full of excitement, with both teams trading scores and the margin reduced to 18–16 with two minutes remaining. CCM finished superbly, scoring six crucial points in the final three minutes to seal a deserved 22–18 victory.
Outstanding fourth-quarter performances from Emmanuel Adekunle and Daire Mitchell were key in driving CCM over the line.
The first quarter of the Second year match proved exciting, with Braxton O’Brien opening the scoring with a three-pointer in the first ten seconds. CCM were the stronger side throughout the quarter and went into the second quarter with a five-point lead. The second quarter saw EGS respond well, outscoring CCM 7–2 to close the gap and bring the score to 9–8 in CCM’s favour at halftime. The third quarter was intense, with both teams struggling to find scores as fatigue began to show. Despite this, CCM managed to maintain a narrow lead, edging the quarter to bring the score to 16–14. Going into the fourth quarter, both teams were clearly tired, but CCM played outstanding basketball, showing great composure and teamwork to pull away and secure the win. The final score was 23–18 to CCM.
A standout performance came from Braxton O’Brien, who finished with a superb 17 points, while Michael Adekunle’s tenacious defensive work played a crucial role in limiting EGS and sealing the victory for CCM.
First and Second Year Boys’ Basketball: Tuesday, 3 February
The Second year boys put in a superb performance today, securing a well-earned 18–12 victory over Woodbrook College. It was a strong team display from start to finish, with every player getting valuable minutes on the court and contributing to the win. The lads controlled much of the game with their fight, composure, and skill, consistently applying pressure and creating attacking opportunities. Although Woodbrook picked up a few late scores, it did little to reflect the dominance shown throughout by our team.
A special mention goes to Michael Adekunle, whose outstanding work on the rebounds repeatedly set us up for attacking plays and helped maintain possession during key moments of the game. His effort and awareness were crucial to keeping the momentum on our side. Overall, it was an excellent performance and a deserved result. Well done to all involved.
Once again, the First year boys showed incredible fight, grit, and determination, battling back from an eight-point deficit late in the third quarter to seal a brilliant victory. Having trailed for most of the game, the lads refused to drop their heads and instead raised the intensity when it mattered most. A late flurry of scores capped an outstanding comeback and highlighted the resilience and belief growing within this team. Their energy on defence and composure in attack turned the momentum completely in our favour in the closing stages.
Aaron Farrington Da Cunha, Jack Murphy, and Dáire Mitchell were outstanding, but it was extremely difficult to select players of the match given the effort, bravery, and commitment shown by every player on the court. Each member of the squad played their part in a superb team performance and a well-deserved win.
First and Second Year Boys’ Basketball vs St. Gerard’s: Friday, 6 February
Today’s First year game began at a fast pace, with both teams giving it their all from the opening tip. CCM struck first with an early layup, but Gerard’s responded immediately with a three-pointer. Gerard’s then added another layup before CCM answered back on the next possession, leaving the score at 5–4.
In the second quarter, both sides leaned heavily into offense, trading baskets and keeping the game tight as the score moved to 11–9. Charlie Jolley and Alejandro Rodriguez made strong impacts during this stretch, providing energy, smart decision-making, and key contributions on both ends of the court. The third quarter saw CCM take full control, playing outstanding defence and holding Gerard’s scoreless for the entire period while continuing to convert offensively. This dominant stretch pushed CCM ahead, 15–11.
In the final quarter, Gerard’s mounted an offensive push in an attempt to close the gap, but CCM held their nerve and narrowly protected their lead until the final buzzer. Thanks to disciplined defence and crucial plays down the stretch, CCM secured a hard-fought 17–15 victory.
The Second year match began with CCM struggling to find rhythm, allowing Gerard’s to build an early lead. However, CCM responded with determination, lifting their intensity and working hard on both ends of the court to close the gap.
At halftime, CCM trailed by four points, still very much in the contest. In the second half, Gerard’s increased the pressure and capitalised on their opportunities, gradually extending their lead. Despite CCM’s continued effort and refusal to give in, Gerard’s maintained control and closed out the match strongly.
The game concluded with a final score of CCM 20 to St Gerard’s 31. Attention now turns to an important upcoming fixture against Avondale next week, where CCM will look to take the lessons learned from this match and bounce back strongly.
