Celebrating Past Pupil Success: Vincent Forsyth – Poet

Occasionally on our blog we write about past pupils of St. Brigid’s, Greystones. There is a great variety in the successes of our past pupils.

Last year we told you about  Emily’s Green Fingers and her contribution to the Greystones community. 

Before that we wrote about Harry who is having great success musically. We called that post ‘Mighty Oaks from Little Acorns grow’ . 

We also told you about a girl called Caroline Dwyer Hickey who became a much loved teacher, remembered by her family with the gift of The Greystones Bear to this seaside town.

From an original story that Emer Nolan composed for ‘Write A Book’, her Mum, Sineaid Doyle has written a book. Titled ‘Mary Wolftide’, it is now available on Kindle.

Now to this ‘Hall of Fame’ we add poet Vincent Forsyth. Vinnie Forsyth was in Junior Infants with us in the early 2000s. He moved with his family to Wexford in 2006.

Vincent is in 5th Year now in Enniscorthy and is writing poetry. Having left our school ten years ago, we can take no credit for Vincent’s success but we really wanted to know what made him a poet!

Vincent

We wrote to Vincent to tell him that we thought his poetry was great. We had some questions for him and this is what he told us:

‘I started writing poetry because I realized there is so much that a person can express but they don’t and I always liked English and I was told I had a good way with words, and that it could bring me far.

I had done small bits when I first moved from Greystones but that was just before secondary, and I didn’t realize how easy it would be to get out there and start my own page to post my writing. 

In secondary, I began writing as there were quite a few clubs that I wanted to join, such as the creative writing group and that was sort of the kick start of it all.

With the creative writing group I’ve met a few Irish poets such as Colm Keegan, John W. Sexton and Garry Mc Carthy. They were really interesting to meet and it was inspiring their love for words. It was also comforting that they were as crazy as me! 

I love reading, but as I am in 5th year, I’m trying to study more, so I don’t get to indulge in my books like I would want to. My advice for younger people is to just get out and do it.

Find something you are passionate about and write. Even if you need a helping help to get to started, don’t be afraid to ask.

You ask me about ambitions for the future, that’s a tough question. I’d like to do so much, but will I ever have time to do it all? I would love to maybe going into lyric writing as of late I have been doing so much of it, and maybe some sort of performance art. 

Favorite poet? There is so many! I really like the poet I’m studying now, and that is Sylvia Plath, and maybe Elizabeth Bishop. 

Oh and as an added note about the creative writing, I received an award for speaking in the Nation Library Dublin for the Writing Reading and Performance Poetry Initiative abbreviated WRaPPAround, and within school I received Best Junior Writer award also. 

I could possibly go on for years about writing. It’s such a great thing to know and once you have your way with words, it’s hard to lose it.

The last thing I shall say is that I have this super awesome new book of writing which will be released soon! Exciting stuff.’

Vinnie has self published eight books of poetry online. One of his approaches to to ask people to submit a word or a sentence and he writes a poem based on that. Here is a powerful poem Vincent wrote called:

The Underdog

 Poem2

We felt we knew what he was talking about.

We also REALLY like this one: ‘One Step at a Time’ 

If you want to read more of Vincent’s poetry, click on this link to see his most recent book ‘A Lone Declaration’.

Many thanks to Vincent for answering our questions, allowing us to share his work and his advice to us about writing. We wish him every success and will follow his career with interest.

Past Pupil Success: ‘Mary Wolftide,’ a novel by Sineaid Doyle &Emer Nolan

Photo Credit: Ghetu Daniel via CompfightWolffff
Creative Commons License Photo Credit: Alvaro Tapia via Compfight

Occasionally on our blog we write about 

past pupils of St. Brigid’s, Greystones.

Earlier in the year we told you about 

Emily’s Green Fingers

and her contribution to

the Greystones  community.

Before that we wrote about Harry 

who is having great success musically.

We called that post

 ‘Mighty Oaks from Little Acorns grow’ .

We also told you about a girl 

called Caroline Dwyer Hickey

who was a much loved teacher

remembered by her family

with the gift of

The Greystones Bear 

to this seaside town.

 

Past pupil of the school Emer Nolan,

worked on a Write A Book,

that she had written here in school

when she was in Ms Ahern’s Class. 

 

From that original story her

Mum, Sineaid Doyle has written a book

which is now available on Kindle

under the imaginative title:

‘Mary Wolftide’.

 

The book is dedicated to Emer

and her brother Rory:

‘To Emer and Rory who always think of

another twist in the tale’.

 

Click on this link to see.

 

 

Remembering Caroline: The Greystones Bear and why it is there!

Occasionally on our blog we write about

past pupils of St. Brigid’s, Greystones.

Earlier in the year we told you about Emily’s Green Fingers 

and her contribution to our community.

 

Before that we wrote about Harry 

who is having great success musically.

We called that post ‘Mighty Oaks from Little Acorns grow’ .

 

Today we want to tell you about a girl

called Caroline Dwyer Hickey.

Caroline and her little brother Denis

came to school here with us in the 1980s

and they are both fondly remembered by the teachers

who were working here then

and by the school friends who were here too.

 

Caroline went on to become a primary school teacher

and she worked in another St. Brigid’s NS., in Glasnevin

where she was greatly loved.

 

Caroline went home to God on 20 March, 2013

after a brave battle against cancer.

 

She was a girl who was greatly loved

and people wanted to remember her.

In St. Brigid’s Glasnevin,

they are making the most marvellous mosaic

to commemorate her.

 

This brings us to the wonderful

and most magnificient Greystones Bear:

 

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He looks even better in real life 😉

Caroline’s family gave the community of Greystones

the gift of this wonderful bear

in memory of Caroline.

The Beach Bear was created

by the talented sculptor Patrick O’Reilly.

 

The bear is taller than any grown up we know.

He is eight foot tall and two tonnes in weight.

He carries a bucket and spade

and he looks as if he is marching down to the beach to play.

We love him and every time we past we say hello.

There are always people around him, admiring him.

 

Family and friends of Caroline have also established

‘The Caroline Foundation’.

The ‘Caroline Foundation’ will raise funds for cancer research.

 

There is a Guinness World Record Attempt

being held on Sunday, 11th May.

The challenge is to join up the longest chain of ribbons

from Greystones to Bray along the Cliff Walk.

 

You can read about it here.

 

Why not join in!

We know children from this school

who are taking part.

The event is very well organized

and children will not be on the cliff walk,

better locations along the route

are being organized for them.

 

We wish the Caroline Foundation

every success in this exciting challenge

and remember our brave past pupil.

 

Celebrating Past Pupil Success: A Guest Post from Emily H

We are always very interested to hear about the success of our past pupils. Earlier in the year we told you about a student who is having great success musically. We called that post ‘Mighty Oaks from Little Acorns grow’ . We could call this one ‘Monterey Pines from Tiny Pine Seeds grow’ as it is about the success Emily H had when she grew Monterey Pine Trees from seeds and made a real contribution to our local community. But let Emily tell you about her project in her own words.

Growing Monterey Pine Trees From Seed

INTRODUCTION

My project is to show how I grew Monterey pines from seed.

I did this project because I have always had an interest

in growing things from a very young age.

It was helped along when my Granddad

contacted the former Mayor George Jones

to see if he would be interested in having

some of the trees I had already planted

and succeeded in growing for the Greystones community.

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Mr Jones agreed and now as you can see from press cuttings

there is one of my trees in Burnaby Park

opposite the train station

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and also they took some of my trees

and planted them along Shoreline car park.

BeFunky_Burnaby Park.jpg

I am very proud of these trees and so I thought that

I could grow some more for my science project for school

METHOD

Gather pine cones and place them in the full sun to dry them out.

Once dried they will open up for easier retrieval of the seeds.

BeFunky_Monterey Pine Cone.jpg

Place the cones on a paper towel

and roll them gently until the seeds fall out.

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Place the seeds in a container

with room temperature of water.

The ones that sink will be the best growers.

Plant the seed in pots, pointed end down and cover with soil.

Keep watering and when the seeds fall off

they can be transplanted to a larger container.

I will be keeping a diary following the progress of the trees.

Day 1

Date : 12.6.13

I planted the seeds in the compost pointed side down and watered them.

Day 2

Date : 13.6.13

Still no progress will be back in 2 weeks.

Day 11

Date : 25.6.13

We have our first Monterey shoot. The seed is still on the top.

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Day 12 

Date : 26.6.13

We have our second seed shoot. Also seed on top.

First seedling has now lost its seed.

BeFunky_Seedling.jpg

Day 19

Date: 3.7.13

We now have 13 Monterey pine tree shoots.

BeFunky_Day 19.jpg

Day 25

Date: 9.7.13

We have 17 Monterey Pine tree shoots.

Day 35

Date: 19.7.13

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The trees are growing fast.

Day 45

Date: 29.7.13

Still progressing well.

Day 55

Date: 8.8.13 

Strong and healthy trees growing fast.

BeFunky_Day 65.jpg 

Day 65

Date: 18.8.13

Progressing well.

Day 75

Date: 28.8.13

Nearing end of project the trees are strong and healthy.

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About Monterey Pines

The Monterey pine, also known as the Radiata pine is a species of pine native to the coast of California. It’s the most widely planted pine in the world, valued for rapid growth and desirable lumber and pulp qualities.

Its native to 3 very limited areas located in Santa Cruz, Monterey peninsula, and San Luis Obispo counties. In Australia, New Zealand and Spain it is the leading introduced tree and in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Kenya and South Africa it is a major plantation species.

Monterey pine has a very small natural range on the central Californian coast, south of San Fransico and on Guadalupe and Cerdros islands off the coast of Baja California in Mexico.

Monterey pine grows best on deep, rich, dry soils or on infertile sandy soil types. It has also shown promise on old red sandstone soil in Munster. It will not do well on wet, shallow ground. It grows vigorously and is known to have a longer growing season than other conifers. In Ireland, Monterey’s commonly suffers from the ”yellows”, a disease sometimes associated with the fungus cyclaneusma minus which results in the yellowing and loss of all the previous years’ needles.

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Photo Credit: Wendy Cutler via Compfight

CONCLUSION

I found this project very satisfying because I enjoy growing and the output of this project will have a long term effect on the environment.

They help the environment by a number of factors:

1. Trees reduce Carbon Dioxide – the same way humans breathe oxygen and exhale Carbon Dioxide, trees breathe in Carbon Dioxide and exhale Oxygen.  This Carbon Dioxide becomes sugars that can be eaten, burnt for fuel or enjoyed in its leafy form.

2. Trees reduce ozone levels – In  large cities a reduction in ozone can mean milder temperatures and more breathable air.

3. Trees reduce erosion by their roots keeping soil from washing away but also they absorb and store water.

4. Trees provide an ecosystem for animals and insects  by providing a home and  food for them.

Every tree is a potential life-saver to certain species

Mighty Oaks from Little Acorns Grow – Past Pupil’s Musical Success.

We were very happy to hear about

the musical success of a past pupil of the school.

Harry O’Connor left St.Brigid’s

after a year in Ms. Ahern’s Junior Infants.

We have happy memories of Harry performing

‘The Friendly Cow’ in Kilcoole Feis 2003.

As we recall he won.

Here he is sitting at the front of his

Junior Infants class on the left.

Now fourteen, Harry is an accomplished

composer, musician and conductor.

This is a live recording of the

first performance of ‘Gloria in D’.

Harry wrote this piece for

piano, percussion and choir,

for the Kenmare Choral Festival.

We wish Harry all the best

in the future

and will follow his progress

with interest and with pride.