Corn Colmcille Ulster Final
Dean Maguirc College booked its place in the final of The Corn Colmcille competition (U13.5) by beating Abbey Vocational School on Friday past at Irvinestown’s Bawnacre centre. Having topped the qualifying group with victories over St. Louis’ Ballymena, St. Ciaran’s Ballygawley and St Joseph’s Donaghmore, The Dean entered the semi final on Friday as slight favourites over its Donegal counterparts.
Weather conditions were not ideal as the players took to the pitch but both teams adapted well to the wet ball and produced high quality football from the outset. It was Abbey who impressed most in the early exchanges and got the first two scores on the board. The Dean duly upped the tenacity in their tackling and this paid great dividends with them scoring a goal on the counter attack through ace marksman Brayden McNally. This team prides itself on gaining turnovers and they did this regularly during an excellent first half. Great pressure was applied to the Abbey kickout and The Dean were rewarded with scores from Marcus Conway and Mark Harte. From then on goals were on the mind of the attackers and they went on to score three from Pauric Broderick, Finbar Donaghy and Brayden McNally again. Abbey kept themselves in the game by scoring a goal after some great work from their half back line. At the half time break Dean Maguirc College were seven points in the ascendancy with a score line of 4.3 to 1.5.
The second half was a more cautious affair with The Dean seemingly more determined to hold on to the lead rather than extend it. They suffered for this in conceding two goals to Abbey, one of which was a penalty. Some substitutions brought fresh impetus to The Dean’s attack and one in particular, Matthew Meenagh, can count himself very unlucky to have had his goal disallowed. A goal each for Marcus Conway and Brayden McNally, alongside to a point from midfielder Lochlann Gillen paved the way for a nine point victory for Dean Maguirc winning by 6.6 to 3.6. They go on to play another Donegal school, St. Eunan’s Letterkenny, in the final which is due to take place on April the 20th, after the Easter holidays.
Loch an Iuir Cup Winners 2023
Dean Maguirc College claimed the Loch an Iuir Cup on Friday afternoon at Garvaghy following a 1-15 to 3-6 win over a hotly fancied Abbey Vocational School side from Donegal. The beaten finalists scored two goals from the penalty spot deep in injury time which gave the scoreline the appearance of a close game.
The Dean began well working hard as a unit to deny their opponents time and space on the ball with Ciaran Mc Crystal and Sean Og Harte outstanding. They were a yard quicker to the ball particularly in defence while up front the forwards were a threat every time the ball was played inside.
Points from Sean Donnelly (2) and Vincent Gormley (2) put the Dean four points clear inside eight minutes. Abbey then hit the net with a fine goal from Daire Slevin before a point on thirteen minutes from Tomas Carr tied the game. Gormley, Michael Mc Callan and Daniel Heagney added points for the Dean to put the Tyrone school three clear with seventeen minutes of the first half gone.
Abbey responded with a point from Thomas Lenehan but a minute later Vincent Gormley sent over his fourth point of the first half as the Dean kept their opponents at arm’s length with half time only minutes away. Lenehan replied for Abbey before Marcus Conway scored a fantastic individual goal that was worthy of winning any final. That goal put Dean five clear and in pole position but Abbey showed they were far from out of the contest with the final two scores of the first half from Thomas Mc Hugh and Gethin Mosby to go in at the break behind by three
Half time score : Dean Maguirc 1-8, Abbey Vocational School 1-5.
The first ten minutes of the second half saw defences on top. Abbey upped the ante as they sought to close the gap but they found a resolute Dean defence in no mood to yield.
Dean Maguirc weathered the storm and then hit six points in a row between the forty first and fifty fifth minutes displaying some exceptional teamwork built on hard work and commitment. A converted free from Lenehan with three minutes remaining gave the Donegal side their first score of the half but Vincent Gormley responded for the Dean to hit his sixth point of the contest and virtually seal the title.
Two converted penalties from the boot of Tomas Carr deep in injury time put something of a gloss on the final score but there was no doubt the Dean were deserving winners. Final score Dean Maguirc College 1-15, Abbey Vocational School 3-6
Sean Donnelly 0-3, Vincent Gormley 0-6, Brayden Mc Nally 0-1, Micheal Mc Callan 0-1, Daniel Heagney 0-1, Marcus Conway 1-0, Phelim Mc Crory 0-1, Lorcan Meenagh 0-2,
Markey Cup Winners
Dean Maguirc Carrickmore 3-8 Coláiste Cholmcille Ballyshannon 1-10
History was made at Roslea on Wednesday evening when Dean Maguirc Carrickmore won the Ulster Schools Markey Cup for the first time in their history with a deserved four point win over Coláiste Cholmcille Ballyshannon.
It was a superb game of football played on a perfect surface between two well drilled sides. The winners grabbed goals either side of halftime and while their opponents battled back the Dean were able to keep their noses in front. Dean keeper Kilian Kerr was called into action in the opening seconds to save well from Anton Govorov while he also blocked two follow ups as well. Kevin Cuddy opened the scoring before Sean Og Teague doubled Dean’s advantage but by the 11th minute the sides were level thanks to efforts from Aongas Sweeney and Ryan Barrett.
The Dean though were enjoyed a purple patch with Michael Rafferty, Pierce Byrne, James McCallan, Ronan Fox, Teague, Davagh Loughran and Aidan Woods all to the fore and efforts from Teague and Woods (2) moved them 0-5 to 0-2 in front. They missed a number of chances though and that allowed their opponents to reduce the deficit to the minimum with points from Jack Gallagher and Barrett. In the final attack of the first half though midfielder McCallan surged through and gave keeper Aaron Cullen no chance with a thumping shot to the top left hand corner of the net to leave it 1-5 to 0-4 at the break.
Things got even better for Dean Maguirc in the first attack of the second half when Woods finished in style to the bottom right hand corner of the net to give them a firm grip on proceedings. Loughran tagged on a point and at this stage it looked as though the Dean would assume complete control. The Donegal lads though had other ideas and a brace of points from Kyle McNulty was followed by a brilliant goal from Govorov in the 38th minute to leave just a single score between the sides.
Gallagher then reduced the gap to two and the momentum appeared to have turned until the Dean reasserted themselves. Mickey Joe McGlinchey got a vital point for he winners and that was quickly followed by a quality score from distance from Cuddy. With eight minutes to go substitute Callum Stewart gave the Dean some breathing space with their third goal. That proved to be their last score but they had done enough. Gallagher kicked a brace of points before being sent off while McNulty registered again but the night belonged to Dean Maguirc as they secured a fabulous and well deserved win.
Drama pupils produce a film for Christmas
Our GCSE Drama class along with their teacher Mrs Shauna Casey have been working hard on a project highlighting homelessness. They recently filmed a performance focusing on those in need and were delighted when ‘Slate’, A Shelter NI Project based in Omagh agreed to take part in their film. Slate is an organisation who offer an alternative to homelessness for young people aged 16-25 who have support needs, who are homeless or at risk.
The pupils interviewed Mrs Shauna Ellison, Senior Support Worker at Slate and Alex, who kindly shared his experiences and how he was supported by the organisation. Both interviews will feature in the film and will be showcased just in time for Christmas.
Mrs Casey and her pupils bought a number of grocery items to donate, which was greatly appreciated. This was a humbling experience for our pupils, and it is hoped that the finished film will help to promote the awareness and much needed help that people in our community need.
A huge thanks to Mrs Shauna Ellison, Alex, and staff at Slate for taking the time to talk to us and for agreeing to be filmed. Well, done to Mrs Casey and her GCSE pupils. We look forward to seeing the final production.
Public Speaking Finals
Public Speaking Finals 2022
On Tuesday 6th December Dean Maguirc College hosted their 30th Annual Public Speaking Event, sponsored by the Friendly Care Group of Termonmaguirc.
It was a great night as pupils from Years 10-12 entertained those in attendance with their topics:
Year 10- My Greatest Wish.
Year 11- Real learning does not take place in the classroom?
Year 12- Social Media; a 21st century disaster?
The night was thoroughly enjoyed by pupils, parents, relatives and guests.
The adjudication panel of Mr Declan Forde, Mr Michael Murphy and Mrs Lisa O’Neill had a difficult job in selecting from such a high standard and found the Year 12 pupils in particular were outstanding in their delivery and content.
Mrs Claire O’Hanlon (Head of English) spoke of how proud the English Department were of their dedicated and enthusiastic pupils and thanked the Friendly Care Group for their ongoing commitment to public speaking in Dean Maguirc College which has seen much success lately, including in the recent Omagh Soroptimist competition which Cara Sweeney in Year 12 won. Mr Warnock (Principal) commended the hard work of his staff and congratulated the pupils for their efforts.
Congratulations to all the worthy winners:
Year 10- Grainne Donnelly
Year 11- Grace Donnelly
Year 12- Cliodhna Toner
Adjudicators’ Award- Daniel Kerr
English teachers’ Award- Liam McCrystall
Overall runner up- Alanagh Loughran
Overall winner- Cliodhna Toner
Senior Prizegiving 2022
Thursday evening saw the first fully celebrated Senior Prizegiving in a few years. It was great to see so many of our Year 12 and 14 pupils returning to celebrate their achievements with their families and teachers.
We were delighted to be joined by special guest, Mrs Mairead Sweeney, recently retired Principal of St Teresa’s Primary, Loughmacrory. Mrs Sweeney who has long worked with the school spoke warmly and encouragingly to the pupils. 
Congratulations to all our pupils who received their GCSE and A Level certificates and a huge well done to those who received special recognition and awards.
Top GCSE Pupil – Pierce Byrne
Top AS Pupils – Molly Clarke and Micheal Clarke
Outstanding Achievement at A2 – Conor McGarrity
Top Post 16 Pupil – Colleen Kelly
Fay Woods Cup – Aidan Woods
BOG Cup – Niamh Allison
Curran Cup – Viktor
Starbreakers Cup – Aiobhin Kelly
JB Flanagan Cup – Róise Kerr
Most Endeavour – Clodagh McMenemy
BOG Perpetual Trophy – Lorcan McGarrity
Keenan Cup – Conor McGarrity
Brenda Logue Memorial – Cora McElduff and Pierce Byrne
Impressive A Level Results 2022
It was a great morning of celebration as Mr Warnock spoke of his pride with the results that pupils achieved in the 2022 A–Level and AS examinations.
‘I am very proud of the impressive results achieved by our pupils today, especially this cohort of pupils who had not experienced formal examinations in the last two years. It has been a very challenging time for our young people since March 2020 and preparing for this set of examinations has brought much anxiety for all concerned.
Taking all of this into consideration I applaud the students on the high grades they have received today, the parents for their on–going support and encouragement and to the dedicated teachers, both here in the college and those involved in collaborative settings who have enabled the achievement of full potential at A2 and AS level. It is great that the endeavour of our students has resulted in so many getting their first choice at third level whilst others are pursuing degree and high level apprenticeships on completion of their second level education.’
Top achievers at A–Level were: Colleen Kelly, Conor McGarrity, Eoin Conway, Caitlin Gormley, Blaithnaid Kerr, Alanagh McCallan, Clodagh McMenemy, David Morris, Lorcan McGarrity, Caolan Donnelly, Aimee Conlon, Finbar Corcoran, Cliodhna Grimes, Pauriac McDonnell, Shauna McGurk, Leah McIvor, Shona McKenna, Kerry McNamee Niamh Tracey and Caolan Mullin.
Mr. Warnock continued to say that the impressive results again at AS Level provided a very solid foundation for the students who would now be entering Year 14 in September. The top achievers at this level were: Micheal Clarke, Molly Clarke, Patrick McMahon, Aoibhe Curran, Aoibhinn Daly, Katie McElholm, Eoin McGlinchey, Ciaran Morris, Darragh Mullan, Cara O’Neill, Jack Kelly, Rionach McCallan, Kerrie McLaughlin, Michael Rafferty and Ciatai Warnock.
GCSE Results
There was much excitement and delight when pupils received their G.C.S.E. results at Dean Maguirc College as the grades achieved by so many of the pupils were most impressive indeed. Commenting on the results, the principal, Mr. Warnock said ‘I am delighted with the performance of this cohort of pupils who despite the challenges of the last two years have excelled in this set of examinations. Amidst much uncertainty these pupils have worked closely with their teachers during Key Stage 4, resulting in the achievement of their full potential in both the academic and vocational subjects, a feature of our school which caters for all abilities. These pupils have to be applauded for their application and determination and on behalf of the Board of Governors, I congratulate them on their success today’.
Congratulations to all our achievers and best wishes to all of them as they begin the next stage of the journey.
Top achievers were: Pierce Byrne, Caoimhe Coyle, Anna Hempenstall, Orla Morris, Niamh Clarke, Roise Kerr, Maire Kerr, Evanna Campbell, Tara Curran, Thea Lennon, Mollie O’Hanlon, Kate Fox, Sorcha Gormley, Niamh Glackin, Michael Coyle, Cillian Kerr, Aoibhin Kelly, Maeve McGlinchey, Lola Fanning, Robert Aiordachioaie, Hannah Colgan, Calum Stewart, Cora McElduff and Cora Rafferty
Celebration Of Sporting Achievement
Celebration Of Sporting Success 2019
Dean Maguirc College celebrated a night of sporting success as they recognised the tremendous achievements of their young sporting stars.
In this school year the Dean have captured no fewer than 4 Ulster Colleges titles, their first 2 boys Ulster Colleges All Stars, 1 girl Ulster Colleges All Star, a first Ulster Colleges Camogie All Star and a future All Star at Year 12 Hurling. The school year of 2021/2022
has been the most successful year of sport in the history of the school.
Parents, pupils and staff were joined by guest speaker for the evening, Gerard Donnelly, manager of the Tyrone U17’s team.
Gerard recognised first hand that the level of achievement being celebrated “shows the excellent level of work, and skill, present here in Dean Maguirc College”. He spoke honestly about the pressures young people face and how “sport can be the medicine for improving not only your physical health, but more importantly, your mental health”. He asked the pupils to make sure that in those difficult times they would seek an outlet for releasing their feelings and emotions.
In conclusion Gerard stated that “the key thing is to stay grounded and be a good person. That’s what makes a true star!”.
The presentation night continued with pupils being recognised for achievement in Ulster and All Ireland Handball and Boxing titles.
The night concluded with Mr Warnock (Principal) congratulating his pupils and coaches whose commitment to training and dedication to their sport was exemplary. He thanked all the sponsors for helping to make the night memorable and how a dedicated fund for sport in Dean Maguirc College will now be set up for future development within the school.
