Junior Prizegiving

June 27, 2024 by Helen O'Hanlon

On Monday 24^th June we celebrated the achievements of our KS3 pupils at our annual Junior Prizegiving Ceremony. Guest speaker for the event was past pupil Grace Conneely. Grace qualified as a pharmacist and is now working in Antrim Area Hospital. Those in attendance were delighted to hear of her time at school and her career pathway.

Pupils were rewarded for their effort and achievement in their subjects and through extra- curricular activities along with excellent attendance. For the Year 10 pupils this marked the end of Junior school as they now prepare to enter KS4 and their GCSE pathways.

Congratulations to Year 10 pupils, Grace McCullagh who was awarded the Hugh Rafferty Memorial Cup, Áine Mullan who received the KS3 Achievement Award. Most Endeavour award went to Cara Harte and the Joseph McKernan Cup was received by Marcus Conway.  

Celebration Of Sporting Achievement 2023/24

June 21, 2024 by Helen O'Hanlon

Thankyou to our sponsors for the event and our teams for this year. (pictured below).

3 Ulster Camogie Titles For Dean Maguirc College

June 13, 2024 by Helen O'Hanlon

Congratulations to our Camogs who have had such success making history this academic year by winning three Ulster titles in Camogie. Success came in victories over Bailieborough Community School, Co. Cavan in both the U–14 and U–16 Ulster Finals and in the Senior Girls’ Ulster Final, the ‘Dean’ defeated St. Joseph’s High School, Crossmaglen, Co. Armagh.

We look forward to recognising these achievements at our Celebration if Sporting Achievement on June 2oth in The Patrician, Carrickmore.

Lift the ‘cap’ and recognise the Dean

April 29, 2024 by Helen O'Hanlon

For years now, our very popular school has been capped with an ‘Admissions Number’ of 80 and ‘Enrolment Number’ of 440. We have sought to get an increase in these respective numbers on various occasions but have met with resistance from our employing authority, CCMS who have yet to acknowledge us as a growing post primary school at the heart of its community. We continue to be oversubscribed by nearly 50% annually for Year 8 places, and this coming September will see a pupil population of 670 (approx.).            The Department of Education did identify us a school which has to continually seek temporary variations to enable us to meet the demand for places in the college and its recent pilot exercise gave us some hope of getting the capped numbers increased to 100 and 600, which would be more indicative of present numbers. Unfortunately, CCMS did not again support such an increase, stating that one of the reasons being, the availability of places in another school, eleven miles away. Knowing you as stakeholders, I doubt you would entertain such a notion. As a thriving post-primary school, the time has come for us now to embark on a campaign to seek an ‘Admissions Number’ and ‘Enrolment Number’ that truly reflects our current pupil numbers.

Thanking you as always for your on-going support and for the overwhelming confidence you have in  us a s a rural post-primary community school.

Yours sincerely,

James Warnock

Best wishes to Fr O’Neill

September 13, 2023 by Helen O'Hanlon

On our first Senior Assembly of the new school year we sadly said goodbye to our chaplain, Board of Governor but most importantly our friend, Fr O’Neill. After 16 years in the parish he is being moved to Keady. Our loss is definetly their gain. A token of our appreciation was presented by Anna Hempenstall, top student at AS Level .

We wish Fr O’Neill health and happiness in his new role, he will be sadly missed.

Exam Revision Timetable

May 17, 2023 by Helen O'Hanlon

May 15, 2023 by Helen O'Hanlon

Feis, 2023

Dean Maguirc College saw much success in this years, West Tyrone Feis.

The Year 12 GCSE Music class took first place in the Vocal Ensemble competition.

Cara Fox, Rebecca Rafferty, Clara Conlon, Sorcha Hughes, Georgia McCrory, Carleen McCrory and Cliodhna Toner.

Danielle McCaughey and Alisha McCorkell came second in the same competition.

Grainne Donnelly took place in her piano competition. Carleen McCrory came second and Georgia McCrory came third in their age piano competition.

The Dean Maguirc College Ballad group came first in their competition.

(L-R), Cliodhna Toner, Carleen McCrory, Georgia McCrory, Cara Fox and Rebecca Rafferty.

Our school Traditional Group came second in their competition.

(L-R), Aoibhin Kelly, Maria Ward, Grace Brogan, Darragh Woods, Ella Mae Woods, Caitlin McCullagh, Dearbhla Toner, Hannah Colgan, Erin Gormley, Aoife Kelly, Aine Mullin, Darragh Brennan, Carleen McCrory and Cliodhna Toner.

Cliodhna Toner came first in the senior accordion competition.

Dearbhla Toner came second in the miscellaneous section playing the flute.

Maria Ward came second in the button accordion section.

Aoife Kelly came first in the tin whistle competition.

Darragh Woods, Ella Mae Woods and Caitlinn McCullagh all successfully competed in the banjo competition.

Corn Colmcille Ulster Final

March 28, 2023 by Helen O'Hanlon

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 20^th, after the Easter holidays.

Loch an Iuir Cup Winners 2023

March 6, 2023 by Helen O'Hanlon

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

by Helen O'Hanlon

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 11^th 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 38^th 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.