Chuir Rang Staire Idirbhliana Ard Mhaca isteach ar Chomórtas Cuimhneacháin Hugh O’Flaherty le déanaí. Bhí orthu foghlaim faoi ghníomhartha Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty le linn an Dara Cogadh Domhanda (sábháladh 6,500 duine ó na Naitsithe a bhuíochas d’iarrachtaí an Monsignor) agus dán a chumadh bunaithe ar a shaothar. Reachtáltar comóradh bliaintiúil a chuireann luachanna an Monsignor chun cinn agus mar chuid den chomóradh sin bronntar duais ar dhaltaí meánscoile. Mhol na moltóirí ardhcaighdeán na n-iarratas ar fad ó Rang Ard Mhaca agus d’éirigh le Glenn Ó Faircheallaigh an comórtas a bhuachan. Scríobh sé dán dár teideal ‘What’s Wrong With The World?’ Dúirt na moltóirí ‘the poem is well thought out, well-crafted with excellent punctuation and the poet has a clear understanding of the message which he is attempting to put across, which has been done successfully.’ Is féidir an dán a léamh thíos. Fuair Glenn teastas, seic €100 agus cuireadh chuig Oscailt Oifigiúil Chlár Cuimhneacháin Hugh O’Flaherty i gCill Áirne. I measc na n-imeachtaí eile a bhí ag tarlú mar chuid de chomóradh thug ambasadóir Meiriceá, Kevin O’Malley, óráid agus bronnadh duais dhaonnúil Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty ar Fr Sean Myres as a gcuid oibre sa Bhrasaíl. Tá an duais dhaonnúil seo buaite ag Tomi Reichental (iarphríosúnach campa géibhinn) agus Dónal Walsh (déagóir a d’fhulaing leis an ailse agus a chaith a bhlianta deireanacha ag feachtasaíocht faoin meabharshláinte) cheana féin. Bhí deis ag na daltaí freastal ar chaint a thug athair Dónal Walsh an bhliain seo caite mar gheall ar an meabharshláinte.  Maith thú Glenn!

 

Transition Year History class Ard Mhaca entered the Secondary Schools Hugh O’Flaherty Memorial Competition recently. They learnt about the actions of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty during the Second World War (6,500 people were saved from the Nazis thanks to O’Flaherty’s efforts) and students were challenged to write a poem inspired by his actions. A memorial weekend is held annually to celebrate the humanitarian work of the Monsignor and prizes are awarded to students. The judges commended the high standard of entries from Ard Mhaca and Glenn Ó Faircheallaigh received the winning prize for his poem ‘What’s Wrong with the World?’ The judges commented that ‘the poem is well thought out, well-crafted with excellent punctuation and the poet has a clear understanding of the message which he is attempting to put across, which has been done successfully.’ The poem can be read below. Glenn received a cert, a €100 cheque and an invitation to the official opening of the Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty Commemorative Weekend in Killarney. Amongst the events were a speech given by the American ambassador, Kevin O’Malley, and the awarding of the annual Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty Humanitarian Award to Fr Sean Myres for his work in Brazil. Past winners of the prize have included Tomi Reichental (a Nazi concentration camp survivor) and Dónal Walsh (who suffered with cancer but spent his final years campaigning to raise awareness about mental health issues). Our students had a chance to attend a talk given by Dónal’s father last year on mental health. Maith thú Glenn!

 

What’s Wrong With The World?

The colour of our skin defines us

The way we walk, the way we talk

The way you look and what you say

Could get you killed one day.

 

People getting called names

Buildings go up in flames

We have soldiers dying

Leaving loved ones crying.

 

People call you weird or strange

Because your ideas aren’t the same

A world that’s corrupt to the core

People want money more and more

No one knows what to do,

They should take inspiration from Hugh.