Transition Year students and 3rd year students (Mark Bartley, Kyle Burke, James White, Gearoid Ennis, Kevin Malone, Darren Dooley, Jamie Cahill, Benn Hogan and Stephen O Reilly) Of St. Marys C.B.S Portlaoise, accompanied by their English teacher Miss Carroll went to the “2010 POETRY ALOUD” competition. The competition was held in the Portlaoise College on the 3/11/2010. Students from all over the county participated in the event. Schools such as Heywood, Mountmellick, Clonaslee, Portlaoise College, Cloaiste Iosgain and Scoil Christ Ri Portlaoise, all had students representing their school in the event.
There were three differently categories in the event Junior (1st and 2nd years), Intermediate (3rd years and Transition Years) and Senior 5th and 6th years). Each category had to recite a poem for W.B Yeats and then another poem of their choice. The competition started at 9.20am and ran right through into the late afternoon.
Around 150 people took part in the event. All participants did an excellent job on their two poems and should be very proud of themselves. A good day was had by all.
Benn Hogan was the only student from the Portlaoise C.B.S to get through to the second round. The second round of the competition will take place of the 3rd of December, in “The National Library of Ireland” in Dublin. He will now have to learn another two poems as a result of getting through to the second round. We wish him all the best.