School News: Waterford students enjoy a busy start to the new school year
St. Declan's new cohort of First year Mentors 2026/2027.
Pupils across Waterford have had a busy start to the new school year, with sporting success, musical rehearsals, mentoring activities and fundraising among the highlights in recent days.
Students at St Declan’s Community College have been celebrating success in football and show jumping, while Blackwater Community School students are busy preparing for their upcoming musical. Elsewhere, St Mary’s turned orange in support of Solas Cancer Support Centre.
St Declan’s Community College U17 footballers recorded an impressive victory when they faced fellow Waterford side Blackwater Community School in Lismore on Tuesday, September 29.
Strong winds added to the challenge during the Munster Championship encounter, but it was the Kilmac side who eventually emerged with a convincing 3-09 to 0-04 victory.
Blackwater brought pace and power through the middle of the field, but St Declan’s responded with determination and gained an early foothold in the contest.
An early goal, followed by a number of well-worked points, allowed St Declan’s to establish an advantage before the break and put themselves in a strong position heading into the second half.
There was still plenty of work to do after the interval, however, as the Kilmac side faced the difficult task of playing against the wind.
A determined effort was required to ensure Blackwater did not find a way back into the game, and the St Declan’s players responded to the challenge.
Important scores helped prevent the Lismore side from mounting a comeback, with players across the St Declan’s team rising to the test despite the challenging conditions.
They eventually saw out the contest to record a 3-09 to 0-04 victory and continue their Munster Championship campaign on a positive note.
It has also been a busy few weeks for members of the St Declan’s equestrian team, who kicked off their season at the Interschools Show Jumping competition in Warrington on Sunday, September 27.
The event, hosted by Kilkenny College, saw the St Declan’s team perform strongly, although they were unfortunate to miss out on a placing.
All of the school’s riders also competed individually on the day, with Abbey Murphy producing a particularly impressive performance.
Abbey claimed victory in the TRI 110 competition, coming out on top against a competitive field of riders and giving St Declan’s an early individual success as the new Interschools season got underway.
The competition followed a busy summer for the school’s equestrian students, with two riders having the opportunity to compete at the Dublin Horse Show in the RDS during August.
Louise Flynn competed in the 133 Working Hunter class, while Abbey took part in the 138 Grade A show jumping class.
Abbey also had the opportunity to jump in the main arena at the RDS before returning to school competition in September.
The pair’s appearances in Dublin, followed by Abbey’s victory in Warrington, have ensured an eventful few months for the school’s equestrian riders.
Away from sport, a new cohort of First Year Mentors has begun its work at St Declan’s for the 2026/27 school year.
The students received their mentor pins on Monday, September 28, formally beginning their roles for the year ahead.
They are already putting plans in place for their first activities, with a Halloween event currently being prepared for the school’s new First Year students.
The initiative sees the mentors take on additional responsibility within the school while helping the newest pupils settle into secondary school life.
Meanwhile, Transition Year students at Blackwater Community School in Lismore are getting ready to take to the stage, with rehearsals underway for their upcoming school musical.
The TY students have been working with director Jack Aherne as preparations for the production begin to gather pace.
Recent rehearsals saw students practising their lines in the school library, offering a glimpse behind the scenes as work on the production continues.
There is plenty more preparation to come, with dance rehearsals also set to form part of the work involved in getting the show ready for the stage.
Further information about the students who will take on the main roles in the production is also due to be revealed as rehearsals progress.
The musical gives Blackwater’s Transition Year students another opportunity to get involved in school life outside their regular classroom activities, with plenty of preparation ahead before they eventually take to the stage.
It adds to a busy start to the new academic year at Blackwater, where students have already been involved in a range of activities.
The school’s U17 footballers have also been in Munster Championship action, facing St Declan’s Community College in the all-Waterford encounter in Lismore.
Members of the Blackwater Community School community have also shown their support for the Walk Out for Women initiative.
Students and staff stood in solidarity to highlight violence against women, with the school sharing its support for the initiative.
The event added a social awareness element to a busy period at the school, alongside preparations for the TY musical and sporting activities.
Elsewhere, pupils and staff at St Mary’s added plenty of colour to their school day as they came together to support Solas Cancer Support Centre.
The school became a “sea of orange” last Friday as it held its first ever Go Orange for Solas Day.
Pupils and staff got behind the initiative by wearing orange for the occasion and making donations in support of the charity, with the school community embracing the colourful theme.
The fundraising efforts did not stop there, with a raffle also organised as part of the day and giving pupils another way to get involved.
T-shirts and orange lunch bags filled with treats were among the prizes up for grabs as pupils and staff joined together in supporting the initiative.
The fundraiser marked the first time St Mary’s had held a Go Orange for Solas Day, adding a new charitable event to the school calendar.
The school thanked everyone who made an effort to dress for the occasion, donate and support the fundraiser.
The event rounded off a busy period for schools across Waterford, with pupils involved in activities ranging from fundraising and mentoring to musical rehearsals and sporting competition.
For St Declan’s, the opening weeks of the school year have already brought football and equestrian success alongside the beginning of its First Year mentoring programme.
At Blackwater, preparations for the Transition Year musical are gathering pace alongside sporting and social awareness activities, while pupils and staff at St Mary’s have come together to lend their support to a local cause.
