Trinity College Evening Lectures Series 2013: English Literature

Trinity College Library

 

Every Tuesday from October 8th until December 10th, Trinity College Dublin will be running a series of individual lectures on the major authors of poetry, drama and prose prescribed for the Leaving Certificate in 2014.  Any 6th year student who is interested in attending the lectures, please click on the link below for further information regarding dates and cost.

Trinity College English Lectures Information

Dublin Theatre Festival 2013

The Dublin Theatre Festival is back again this year beginning on the 26th September.  This is an 18 day celebration of the best of Irish and international theatre.  

Take a look at the exciting programme below to see what's on offer!

Dublin Theatre Festival Programme   

A Poem From Mrs Ryan...

Mrs Ryan, from our History and Business Department, has very kindly shared one of her favourite poems by Thomas Ashe.  This is a beautiful little poem and is very appropriate for the beginning of the new school year.  Please feel free to email us your favourite poem at englishonline@loretonavan.ie

"Beautiful Hands"

Beautiful hands are those that do,

Work that is earnest, brave and true,

Moment by moment,

the long day through.

"Happy Roald Dahl Day!"

The official Roald Dahl Day takes place every year on 13 September, on the birthday of the World's No. 1 Storyteller. In 2013, Roald Dahl Day coincides with Friday 13th - the perfect excuse for even more mischief and mayhem than usual!

Take a look at the link below for more information on Roald Dahl:

http://www.roalddahl.com/

Seamus Heaney 1939 - 2013 (aged 74)

The sad news broke today that Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney passed away after a short illness.  

See below for reactions and coverage to this sad news:

Irish Independent

Irish Times

The Guradian

The Washington Post

The New York Times

In honour of Seamus Heaney, we would like to post our favourite poem written by him.
Here, Heaney is reading his poem 'Scaffolding' at the Faber offices on the occasion of his 70th birthday:

Welcome Back!

"There are two motives for reading a book:

one, that you enjoy it; the other, that you can boast about."

 

- Bertrand Russell

 

 

Welcome back everyone to the beginning of a brand new school year.  No doubt you are all fully rested after a wonderful summer and you are looking forward to exploring many new and exciting worlds that your novels, plays and poems will offer you over the next nine months.

 

Hopefully some of you read some really interesting novels over the summer months and we, in the English Department, would love to hear what novels captivated you!  Please send us an email naming the novel(s) you read with a short paragraph telling us your thoughts.  We look forward to reading your reviews and sharing them with everyone here!

 

"What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you can call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it."

 

- J.D. Salinger

 



Leaving Cert English 2013 Exam Papers

 

The relief was palpable on the corridors of St Michael's on Thursday evening with all of the Leaving Cert students delighted that the anticipated English exams were over.  Before the exams, nervous chatter dominated the corridors...'Have you studied Plath?'...'I hope 'kingship' will appear'...'Please let the theme come up in our comparative'...Thankfully, everyone emerged from their exam centres at 5.20pm clutching their sore writing hand with smiles and tiredness etched on their faces.  The English papers, at both levels, offered the students plenty of choice and allowing them enough scope for their ability to shine through, while simultaneously challenging them to think critically and assess their knowledge of the English course.  Well done, girls...now you can fully enjoy reading novels, plays and poetry safe in the knowledge that you won't have to justify your thoughts and feelings on pages of refill paper!

Leaving Cert Higher Level Paper 1
Leaving Cert Higher Level Paper 2

Leaving Cert Ordinary Level Paper 1
Leaving Cert Ordinary Level Paper 2