Our Blog

Maryfield Competes in Its First Chess Tournament

On 26^th September 2025, eight Maryfield College students of 3rd and 4th Year took part in a chess tournament at St. Andrew’s College in Booterstown. This tournament featured nearly 80 teams (each with four students) from over 30 schools, including both beginners and experienced players. Over the course of the day, each student played five games of chess, accumulating points for their team with each victory. The event was a great success and a fun day out for students and teachers alike, marking the first time that Maryfield College has entered a chess tournament, but certainly not the last! Accompanied by Mr. Kirwan and Ms. Norling, the students representing Maryfield College at this event were: Alannah O’Farrell (4K), Annmariya Shajeeve (3R), Sarah Farrelly McKeon (3K), Lauren Rouse (3R), Aoife Carrick (3K), Jing Ting Hong (3K), Elaine Gao (3R), and Grace Horan (3K). Congratulations to both teams on scoring 6.5 points.

Vision Ireland Visit Transition Years

Maryfield College was delighted to welcome Vision Ireland to our school today with their mobile eye clinic, The Vision Van. This visit, formerly known as NCBI services, provided our Transition Year students with a unique opportunity to learn about and experience the challenges faced by individuals with vision impairment. During a thought-provoking presentation and hands-on workshop, students gained valuable insight into how vision loss affects daily life. The event was linked to their Community Action preparation classes, encouraging empathy, awareness, and social responsibility. A huge thank you to Elaine Crossan and Kelliann McCarthy from Vision Ireland for facilitating this enriching experience for our students.

Help Your Young Person Thrive: Free Training Series on Building Healthy Friendships!

As parents, we all want our young people to form lasting, healthy relationships. It’s a skill that not only benefits them during childhood but throughout their lives. However, navigating friendships can sometimes be challenging for them, and knowing how to support them effectively isn’t always clear.

Join our free virtual training series, “Supporting Your Child to Build Healthy Friendships and Relationships,” an informative session designed to equip you with the tools and insights necessary to guide your young person through the complexities of friendships and social interactions.

Event Details:

Dates: Monday, 29th September to Friday, 3rd October 2025
Location: Online via Zoom
Cost: Free

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Session Highlights:

Understand what makes a healthy friendship and why it’s important.
Learn to identify signs of unhealthy relationships to better guide your young person.
Gain practical communication strategies that your young person can use.
Discover ways to foster positive social skills in your young person.

How to Register: Spots are limited, and we encourage you to register early to secure your place. Simply click on the link below and choose the session that best fits your schedule.

https://forms.office.com/e/s6T6zwrkTp

Register Now

Session Schedule:

Monday 29th: 10am/ 7:30pm
Tuesday 30th: 10am / 7:30pm
Wednesday 1st: 10am / 7:30pm
Thursday 2nd: 10am / 7:30pm
Friday 3rd: 10am

Looking Ahead: This training series is just the beginning! Stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3 of our series, where we will delve deeper into active listening skills and integrating meaningful conversations into your daily interactions with your young person.

Part 2: Enhancing Communication through Active Listening (Week starting 6th October 2025)
Part 3: Making ‘The Big Talk’ Many Small Talks (Week starting 13th October 2025)

These follow-up sessions are designed to build on what you learn here, providing a comprehensive toolkit for supporting your young persons relational development.

Part 2

Part 3

Don’t miss this opportunity to play a proactive role in your young persons social development. We look forward to seeing you there and sharing valuable strategies that will help your child build and maintain positive relationships.

Please also find below some links which you may find helpful on this topic.

https://www.sexualwellbeing.ie/for-parents/resources/booklets/making-the-big-talk-many-small-talks-13-to-18.pdf

https://ncca.ie/en/resources/sphe-presentation-for-parents-and-guardians/

Our Open Evening Was a Big Success

Thank you for completing the Parents Association Feedback Survey

Three boxes of Bulter’s Chocolates were dropped off at the school this morning for three lucky parents who completed our Parents Association’s feedback.

We greatly appreciate all the parents who shared their thoughts and insights. We had a great response. Your feedback helps us grow and better serve our school community.

Best Regards,

Patricia – Secretary

Maryfield College Parent Association

Lourdes

Volunteering with the Dublin Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes was an amazing and unforgettable experience. As students we decide to put our self’s forward for this experience with a sense of curiosity and a feeling of wanting to help our community however what we left with was so much more than we could have ever excepted. We left with a full heart and an understanding of the importance of faith in our lives and unforgettable memories.

One of the stand out experiences during our time was the lighting of the candles in the Basilica of our lady of the rosary. This mass was a deeply symbolic time during our time in Lourdes as every flame represented something close to our hearts- our family, our friends and the people that are struggling during this time. This experience showed us the power of faith as we all gathered to pray for the things that mean the most to us. This was another unforgettable and moving memory.

One of the most moving moments of our time in Lourdes was visiting the Grotto of Massabielle where our lady appeared to Saint Bernadette, the atmosphere around the grotto is truly magical and breathtaking, the sound of the nearby river and the breathtaking view of the statue of our lady is an experience like no other. Whilst in the grotto we felt a sense of connection, and belonging. not just to the sacredness of the grotto but to the intentions and prayers of all those who asked us to carry their hopes with us on our pilgrimage. We brought these intentions to the grotto and gently placed them before the statue of our lady. We spent time in quiet prayer together whilst also reflecting on this wonderful feeling of connection we had whilst being in the beautiful grotto of massabielle and it was truly life changing.

Each night the Torchlight Marian Procession was held. Witnessing the procession with our own eyes was truly incredible. A sea of yellow candle carried by thousands of pilgrims processing towards the basilica was indescribable . We could feel the beautiful hyms being sang .
We were lucky enough to participate in the procession at the end of the week. Being in the procession along with all our fellow blue and white shirts was a phenomenal experience, praying the rosary and carrying our own candles , being able to be part of something so big together as a community brought together by faith.

Overall the Dublin diocese trip to Lourdes was far more than just a pilgrimage. We experienced a journey of growth and connection. For us, the trip was our chance to bond with not only each other, but with the other volunteers and most importantly the sick and the elderly. We were brought to Lourdes to help and assist the pilgrims and that was truly such an experience. By the end of the trip, it was clear that Lourdes wasn’t just about the journey we made but about the people we met, the lives we touched and the ways we grew together through serving others. This pilgrimage had made a lasting impact, not just on our faith but on our lives.