Senior Prizegiving 2024: Principal’s Address

Acting Principal, Mr Dáithí Murray, addressed parents and pupils of the Class of 2024, during the Senior Prizegiving ceremony on 5 September 2024.

Chair of Governors, Reverend Father Larkin, ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests, parents, and most importantly, the Class of 2024.

Good evening and welcome to the annual St Paul’s Senior Prizegiving ceremony. It is a real privilege to stand before you tonight as we come together to celebrate and recognise the remarkable achievements of our students.

Just four months ago, at your Leavers’ Mass in May, I again had the privilege of addressing you as you were on the brink of your final examinations. I challenged you to rededicate yourselves to your studies and to make that crucial final push to secure the grades you deserved. It is with immense pride and joy that I can say your dedication and hard work were not only evident but exceptional. The excellent grades awarded to you in August stand as a testament to your commitment and perseverance.

Tonight is an opportunity to reflect on and enjoy the success that you have worked so hard to achieve. Each grade represents not just a mark on a paper but a story of effort, sacrifice, and determination. Behind every grade awarded is a narrative of late nights, tireless study, and unwavering focus. Your achievements are a reflection of the high standards you have set for yourselves and the resilience you have demonstrated.

We are also delighted to welcome back, for some of you for the final time, your parents and carers. Your success is as much theirs as it is yours. They have supported you through every step of your journey, providing encouragement and a solid foundation for you to thrive. When you first joined St Paul’s in September 2017, your parents placed their trust in us to help you grow and succeed. I hope that we have repaid that trust and that your time here has been filled with fond memories and valuable experiences.

I am also honored to be joined this evening by our distinguished platform party, each of whom has played a significant role in the life of St Paul’s. I would like to extend a special welcome to Mrs Eileen Fearon, our Chair of Governors. Mrs Fearon has led St Paul’s through an era of exceptional growth and success for over ten years. Her dedication has been unwavering, and her support to me since I took on the role of Acting Principal in January has been invaluable. We are deeply grateful for her commitment.

We are also pleased to welcome Father Seán Larkin, a good friend and former Chair of the Board of Governors. Father Larkin’s continued interest and support for St Paul’s reflect his deep connection to our school and its community.

I am delighted to be joined this evening by Mr Ciaran Conlon, brother of the late Brian Conlon, and a proud parent of a St Paul’s pupil.  As many of you will know, Ciaran’s late brother, Brian, was the founder and the powerhouse behind the incredibly successful local FinTech company First Derivative.  Brian established First Derivatives in 1996 from his mum’s spare bedroom with a loan of £5,000 from the Newry Credit Union. From those humble beginnings, it has grown to become one of the top three, all-time best performing companies listed on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange and now has offices globally in every major financial capital.  We are humbled to honour Brian’s vision for the potential within his local community through the awarding tonight of the Brian Conlon Foundation Academic Scholarship. I thank Ciaran for his presence tonight and to the Conlon family for their continuing generosity in awarding these scholarships to pupils from St Paul’s and from other schools across our local area.  It is an enduring testament to the vision and generosity of Brian Conlon and we are proud to honour his legacy this evening.  I know you will look forward to hearing from Ciaran later in our ceremony.

Finally, I want to welcome our esteemed Guest of Honour this evening, Aaron McKay.  We are delighted, in this very special year, for County Armagh, to welcome one of the heroes of the All-Ireland Senior Football winning team, a player and a leader who had a pivotal impact all summer, but especially in that final game when as a full-back he drove forward in the 47th minute and palmed Soupy Campbell’s pass into the Galway net for the decisive goal that changed the game.  We all like to have goals, goals for life, but to score a goal in the All-Ireland Final is the best goal of all.

Aaron McKay was an outstanding pupil during his seven years in St Paul’s. He displayed exceptional ability – leaving the school, ten years ago, in 2014, with distinction grades in his BTEC Double Award Sport qualification and in GCE Religious Studies. Aaron was an incredibly popular member of his year group and always gave freely of his time across a vast array of learning opportunities in both curricular and non-curricular settings. It will be no surprise to you all that Aaron really begun to flourish in his educational experience since when he made the decision to specialise in Sport at Post 16; a subject area he had his greatest interest in.

Aaron was very involved in all school teams throughout his time here and played in our successful Under-18 schools football team that won both the Mac Larnon and All Ireland titles, at the age of 16. He was an outstanding member of the Mac Rory team that was defeated in the final of 2013 and he had the honour of captaining the Mac Rory team in the following academic year. His club commitments, with Dromintee GAC, a club he is incredibly proud of, are equally as dedicated and accomplished.

Aaron is an incredibly humble young man.  We are delighted that he has pursued his vocation into teaching, and particularly working with vulnerable young people who experience the most significant barriers to their learning.  He is also an incredible role model.  Aaron, later this evening, will present the Peter Hughes Leadership Award, an award named after and dedicated to the memory of our late former Head Boy and close friend of Aaron.  At the final whistle in Croke Park on 28 July this year, Aaron, in an act of love, and a dedication to the memory of his friend, changed his jersey to have the number 6 on it with the initials PH. Aaron walked around the pitch and lifted the Cup with that jersey on.  It is simple, yet profound acts of solidarity and compassion that typifies the incredible young man that Aaron McKay has become.  We are delighted by his success and immensely proud of all his achievements and I am so proud to welcome Aaron back to St Paul’s tonight.

To the Class of 2024, as we celebrate your achievements tonight, remember that this is just the beginning of a new chapter. You are stepping into a world full of opportunities and challenges. Embrace them with the same spirit of determination and excellence that has brought you to this moment. You will always be a part of the St Paul’s family, and we are excited to see where your journey takes you.

Thank you all for being here tonight to celebrate the successes of this exceptional group of young people. We are incredibly proud of what you have achieved and look forward to following your future endeavours. Remember, once a St Paul’s pupil, always a St Paul’s pupil. Carry that pride with you as you move forward.

Congratulations once again to the Class of 2024. Enjoy this special evening and thank you for joining us in celebrating your achievements.

Thank you.