‘Stop scrolling through your life!’

Students from Monaghan Collegiate School who gathered in St Patrick’s Church in Monaghan Town on October 23 for their 2026 Prize Day were encouraged by their principal Tara Cowan to “stop scrolling through your life”.

“Life doesn't happen in notifications,” stated Mrs Cowan when delivering her annual school report.

“Life happens in moments, and we run the risk of missing the most important moments in life when we are busy recording, scrolling or taking photographs. There is a beautifully simple verse in Psalm 46: Be still, and know that I am God.”

The principal said these words are comforting but also challenging, because being still is not always easy.

“We are surrounded by noise, notifications, opinions, entertainment, news, pressure and the constant feeling that we should always be doing something. Sometimes we need to stop, to put the phone down, to switch off the noise, to breathe, to think, to pray, to notice the people around us, to be still. And in that stillness, to remember that we are more than our exam results, our achievements, our appearance, our number of followers or what other people think of us.”

Mrs Cowan reviewed a year of distinguished academic achievement by the school, one of Ireland’s oldest with an original foundation date of 1570. The average points score achieved by the 39 Leaving Certificate students was 391, with results above the national average in most subjects. The Junior Cycle class attained many distinctions, merits and higher merits.

The principal also delineated many noteworthy extracurricular achievements by students, among them the winning of the Ulster Rugby High Schools Shield by the senior boys team; the U15 boys table tennis team reaching the Ulster Schools Final; the raising of €1,460 for autism charity 'As I Am' by the Form 5 LCVP students, and the receipt by Lisa Fuller of the highest accolade in guiding, the Trail Blazer Award, from the President of the Irish Girl Guides.

Thanking the students for their sense of fun, energy and positivity, Mrs Cowan stated: “We are here today because of you, we are working for you and we are committed to looking after you in every way you need throughout your time in school.”

The presentation of Leaving Certificate, Junior Cycle, and class cups was performed by Reverend Dr Richard Kerr, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

The Moderator encouraged the pupils to make time in their lives to “stop, pause, reflect and give thanks”.

“The person who doesn’t make mistakes makes nothing,” he counselled. “The key is not to let your mistakes define you but use them to grow and learn. There are different pathways and opportunities in learning, and learning does not end at the school gates.”

Bishop of Clogher Rt Reverend Dr Ian Ellis, Chairman of the school’s Board of Governors, in concluding remarks reflected on the great esteem in which the Collegiate is held in the local community, and the sense of achievement and celebration with which the prize day was imbued.

Leaving Certificate cups:

Irish, Geography, Biology, Music - Amy Greacen; English, French, Art, History - Melisa Rutkauskas; Mathematics, Construction Studies, Physics, Engineering, DCG - Aaron Wallace; Chemistry - Faith Hill; Home Economics - Kate Berry; Agricultural Science - Cameron Dickson; Business – Jack Mackarel.

Junior Cycle cups: English, Visual Art – Lola Rose Creighton; Irish, Mathematics, French, Graphics, History, Geography, Business, Home Economics, Science – Emma Fuller; Engineering – Nathan Carleton; Music – Alana Blackburn; Wood Technology – Cara Porter.

Class cups:

Third Form – 1, Emma Fuller; 2, Cara Porter; 3, Alana Blackburn. Sixth Form – 1, Amy Greacen, 2, Aaron Wallace, 3, Melisa Rutkauskas. Form 1M – 1, Lisa Fuller; 2, Josh McAdoo; 3, Faith McAdam. Form 1C – 1, Esther Gray; 2, William Martin; 3, Andrius Garnelis. Form 2M – 1, Bethany Creane; 2, Mark Wright; 3, Anna Bradford. Form 2C – 1, Jessica Dunwoody; 2, Charlotte Fuller; 3, Harrison McKenna. Form 4M – 1, Isaac Condell; 2, Amy Farrell; 3, Jessica Coulter. Form 4C – 1, Katie Graham; 2, James Brown; 3, Mark Gray. Form 5 – 1, Lana Gillanders; 2, Matthew Hall; 3, Kara Scott.

TY PRIZES

Transition Year core subject awards were presented to Katie Graham (Irish), Jessica Coulter (English) and Katie Graham (Mathematics).

Gaisce awards

Prizes were also presented to the following Transition Year students who achieved a bronze Gaisce award: Lukas Bagdonas, Sam Bradford, Abigail Branyan, James Brown, Jessica Coulter, Amy Farrell, Katie Graham, Matthew Groves, Maggie Lalor, Anna Lyster, Liam McElvaney, Hannah Norris.