Kells school features in RTE televised Mass

Students from Pobalscoil Chiaran, Kells, their teachers and parents recently featured in the Sunday morning Mass broadcast by RTE. They travelled to the RTE studios in Donnybrook where Fr Liam Malone, CC, Kells, celebrated the ceremony. The school choir, under the musical direction of Mary Casey Kelly and Kathleen McGovern, provided the music and students and their teachers read the prayers of the faithful and the readings. The gifts were brought to the altar by parents. The reaction to the broadcast was extremely positive and the director of religious affairs at RTE has asked the school back. Meanwhile, 15 students, three teachers and two parents left last week for Mazabuka, Zambia. This will be the fourth trip made by students from St Ciaran"s to Mazabuka. The students travelling are from Kells, Virginia, Maghera, Athboy, Carlanstown and surrounding areas. The school"s Zambia Immersion Programme started in 2000 and, since then, they have provided solar-powered wells, providing clean water for over 12,000 people, set up a food supplement programme to ensure that schoolchildren get at least one meal a day and refurbished computers for schools. This year, they will be supporting the construction of two orphanage buildings, which will cater for children who have been displaced. Meanwhile, the school held its Leaving Certificate Mass last week which was celebrated by the Bishop of Meath, Dr Michael Smith. In his address to the students, he praised them for the work they had done over the five years and wished them well in their exams. He congratulated the school choir and the Zambia Immersion Project and wished the students well when they set out for Zambia last Wednesday. After the Mass, the school held the graduation ceremony at which school principal Dermot Carney addressed the students and parents and presented each student with a graduation certificate. He then presented awards to Student of the Year, Brendan Murray, and Leaving Certificate Applied Student of the Year, Elaine Tuite. At a meeting of Kells town Council last week, Cllr Conor Ferguson was joined by fellow councillors in congratulating the school on its televised Mass the previous day. He said he had been very proud to see them.