Barack Obama Buzz :)

Well, were sitting here in careers and there is only 12 of us here!! 10 of which are going to see Barack Obama :) It should be a good day. He's heading to Moneygall in Offaly to see his ancestors then into College Green in Dublin to do a public speech which is where the rest of TY are today!! Everybody is heading in at different times to see him. The gates are opening at 2 but her won't be there till around 6ish now he has to drive to Moneygall with the bad weather. A good day will be had by all :)
Aoife O'B

Geography Project

Michael Cusack was born in 1847 in Carron, County Clare. Although young Michael did not attend school until he was 11 years old, he quickly showed that he was a bright and able pupil. After a spell as a student teacher in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, he returned to teach at the national school in Corofin for a few months. He then went on to get his teaching qualifications in Dublin. His first major post was as school master at Lough Cutra national school in Galway where he received the princely sum of £18 per year. Michael Cusack also thought in Clongowes Wood in Clane, Co.Kildare. He then set up his own school in Dublin and settled there.

In 1884 Michael Cusack, founded the Gaelic Athletic Association in Hayes Hotel in Thurles, Co Tipperary, in Liberty Square which is in the centre of Thurles. The other founders are Maurice Davin, John Wyse Power, John McKay, J. K. Bracken, Joseph O'Ryan and Thomas St. George McCarthy, who were from all over Ireland.

Croke Park is the 3rd largest stadium in Europe. It has played host to many events, not all of which involve the GAA. It is situated in Dublin centre just off Lower Dorset Street and Jones Road. The GAA also opened the doors of Croke Park to the FAI and IRFU during the reconstruction of their own ground on Lansdown Road, which is now called the Aviva Stadium. The names of the four stands in Croke Park, Hogan Stand, Davin stand, Cusack Stand and Dineen-Hill 16. Each stand is named after a person involved in the GAA. The Cusack stand is named after Michael Cusack, founder of the GAA. The Davin stand stand is named after Maurice Davin, who was involved in the founding of the GAA. The Hogan stand is named after Michael Hogan, who was captain of the Tipperary team that were playing in Croke Park when it was attacked during Bloody sunday. The Dineen-Hill 16 was a mound measuring 60m was called Hill 60. In 2006 the Hill was renamed Dineen/Hill 16 in honour of Frank Dineen, who purchased the grounds for the GAA in 1908.

Muhammad Ali was born in Cassius Marcellus Clay on January 17 1942. He is a 3 times former heavyweight champion and is considered one of the greatest boxers of all time. His Grandfather Abe Grady was born in Ennis in County Clare, so he has Irish connenctions!!

What I have learned from this project is that 2 of my favorite sports to watch, boxing and GAA, have Clare relations. The town of Ennis and the town of Carron are around 30 minutes away from each other. The founder of the GAA and Muhammad Ali's grandfather were from Clare.

English Book Report

"My Sisters Keeper" By Jodi Picoult

This was my second time to read this book, and I love it as much as the first time!!

This book tells the story of Kate and Anna Fitzgerald, two sisters who share so much with each other. When Kate was 2, she was diagnosed with APL, Acute promyelocytic leukaemia, which is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. When she was diagnosed with APL, Dr.Chance the oncologist did tests with Kate's brother Jesse to see if he was a donor match, but he wasn't, and neither were her parents. He asked Kate's parents Brian and Sara had they ever thought about having another child. He told them that they could have another child that would be a perfect genetic match for Kate, through genetic modification, and also that umbilical blood is the most effective type of blood to help save Kate’s life.

Anna has always helped Kate through her sickness. She has given blood and bone marrow and whatever else her sister needs, until Anna is asked to donate a kidney. She has decided that she doesn’t want to do it anymore. Her brother Jesse brings her into meet a lawyer, Campbell Alexander. Campbell has agreed to take on Anna’s case to be medically emancipated from her parents and to have the rights to her own body even though she has no money to pay him.

While Anna is in the hospital with her mom Sara and Kate, her mom is presented with the legal documents from Campbell Alexander. Sara, Brian and Anna sit down to talk about it when Anna tells them that she didn’t want to do it anymore, saving Kate’s life.

The rest of the book is a mixture of the present day and the past. Each character has their own chapter.

Anna’s tells of her present day life. She tells of her struggle with dealing with the court case and how she moves into the fire station with her dad. She talks about how she met Julia Romano and Campbell Alexander and all her memories with Kate. Anna also tells us about how she had started playing hockey for a local team when she was accepted on a full scholarship to a summer hockey camp for a few weeks, but her mother Sara wouldn’t let her go in case while she away, something happens to Kate and she needs something from Anna. It’s just to show how Anna can’t live a normal life while Kate is still sick.

Sara tells of her life in each year leading up to the present day. She used to be a successful lawyer, but she gave up her job when she had her children. Her chapters tell of each time Kate has gotten sick and how they have changed their lives to help her to get better. She tells us about the changes in their lives and how she deals with her sick daughter while she defends herself in the court case.

Brian tells us of how his life is as a fire man and how every few days he is putting out fires from a mysterious arsonist who he later finds out is his son Jesse. Himself and his daughter Anna move out of the house and into the fire station when things at home start to boil at home with the court case. Brian loves to look at the stars. He spends nights at the station on the roof looking at the starts and consolations. He named his daughter Anna after a consolation.

Kate is Anna’s sister. When she was two she was diagnosed with APL and has been in and out of hospital ever since. She was cured when she but had another relapse when she was 5. Kate’s kidneys are failing and her parents wanted Anna to give one of her kidneys. Kate has told Anna she doesn’t want the kidney and asked her to start the lawsuit against her parents.

Jesse is Anna and Kate’s brother and he lives in a separate apartment over the garage of their house. He spends everyday drinking, smoking and doing drugs in his apartment. He also goes to set fires to old buildings and his father is the Fire Captain. He goes to see a homeless guy every few days to get the things to start the fires with and in return brings him a meal from McDonalds.

Taylor is Kate’s boyfriend. They met during chemo; Taylor also has cancer but has AML which is a different type of cancer to Kate’s. Kate and Taylor went to a dance in the hospital together but Taylor died the next day. Sara found out but didn’t tell Kate for two months because she was afraid Kate would give up the fight and die so be with Taylor.

Campbell is Anna’s lawyer. Campbell agreed to take on Anna’s case even though she has not got enough money to pay him. He has a service dog called Judge, whose service is not known until the end of the book when he has a seizure during the court case we find out that he his an epileptic. During the case, he is reunited with an old girlfriend, Julia Romano, who was appointed to look after Anna and advise her in what she does.

Suzanne or Zanne as the kids like to call her is Sara’s sister and is very wealthy. When Kate gets sick, she looks after Anna and Jesse. When Sara and Brian come into trouble paying for Kate’s treatment, she offers to pay for it but Brian lies and tells her that he raised it through the Fire Station.

Dr. Chance is Kate’s oncologist and has grown close to the Fitzgerald family since Kate’s illness. When he gets up to speak at the court-case, he tells the judge he is not sure if Anna giving her kidney to Kate would be of any benefit.

Julia Romano is appointed by Judge DelSalvo to advise Anna and talk to her during the trial. She is reunited with Campbell and when she first realises that she has to work with him but they bond as we read through the book and up as a couple at the end.

At the end of the book we come into the court case. After much deliberation and consideration, the Judge rules in Anna’s favour and she is medically emancipated from her parents, and the judge appoints Campbell as someone to help her make her medical decisions Her parents head over to the hospital to be with Kate because she has gotten really ill and the doctors don’t think she will make it much longer and Anna stays at the courthouse with her lawyer to sign some papers.

While they are at the hospital, Brian gets called out to work on a road accident, a car and a truck. While he is out he goes into pull out the passenger and the driver, he looks and sees that it is Anna and Campbell and Campbell’s dog Judge. He gets them straight out and onto ambulances to the hospital. At the hospital, Anna is pronounced Brain Dead,. It means she wont wake up, but her organs still function. Before they turn off the life support, Campbell says as Anna’s medical advisor, that Kate should get the kidney. Brian and Sara then have to turn off the life support and Kate gets Anna’s kidneys.

For a while after she died, they all just stopped their lives. They spent their time at home thinking about her, afraid to laugh at anything funny or to leave the house. Life does improve for the Fitzgerald’s. Kate gets better and become’s a dance teacher, Jesse went to Police college and is now a policeman. The 4 of the Fitzgerald’s attended the wedding of Campbell Alexander and Julia Romano who they kept in contact with.

I loved this book. Even though I had read it before, I still didn’t expect what was coming. It is one of my favourite books and I could read it again and again! it was a great opportunity to read this book again

What have I accomplished from TY?

So TYs almost over :( I really don't want it to end!

I know over the year of TY, when I tell people I am n TY they say "Oh is it a doss year yeah?" Its really not!!

We do so much work. Everyday presents a new challenge :) I have learned so many new things. I've taken on new subjects, like Mini Company, Music and Art :)

I enjoyed Mini Company. There was a lot of work involved and it can get pretty stressful at times. Music was good :) I loved the way we had it last class on Wednesday because we were all so tired were just allowed to sing our hearts out. I Loved art class! I'm not an artist at all but we all did so many things I really enjoyed it all :)

I've also become a referee after TY :) Mr.Lawlor got a few of us involved in a course and we are now qualified referees. He has also got me involved in doing a bit of coaching in the GAA club too so Thanks for that Sir!! Its been great fun :)
I will certainly miss TY but I have left it with so many great memories.
Aoife O'B :)

Swim a Mile with a Smile

A few weeks ago, we got a visit in schoo from Brian Daly. He is a neighbour of mine who's son died from a brain tumor when he was 11. It was a really intesting talk and we all wanted to go swimming so when Brian asked us to get involved we were all really excited :)

So the day we got our easter holidays we all went to the National Aquatic Centre (NAC) with Mr L and Ms O'C where we were met by Brian Daly. We all went into get changed and headed into the pool where we were seperated into different lanes as to how far we were swimming. Iwanted to do a full mile on my own but i couldnt finish the whole thing because we ran out of time :( Brian told us though that we could come back and finish the swim if we wanted :)After the swim, we went into the waterworld part for a while and the into lachardstown shopping centre for food and then headed back to school :)

Check out the swim a mile website :) http://swimamile.webnode.com/

Irish Autism Action

A few weeks ago we went to Tesco in Celbridge to do a bag pack for Irish Autism Action. Stephanie S from Amina kindly took on the job of organizing this and did a fantastic job in getting people to come down!! I went down at 4 on friday but I could only stay for an hour because I had to go to training in the GAA club. We all had so much fun and raised a lot of money for Irish Autism Action :)