Philosophy week, with the theme “Conflict resolution: How can I resolve inner conflict and conflict around me? ” took place the week beginning Monday, January 22. The week culminated in the Philosophy Fair presentations, where students with the best philosophical projects from each class presented to the rest of the school. In the weeks before Philosophy Week, students in all classes prepared a presentation on their chosen philosophical question.

Workshop by John Lonergan

The week began with a workshop by John Lonergan, the retired warden of several Irish prisons. He had a lot of gripping anecdotes involving inmates, and he gave good tips, which the students took on board. This became evident as students were heard quoting him the next day, saying, ‘Don’t use phrases like ‘always’ and ‘never’ and ‘you should…’ but rather ‘I or we will …’.

Overnight trip to Townly Hall

As part of philosophy week, TY students and 5th-year students went on an overnight trip to Townley Hall from the 22nd to the 23rd of January for an activity-based philosophy trip. On the trip, they explored the theme of “Conflict Resolution” through teamwork activities, yoga, scavenger hunt and meal preparation for over 40 people.

Mr Kortenhorst reported from the trip:

The Townley Hall overnight was an enjoyable and useful learning experience. Seeing how everyone did their little bit to make it all happen was heart-warming. A team of TYs with Mr Bourke took charge of the kitchen when they arrived and cooked a delicious pasta dish with vegetables, garlic bread, and a selection of desserts. They even managed a birthday cake! There were stacks of dishes to be cleaned after each meal, but various students also got stuck there. Mr Gorey had two good sessions on body language, speech and conflict resolution, while the other group had a relaxing hour of yoga with Ms Williams.

Some students experimented with their singing voices in the Rotunda. It sounded very solemn and musical. The Treasure Hunt was tricky enough as some letters from the previous year were still up in the trees; despite all that, the winning team took all nine selfies with the nine hidden letters from which they had to come up with the word TRANQUILITY. This twenty-four-hour workshop brought us all closer together, and everyone showed their best side for the duration of the trip. It’s definitely worth repeating.