Happy Father’s Day to to all the amazing Dad’s in our school community.Thank you for all that you do—both seen and unseen. We hope your day is filled with love, laughter, and the appreciation you so richly deserve.
Category Archives: Arts & Crafts
Art and Nature with Stephanie from Heritage in Schools
Last week, we welcomed back Stephanie from Heritage in Schools for another inspiring visit, this time leading a wonderful activity that blended nature and creativity.
The children explored local green spaces and collecting native Irish wildflowers with Stephanie’s expert guidance. Along the way, they learned to identify various species and were reminded of the importance of caring for the natural world.
Back in the classroom, the children carefully arranged their flowers for pressing. Stephanie demonstrated the traditional technique of preserving blooms between sheets of paper in heavy books.
As always Stephanie’s passion for Irish heritage and biodiversity shone through, leaving the children with new knowledge and a deeper appreciation for the beauty around them.
We’re very grateful to Heritage in Schools and to Stephanie for sharing her time and enthusiasm with us once again.
Lino Block Printing
The Senior Room got creative this week in a fantastic lino printing class inspired by Irish wildflowers.
The workshop began with the children choosing their favourite wildflower designs, which they carefully traced onto lino blocks. With focus and steady hands, they then used special cutting tools to carve out their images—an exciting process that required both patience and precision.
Once their lino blocks were ready, the real fun began! The children rolled ink over their carvings and pressed them onto paper, revealing beautiful prints of Irish flora. Each piece was unique, and the results were truly impressive.
It was a brilliant hands-on session with Stephanie from Heritage in School that combined art, nature, and creativity. Well done to all our young artists.
Scratch Art
This week in the Junior Room the children explored the colourful world of scratch art with Stephanie from Heritage in Schools.
Artist Visit – Séan Murphy
We were delighted to welcome musician Séan Murphy as part of the Creative Schools Initiative—a program dedicated to placing arts and creativity at the heart of children’s education.
Séan’s visit was wonderful experience for the children. His passion for songwriting, rap, beat-making, music production, and performance brought the creative process to life for the children. They were fascinated as he broke down how songs are crafted, offering insights that sparked their imaginations and deepened their appreciation for the power of music and self-expression.
During the workshop, the children enthusiastically explored the world of rap music. They brainstormed lyrics, experimented with rhythm, and discussed the many aspects of creativity that go into crafting a great song. It was inspiring to see them dive in with such energy and enthusiasm!
A huge thank you to Séan Murphy for sharing his talent and creativity with us.
Characters from Children’s Literature
This years St. Patrick’s Day Parade featured many wonderful characters from children’s literature including Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Harry Potter, The Three Little Pigs and The Big Bad Wolf, Goldilocks and The Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood, The Wolf, and The Woodcutter, Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox, Jack and The Beanstalk, Leprechauns, Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Peter Rabbit, Farmer Hoggett and Babe and others. Well Done to all the children.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
We had an incredible day at the Dunmanway St. Patrick’s Day Parade. It was wonderful to see the children transformed into beloved characters from literature.
A huge thank you to everyone who played a part in helping the children prepare their imaginative and creative costumes for the parade.
We’re also deeply grateful to the large, enthusiastic crowd that gathered to wave, applaud and enjoy the festivities.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
The children have been eagerly preparing for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dunmanway. This year’s parade theme celebrates the town’s literary connection. A local historian recently uncovered that A.A. Milne, the author of Winnie the Pooh, has strong family ties to Dunmanway. To celebrate this, the parade will feature characters from literature—expect to see some familiar and fantastic faces along the route.
If you’re coming along to enjoy the festivities, be sure to give the children a big wave and join in the fun.
Artist Visit – Celina Buckley
We were thrilled to welcome award-winning author and illustrator Celina Buckley to Togher National School as part of the Creative Schools Initiative. This exciting program is all about placing arts and creativity at the heart of children’s lives, helping them explore new ways to express themselves and develop their artistic skills.
Celina’s visit was a wonderful experience the children. She shared her passion for storytelling and the creative process behind illustrating books. The children were captivated as Celina explained how stories come to life, from imagining unique characters to designing vibrant illustrations. Her insights not only sparked their imaginations but also encouraged them to think deeply about the power of creativity.
During the workshop the children enthusiastically diving into the world of storytelling. They brainstormed imaginative characters, crafted exciting storylines, and brought their ideas to life through colourful illustrations. It was wonderful to see their creativity as they designed their very own illustrated books.
