Clubs and activities
Sport, music and art are a big part of school life here. Children of all ages take part and the senior classes get the chance to play for school teams.
Sport through the year
Gaelic football
Our teams play in the Fingal league, which begins in March. Mr McAuley trains the boys on Fridays during school time. Ms Rennicks and Ms Halpin coach our girls' GAA team, who train on Tuesdays from 1.45pm to 2.15pm. St Maur's GAA provides coaching through the year.
Run 4 Fun Club
What used to be cross country is now Run 4 Fun Club, run for fun and fitness, fresh air and chats with friends. Ms Doyle and Ms Rennicks run it during school time and it is free.
Soccer
Soccer is very popular in the village and we get great support from Loughshinny United. We run skills sessions for the junior classes through the FAI, enter girls' and boys' teams in the FAI five-a-side competitions and finish the year with a fun mini-blitz for Third to Sixth.
Athletics
We enter the Cumann na mBunscol sports day at Morton Stadium each year, which gives our sprinters and relay teams their day out.
Swimming
Swimming is part of our curriculum and in a harbour village we think it matters more than most. Lessons usually run in Term 3 for Fourth and Fifth Class, during school time. They are subsidised by the Parents' Association. The price changes from year to year, so we confirm it each year before lessons start.
Sport here is about being active, healthy and fit. We hope that what children try at St Brendan's keeps them playing and sends a few of them on to the clubs around us.
During the school day
All of these clubs run within school time, led by our own staff.
Art and Doodle Club
Ms Rooney runs Art and Doodle Club on Thursdays.
Choir
Ms Byrne, Ms Halpin and Ms O’Farrell run the choir on Thursday mornings. Our choir sings beyond the school gates too, at local festivals and regattas.
Book Club
Ms Cunnane runs Book Club in the Nurture Room and library, a new space for reading, chatting about books and a bit of calm. Days to be confirmed.
Brendan’s Buzz
Our school podcast, produced by Sixth Class and shared with the whole school at assembly every Friday.
Buddy Club
Ms Halpin and Ms Deering run Buddy Club on Mondays and Wednesdays. It is a calm space for children who find yard time a bit much or find it hard to join in, where they make friends and grow in confidence at their own pace.
Gardening Club
Ms Creamer and Ms Cunnane run Gardening Club on Tuesdays and Fridays, growing and learning in our garden, outdoor classroom and wildlife pond. More about Gardening Club
Typing group
Typing is useful for every child and especially for children who use assistive technology. How we support every child.
Student Council
Two elected pupils from each class from 3rd to 6th, meeting regularly with Ms Doyle. Meet our Student Council
Chess Club
Mr Keary runs Chess Club on Fridays at lunchtime.
Ms Creamer and Ms Cunnane, Tuesdays and Fridays at lunchtime
Our Gardening Club
At St Brendan’s, we are very lucky to be surrounded by so much green space. Our school grounds are full of trees, flower beds and open areas and from the school we enjoy a beautiful view across the sea to Lambay Island. Our Gardening Club helps to care for these special surroundings and gives our pupils a chance to learn, work together and enjoy the outdoors.
All of our gardening initiatives are carried out with biodiversity in mind. Our aim is to improve biodiversity across our school grounds and to help children understand the importance of a rich, diverse and sustainable habitat for all to enjoy.
A lasting legacy
Our beautifully landscaped gardens are the legacy of our former caretaker, Packie. Over many years, Packie put great care, skill and hard work into creating and tending the gardens that make our school grounds so special. His dedication can be seen in every flower bed, hedge and pathway and his work continues to be enjoyed by pupils, staff and visitors every day.
Our Gardening Club is proud to carry on Packie’s work, looking after the gardens he created so that they can be enjoyed for many years to come.
Who is in the Gardening Club?
The Gardening Club is run by Ms Creamer and Ms Cunnane and meets at lunchtime every Tuesday and Friday. So that as many children as possible get to take part, membership changes throughout the year: 6th Class in Term 1, 5th Class in Term 2 and 4th Class in Term 3.
What have our gardeners been doing?
There is always plenty to do in our gardens! So far this year, our gardeners have been:
- Upcycling planters, giving them a fresh new coat of paint so they can be used and enjoyed again
- Weeding the flower beds and garden areas to keep them neat and healthy
- Looking after our wildlife pond, helping to keep it a healthy, welcoming habitat for the creatures that live there
- Creating a vegetable bed in our internal courtyard, where they have just planted winter radishes, with more vegetables to be added before winter
- Caring for our plants and flower beds so the school grounds look their best all year round
Coming up next
Our gardeners have lots of exciting plans for the months ahead:
- A sensory herb bed: we have one more recycled planter to fill and we are hoping to turn it into a herb bed that children can touch, taste and smell
- Bird boxes: our bird boxes are ready to be painted and put up around the school grounds. This will make for a really fun learning experience when nesting season comes around and we hope to see some baby birds emerge from our nest boxes!
- Leaf composting and our wormery: we are working with Fingal County Council and will soon have leaf composting cages in place. With so many trees on our grounds, we have an abundance of leaves and it would be amazing to make our own compost to use on our growing beds. The children will also look after our compost wormery.
- Planting bulbs for a colourful display in spring
As the club’s work changes with the seasons, pupils get to see how a garden grows, rests and renews itself.
Creating habitats for wildlife
Over the years, we have worked hard to create a habitat mosaic across our school grounds: a variety of different habitats that support a wide range of plants and wildlife.
- Native hedgerow: for the last three years, we have been planting native hedgerow along our school border. This creates habitat for the wildlife that visits our school, including hedgehogs and hares. We hope to continue this initiative again this winter.
- A mini woodland: our Junior Infants and 3rd Class worked together to plant a mini woodland of native trees such as rowan and hazel.
- No Mow May: we will continue our No Mow May initiative, which allows a section of our grounds to grow into a wonderful grassland habitat. The children will also have the opportunity to see how hay is made using a scythe.
Growing our green spaces
Our Gardening Club is part of a wider commitment to outdoor learning and nature across the whole school. Thanks to funding from the DAA #Elevate Programme, we were able to complete our outdoor classroom, giving children a wonderful space to learn in the fresh air.
Last year we also planted a pocket forest, which is growing well. Our youngest gardeners are getting involved too: our Junior and Senior Infants have planted conkers and we are hoping to have some horse chestnut trees, or even just one, to plant out next year!
Working with our community
We are proud to work with Rush Tidy Towns, who kindly gave us a bug hotel for our grounds. Together we take part in litter picks and beach clean-up days, helping our pupils to care for their local environment beyond the school gates.
Why is the Gardening Club important?
Gardening offers children so much more than time outdoors. Through the Gardening Club, our pupils:
- Learn about nature and biodiversity, including plants, wildlife, habitats and the changing seasons
- Take pride in their school and help to make it a beautiful place for everyone
- Develop teamwork and responsibility, working together to look after a shared space
- Learn practical skills, from planting and weeding to upcycling, composting and growing their own food
- Enjoy the benefits of fresh air and physical activity, which support both wellbeing and concentration
- Learn about sustainability, reusing and upcycling materials, reducing waste and caring for the environment
- Connect with their local community through our work with Rush Tidy Towns and Fingal County Council
The Gardening Club is a wonderful example of how our pupils help to shape and care for the school they love. Keep an eye on this page for photos of our gardeners in action!
Pupil voice, led by Ms Doyle
Our Student Council
At St Brendan’s, we believe children should have a real say in their school. Our Student Council gives pupils a voice in decisions that affect them and helps to make our school an even better place to learn and grow.
Who is on the Student Council?
The Student Council is made up of two pupils from each class from 3rd to 6th Class. Each year, children who would like to join prepare and deliver a speech to their classmates, explaining why they would like to represent their class and what ideas they would bring. Their classmates then vote to elect their representatives.
Taking part in an election is a valuable experience in itself. Children learn about democracy, public speaking and fairness. Every child has the chance to have their say through their vote.
What does the Student Council do?
Student Council members meet regularly to share ideas and discuss changes they would like to see in the school. These meetings are facilitated by Ms Doyle, who supports the children to listen to one another, share their views and develop their ideas. Members gather suggestions from their classmates and bring them forward on behalf of their class.
The council also meets with our Principal, Ms Lundy, to present and discuss their ideas and suggestions. Together they explore what is possible and how ideas can be put into action. Members then report back to their classes, so every pupil knows their voice has been heard.
Making a real difference
Our Student Council plays a genuine role in shaping school life. Last year, the council was consulted on our Bí Cineálta policy, which sets out how our school works to prevent and address bullying behaviour. The children shared their views and helped to develop a child-friendly version of the policy, so that every pupil can understand it. They then presented their work to the Board of Management, a wonderful achievement and a great example of pupil voice in action.
Why is the Student Council important?
We believe that pupil voice is at the heart of a happy, inclusive school. The Student Council:
- Gives every child a voice, so pupils know their opinions are valued and taken seriously
- Helps children feel a sense of ownership and belonging in their school
- Builds leadership, confidence and communication skills
- Teaches children about democracy, responsibility and teamwork
- Encourages children to listen to others and to think about what is best for the whole school community
- Helps us to keep improving our school, because the best ideas often come from the children themselves
Children’s right to be heard on matters that affect them is also recognised in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. We are proud to put this into practice every day at St Brendan’s.
Our Student Council 2026/27
Congratulations to our newly elected Student Council members!
| Class | Representatives |
|---|---|
| 3rd Class | Keira and Lucas |
| 4th Class | Chloe and Sam |
| 5th Class | Cian and Elsie-Mai |
| 6th Class | Harry, Nathan, Holly and Maggie |
After school
These clubs are run privately and separately from the school, outside school time. For prices and places, contact the organiser directly.
Rockshinny
Rockshinny is the St Brendan’s school rock band, with Mr Keary. The band practises every Monday and Tuesday from 2.30pm to 3.30pm and rehearsals work towards shows in Rush Library and the Millbank. The songs are covers of modern and classic songs, everything from The Beatles to Nirvana to Taylor Swift.
For prices, email Mr Keary at rory.keary@loughshinnyns.ie.
Ukulele
Ukulele with Mr McAuley runs from 2.30pm to 3.20pm, on Mondays for Third and Fourth Class and on Tuesdays for First and Second Class. For prices, email ross.mcauley@loughshinnyns.ie.
Soccer
After-school soccer runs on Mondays, from 1.30pm to 2.30pm for Junior and Senior Infants and from 2.30pm to 3.30pm for First to Sixth Class. It is run by an outside company. Ask the office for details.
Playball
Playball runs on Wednesdays, from 1.30pm to 2.30pm for Junior and Senior Infants and from 2.30pm to 3.30pm for First to Fourth Class. It is run by an outside company. Ask the office for details.
After-school club, a pilot this year
This year we are piloting an after-school club, run by Ms Sheehan. For prices, email roisin.sheehan@loughshinnyns.ie.
Before and after school care
Breakfast club, from January
Breakfast club starts after Christmas with Mr McAuley, from 8am. To ask about a place, email ross.mcauley@loughshinnyns.ie.
After-school care, from September 2027
BrightPath Academy will run after-school care here at the school from September 2027, from 1.30 to 6.30pm, with food. It is run independently of the school and you book directly with them.
Signing up
Dates, fixtures and sign-up notices come out through Aladdin Connect and are listed on our calendar. If you are not sure whether something is running, ring the office on 01 849 0394.