Tullow Centre

Opening of Tullow Centre

After many false starts due to COVID, we finally got to officially open and bless our new award-winning Performing Arts and Music Learning Facility - the Tullow Centre in April 2021. It was so lovely to have Father Brian Collins back on-site to bless our magnificent building. It was an evening to remember with music provided by our fantastic Killester College band, and delicious canapes catered by our VCAL students. When the time came to officially open the Tullow Centre Rosemary Copeland, the Co-Chair of the Trustees of Kildare Ministries, pulled on a velvet curtain to reveal the new building’s plaques. We LOVE our new Tullow Centre and the new teaching and learning opportunities it affords us. It really does inspire creativity! Thank you to everyone who was involved, especially our Music Department and Food Technology Department. Here are some pictures of the event.

Painting of Tullow Centre

For many people, 2020 was a year of learning and creation. I was one of those who spent most of last year working on something I am especially passionate about; painting. Working with acrylic paints has always been one of my hobbies since I was a child. So when we were asked to create something that portrays our passion as part of our Passion Project in April of last year, I immediately knew exactly what I was going to commit my time and effort to. In most of my paintings, nature is usually the main theme. Therefore I decided to remake some of the environmental landscapes around my neighbourhood. I took several photos of areas near my house and eventually created four paintings of the different sceneries. I called my creation ‘The Neighbourhood Collection’ and made many photocopies to hand out to my peers as greeting cards.

I was lucky enough to have my project noticed by Ms Cannon who then gave me the wonderful opportunity to paint the new Tullow Building. I happily took the offer and was extremely excited to spend more time doing what I loved. For me, the idea of staying home for many months and during such uncertain times really frightened me. So working on the piece kept me quite busy and motivated throughout the year. With some help from a couple of art teachers, I began tracing the outlines and eventually starting to work on it just before the mid-year holidays. I worked on the painting whenever I had time, including after school as well as on the weekends. Considering that my new focus was something other than nature, I thought of it as an opportunity to learn new techniques.

For me, 2020 turned out to be an extremely productive year that would have otherwise been full of screen time, had I not been given the amazing opportunity to paint. I created something that I will be able to look back on with a sense of achievement when thinking of the COVID year.

Seerat Cheema