Scuba Diving

Over the last two years SCUBA diving has taken me to places I never thought I would see; I have had experiences that I never could imagine and my passion for it has led me to travel the world, and it will continue to do so.  I began my journey into the sport whilst on the Aran Islands with a dive center called “Dive Academy”, I took my first breath underwater with them and I haven't looked back since. I continued with my training in Dublin to get my Open Water certification and later travelled back to the Aran Islands to get my Advanced Open Water certification with the same dive centre I took my first breath with.  

Since then, I have had the pleasure of visiting Egypt, more specifically Dahab and its famous ‘Blue Hole’ where I dived a site called “El Bells”. I have also travelled across Ireland to Cork and for a third time to the Aran Islands for the beauty of the Atlantic Ocean.  Whilst in Dahab I completed six dives where I got to experience the sprawling life of the Red Sea up close: with its vibrant corals and abundance of fish it was nothing like I had seen before. My favourite dive throughout the trip was “The Canyon”.  It begins on a shallow reef shelf which is covered in corals and fish life and slowly descends towards a break in the floor which drops to a maximum depth of 25m.  The walls of this canyon are covered in life and at the back of it is a small space where I witnessed a school of fish swim in unison as the light broke through the cracks in the ceiling and glimmered off their scales.  

Another dive site that I remember fondly is “El Bells”, which is the main dive site at the Dahab Blue Hole.  It begins at the elevator shaft which drops to a maximum depth of 26m.  You exit through an arch into the open ocean where on the right is the wall which from the surface down is covered with all sorts of coral and fish. Almost the entirety of the dive is along this reef wall where you can experience the unrivalled beauty of underwater life, the dive ends with an ascent to 7 metres, and you pass over the saddle of the Blue Hole. As you enter the Blue Hole, you have a full view of the circumference of it and all the life that lies along its inner wall.  The dive ends with a traverse along this wall and an exit onto the shelf.  

Diving is an experience I think everyone should try at least once; you are away from the chaos of everyday life while weightless and surrounded by underwater life.  The only noise you can hear being your own breathing. To say the least it is a very peaceful experience. It might seem daunting at first, but the diving community is the most welcoming group of people I have ever had the pleasure to be around.  They are all there to enjoy the peace of diving and help others to experience the beauty of the sport.  
Anthony Leonard 

Irish Aid in Mozambique

Over the summer I had the fantastic experience of travelling to Mozambique, Eswatini, and South Africa where I worked at the Irish Embassy in Maputo. It was an interesting and enlightening experience, and I enjoyed meeting a wide range of people from both Ireland and Mozambique who work in the field of diplomacy. It was particularly inspiring to see the good work done by the Irish Embassy and Irish Aid while in Mozambique, and the highlight of my trip was visiting the Marracuene primary school in the municipality of Guava near Maputo. 

The Marracuene primary school is the largest school in Guava and

accommodates 3,600 pupils.  The national primary teacher-pupil ratio in Mozambique is one teacher to sixty pupils, compared to an Irish average of one teacher to thirty pupils. In practice, some classes I visited with embassy staff were accommodating up to 120 pupils per teacher. The nearest secondary school to Guava was not within walking distance so despite being a primary school Marracuene unofficially catered to secondary school aged pupils as well. Due to the large number of pupils attending the school three shifts were held each day of 1,500 pupils for three hours of classes.

The work done by the Irish Embassy and Irish Aid in Guava was meaningful and inspiring: the Embassy had funded a renewable energy plan and installed solar panels in the school to provided electricity to the classrooms and neighbouring homes. Irish Aid had also funded a well digging project, built modern and hygenic toilet blocks for pupils and staff, installed water pipes, supplied the school with new blackboards, bins, and built a football field for the pupils to use during their breaks.  I also enjoyed meeting and speaking with the Marracuene School Council, an organisation made up of pupils, teachers, school administration, community leaders, and local politicians who meet regularly to discuss issues affecting their school and community. 

Visiting Marracuene was an important experience in learning about what other schools across the world are like and how they operate. Though there were many differences, there were also lots of similarities between our two schools, and the staff and community in Marracuene work very hard to provide and care for their pupils, even in difficult circumstances.  The Irish Embassy in Maputo has over 50 major aid and development projects that help schools and communities like Guava across Mozambique, Eswatini, and on the neighbouring island of Madagascar.  If any pupils are interested in international relations and how Ireland interacts with the world, I would encourage you to participate in the Model United Nations club at The High School to learn more about our world and the international community!
Leo Shorten

Ella-Marie Explores The Deception and Chaos Wrought by Love Triangles in Explosive New Single Cat Eyes

Classically trained pianist, award winning lyricist, and recent High School past pupil Ella-Marie Cullen (HSD, 2018-24) is back with a powerful new single that evokes flavours of Fleetwood Mac and Fiona Apple. Dynamic is an understatement as Ella-Marie transitions seamlessly from vulnerable breathy falsetto to fearsome belts that perfectly paint a complex picture of heartbreak, love, and loss.

Ella-Marie’s gentle piano gives way to crashing drums and guitar as we’re dragged through the unfolding drama, and ultimately come to rest having felt like we’d experienced every late night text, every overthought catastrophised imagining, and every agonizing moment of self doubt right along side Ella-Marie herself.

When asked about the inspiration for the song Ella-Marie state that “The song Cat Eyes is equal parts about intimacy and jealousy. It’s a battle between craving intimacy from someone but also regretting anything happening at all. This song paints an image of another woman type situation. Being tormented solely by another woman’s existence while trying to maintain any rational thinking at all is near impossible.”

Working with the Beardfire Music Production team of Rohan Healy, Al Quiff, and David Virgin - who in their collective eight decades in the music business have shared the stage and studio with the likes of Nick Cave, INXS, Cat Power, and Billy Bragg, to name a few, and whose productions have garnered millions of streams, film and TV placements, and chart success – Ella-Marie hopes to continue to find new ways to express her prodigious talents and is garnering fans around the world.  Cat Eyes is out now 2024 on all major platforms.

Cat Eyes is out now 2024 on all major platforms.

Ella-Marie’s Contact and Socials:

Email - ellamarie424@gmail.com

Instrgam - https://www.instagram.com/ellamariecmusic/?hl=en