School News

🧑‍🍳 Culinary Arts • National Finalist Transition Year Student Maria Named All-Ireland Home-Cook Hero Finalist 20 November 2013 • Davitt College Castlebar Davitt College, Castlebar, extends its massive congratulations to Transition Year student Maria, who achieved national recognition by becoming a finalist in the prestigious Easy Food Home-Cook Hero Awards 2013. Run by Ireland’s number-one food magazine, Easy Food, this national cookery competition is open to all ages. The 2013 event was the most highly contested and popular year to date, drawing thousands of entries from across the country. Only three finalists were selected for each of the ten categories based on their unique, tasty, and creative recipes. Maria was chosen to compete in the highly competitive La Scala category, where she was the only student matching skills against two seasoned adult cooks—a previous category winner and a professional food blogger. 🍳 The Dublin Cook-Off Final On Saturday, 9th November 2013, Maria travelled to Dublin to take part in a high-pressure live cook-off final at the Cooks Academy Cookery School. She prepared her signature dish under the watchful eyes of a distinguished panel of celebrity judges: Kevin Dundon Dunbrody House Catherine Fulvio Ballyknocken House Gina Miltiadou Zahra Media Group The high-octane environment was captured by TV3 cameras, recording the skills of the finalists for a special television broadcast hosted by Martin King at the Shelbourne Hotel, which aired nationally on Saturday, 16th November 2013. 🧑‍🍳 Future in the Culinary Arts Maria, a passionate Home Economics student, is keen to pursue a career in the Culinary Arts after finishing her studies at Davitt College. As a testament to her talent, she will complete her Transition Year work experience module under the mentorship of renowned TV Chef Neven Maguire at MacNean House & Restaurant in Co. Cavan. “I was very excited to be chosen to compete in this National Competition. The standard was very high and it was great to see other contestants’ interpretations of their dishes. It was also great to work alongside chefs Kevin Dundon and Catherine Fulvio. The competition gave me great experience and was a fantastic opportunity.” — Maria, Transition Year Student 📈 Continued Excellence in Home Economics This incredible achievement marks the second major success for the Davitt College Home Economics Department in recent months, following past pupil Laura Ivers’ overall victory at the Sligo Connacht Gold Cookery Competition. Academic Milestone: In 2013, 100% of our Junior Certificate Home Economics students took the Higher Level paper, with final examination results far exceeding the national average. Culinary Finalist: Davitt College Transition Year student Maria, recognized nationally at the Easy Food Home-Cook Hero Awards live cook-off in Dublin.

🧑‍🍳 Culinary Arts • Double Gold Champions Double Gold and Overall Victory for Davitt College at Connacht Gold Junior Chef Competition 9 May 2013 • Davitt College Castlebar Davitt College, Castlebar, is immensely proud to celebrate a phenomenal double-victory on the culinary stage, as our students captured the top honors at the prestigious Connacht Gold Junior Chef Final. The competitive live cook-off took place at St. Angela’s College, Sligo, as a flagship event of the Só Sligo Food and Culture Festival in conjunction with Connacht Gold. Out of hundreds of entries from across the province, just 18 secondary school students were selected to compete in the live final—with Davitt College proudly standing as the only school to secure two finalist places. 🏆 Overall Champion & Gold Medal Laura Ivers (Transition Year) Sautéed her way into first place to be officially named The 2013 Connacht Gold Junior Chef, winning a commissioned trophy, iPad mini, and a masterclass scholarship with TV3 resident chef Joe Shannon. Winning Menu: • Main: Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni with salad and garlic crostini. • Dessert: White chocolate and almond tray bake with homemade vanilla custard and strawberry coulis. 🥇 Senior Category Gold Medal Amy Mulchrone (5th Year) Delivered a masterclass in culinary expertise and exceptional kitchen professionalism, securing a Senior Gold Medal from the panel of professional judges. Gourmet Menu: • Main: Bacon-wrapped chicken stuffed with cream cheese & sun-dried tomatoes, with creamed mash and celeriac. • Dessert: Classic vanilla panna cotta with raspberry compote and almond biscotti. 🔬 State-of-the-Art Practical Education “In Davitt College, Home Economics has become increasingly popular in recent years. We are very fortunate to have two fully equipped, state-of-the-art Home Economics rooms, and the subject has become almost as popular with boys as it is with girls. There has been a notable increase in the number of students taking the subject at Higher Level for both the Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate, and our examination results continue to far exceed the national average.” — Ms. Bernie Rowland, Principal Ms. Fiona Murtagh (Home Economics Teacher): “The subject aims to equip students with core life skills. The department constantly strives to encourage creativity in the kitchen, and this competition was a fantastic opportunity for our students to display their genuine passion for cooking. We are incredibly proud of both Laura and Amy.” 📸 Culinary Triumph Showcase: Laura Ivers (Overall Junior Chef Champion & Senior Gold Medalist) and Amy Mulchrone (Senior Category Gold Medalist) celebrating their double victory at St. Angela’s College, Sligo.