AlexPress April 2026

As we move into May, there is a distinct sense of momentum across the College. The energy of the summer term is well underway, with classrooms, co-curricular activities, and school events all reflecting the commitment and spirit of our students and staff. This is always a time of both consolidation and anticipation, as we bring the academic year to a close while also looking ahead to what lies beyond it.

A particular focus at this point in the year is, of course, our Leaving Certificate students. This edition of AlexPress will be the final one before their graduation, marking an important milestone in their journey through Alexandra College. We extend our very best wishes to each of the 6th Year girls as they prepare for the weeks ahead. Their dedication, resilience, and growth over the years have been a source of great pride to us all. We look forward with excitement to celebrating their achievements at graduation and to honouring the contribution they have made to our school community.

Alongside this, May continues to offer rich opportunities for learning, creativity, and connection; whether in the classroom, on the stage, on the sports field, or through the many initiatives that reflect the values of our school. As ever, thank you to our staff, students, and families for the energy and care you bring to Alexandra College each day.

Huge congratulations to our students Grace Galligan, Emily Sexton and Annabel O’Leary, who proudly represented the school on the Ireland Girls U16 hockey team over Easter in Ludwigshafen, Germany, where the girls achieved excellent results.

We are incredibly proud of their achievements and delighted to see such strong representation of our school.

On Wednesday, Mr Cooney’s Jazz Band travelled to Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) for an exciting collaboration with Mr Rycraft’s Rockjam All Stars.

The All Stars represent some of the best young contemporary musicians in Dublin, and the partnership followed a highly rewarding two-hour workshop with the Alexandra College Jazz Band. Building on that experience, both groups came together to record their own version of “Suzanne” by RAYE.

The project was brought to life with the support of DkIT’s 4th Year Film and TV students, who provided an impressive professional setup. Over 15 technicians were involved in the production, operating nine cameras alongside a dedicated sound engineering team, creating a truly immersive recording environment.

A short behind-the-scenes video from the day can be viewed here on YouTube.

The final music video is expected to be released in the coming weeks, and both groups are looking forward to sharing the finished result.

The baseline battles were intense and the pace was electric this past Wednesday 29 April as the ACA Tennis Tournament took over the College courts. Starting at 5:30 pm, fourteen teams stepped onto the courts for a fast-paced "Round Robin" showdown. 

With seven courts running simultaneously, the action never stopped. Players fought for every single point until the final whistle, knowing that every serve and volley contributed to their cumulative tournament score. The evening was made even more perfect by the beautiful sunshine and clear skies. 

After seven grueling rounds and a final tally of the cumulative points, we were proud to crown our podium finishers:

• 1st Place: Lucy & Robert Slattery 

• 2nd Place: Hannah & Eugene Hillery 

• 3rd Place: Ruby & Roy McKeown 

A massive thank you to the ACA committee for their seamless coordination and well done to all competitors who made the evening such a spirited success. We look forward to seeing everyone back on the courts next year! 

Last week, a group of 15 girls had the incredible opportunity to attend the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy in Manacor, Spain. It was truly an amazing experience from start to finish. 

Our days began early, with wake-up times ranging from 6:45am to 7:30am depending on the schedule. We’d have breakfast in the canteen alongside the academy students before heading into a full day of activities.

Each day included around six hours of tennis, along with other sports activities such as paddle or football. Some days also involved gym sessions, making for a really intense but rewarding schedule from 8:30am - 6pm.  By the evening we were ready for a break and we’d wind down with dinner followed by free time to relax, explore the campus, and connect with new people from all over the world.

Some of the highlights of the trip were managing to book center court and spending a magical 60 minutes playing in front of the hotel terrace with people watching down and feeling as if we were playing in an actual arena, we also got the chance to train on the same hard courts that Rafa Nadal used to train on, in preparation for the hard court season and the US Open, and of course receiving world-class coaching from our head coach Anna and two assistants Paulo and Adrian who were Italian and French respectively. 

It really was a surreal and unforgettable experience not only improving our tennis significantly while brushing shoulders with some of the top-ranked junior players in the world, but also making memories that will stay with us forever.