Colm Dowling, Psychology, contributed his memories of Stratford for the 60th Anniversary book, '60 Years A Growing', which was launched in November 2014.
Looking back on my time at Stratford it doesn’t seem like six years since I’ve left. What I really loved about Stratford was the intimacy of the place. The small size of the school meant my peers felt like family members. Furthermore, there was never a sense that anyone was “just another student”. Every student was seen as an individual and the staff would go out of their way to make sure that individual needs were met.
Since leaving Stratford I have completed my BA in Philosophy & Drama Studies at UCD. I am now studying Psychology at Postgraduate level with the intent to become a Clinical Psychologist. My fondest memory of Stratford was the song-school we did in Transition Year. I still have the CD at home somewhere! The school plays were also a load of fun. There was a real sense of camaraderie during rehearsing. The determination of everyone involved to put on a great show was inspiring.
I still stay in touch with a lot of my friends from Stratford and will continue to do so. I am moving to Scotland to pursue a Masters in Psychology but the lessons I have learned in Stratford and the friendships I have made will be with me wherever I go.
Colm Dowling
Read the 60 Years A Growing eBook for more Stratford memories.
The 1st years completed a zombie lab today where they used their scientific methods and thinking to identify patient zero from the zombie suspects. Using measuring skills, pH, observation skills and much more they successfully identified the source of the outbreak!
Read more →
The TY Horticulture class were out in the Autumn sunshine planting Spring bulbs using the chaos planting method. This is when a multitude of different spring bulbs (Hyacinths, Daffodils, Tulips, Crocuses, Narcissi) are mixed together and randomly planted so that we have a mixture of flowers and patterns emerging in the spring. It mimics nature and so is more enticing to pollinators and native insects that need the food in Spring.
Stratford is celebrating Maths Week 2026 (12th - 18th October) with daily activities around the school, at breaktimes and in Maths classes! The tutor-time daily quiz is proving to be extremely competitive as each form group tries to solve it and then run to find Ms Matthews in order to win the box of chocolates!
Read more →
