At our final assembly on Friday last Cahir Vesey from our departing 6th Class was announced as winner of the Helena McDonagh Story box Writing Competition.
Ms.Connaghan who adjudicated, praised all the entries, mentioning how high the standard was this year. She was delighted to announce Cahir’s entry ‘The School Tour’ as the winner. It is a gripping composition one that Ms. Connaghan found very hard to leave down!
Cahir is the first boy to win this competition and is a very popular choice. We really hope you enjoy reading his entry. We are very proud of Cahir’s efforts.

The School Tour

Mathew clinged on for dear life, he clinged on to the last few pieces of grass that were uprooting from the ground. He realised that it was either him or his best friend Fergus. Mathew just had a grip of his petrified friend’s hand. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to get back up onto the ledge if he kept hold of his best friends hand. He thought of it once then looked at his friend. He thought that if he was going to live then he was going to have to let go of his best friends hand……….

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It was Wednesday morning, the day of 12 year old Mathew’s school tour. He got dressed, went downstairs, got a bowl and a box of coco pops from the cupboard, some milk from the fridge and put it all into the bowl. He put his bowl in to the microwave and set it for 1 minute and 20 seconds. While he was waiting for his breakfast to heat up, he went outside and fed his German shepherd, Bonzo. By the time he got inside the microwave was finished. So Mathew washed his hands, retrieved his bowl of coco pops from the microwave and ate up as fast as he could knowing that he had to be at school for 8:45 for the school tour bus. When he was finished he put his lunchbox into his bag, zipped it up, put it on his back and rushed out the door to school.

As he struggled to climb up the hill to his school, he saw his also 12 year old best friend Fergus entering the school gates. He put all of his panting and spluttering aside and managed to roar out his best friend’s name. Fergus hesitated as he was walking up the steps to the school door. He peered around to try and find the person who roared his name from a distance. Then he saw Mathew stumbling up the hill. He raised his hand and shook it side to side and Mathew did the same. Just as Mathew caught up with Fergus the principal and their teacher exited the school building and had a look at what all the children outside the school were doing. “Get on to the bus and no messing,” said Mr Kelly. So we all lined up with no messing and got onto the bus because if they did mess then they all knew they wouldn’t go on any school tour at all. Mr Kelly was the strictest of all the teachers in the school. Nobody liked him, not even the teachers. He was a rough looking man in his thirties. He was never nice to anyone. It would actually kill him if he had to do something nice. He was bald, single, had loads of fillings and really dirty teeth because he never brushed them and the only good looking part about him was his tidy little ginger moustache.
No student knew where they were going on the school tour because the teacher never told them. On the 1 hour long journey that it took to where ever it was that they were going, it was a very long journey and although it was only 1 hour long it seemed a whole lot longer. After they all got there they all jumped out of the bus and had a nice look around for themselves but no one knew where they were, they were all puzzled. They all waited for Mr. Kelly to get out of the bus so he could tell them where they all were and what they were going doing. The principal hopped out of the bus and stared at everybody rather joyfully. “We’re at Death-trap Mountain and as you have probably already figured out we’re going mountain climbing”. Everyone stared at him but he didn’t even hesitate, he just turned around and walked off. The children had no other choice but to follow him.

They were quarter of the way up the mountain and Fergus and Mathew were a little bit behind. Mathew didn’t want to fall too far behind or they might get a little too far from the group and get lost. It was unlikely but it was a possibility. “Hold up,” panted Fergus “what’s wrong,” asked Mathew “I think I’m getting a cramp,” answered Fergus. “Can I have a sip of your drink” asked Fergus – “sure but where’s yours” replied Mathew. “Even though we didn’t know that we were going mountain climbing you should have still brought a drink with you” – “I forgot my drink, it’s not like I forgot it on purpose” said Fergus sarcastically. —————-

It was 3 minutes before Fergus’s cramp had gone away. When they looked up the group had gone just over a really steep hill. The two boys looked at each other and then sprinted up the steep hill. When they had gotten to the top of the hill the rest of the road was flat but the road had also split in two. Neither of them had any idea on which way their school group had taken and randomly they had chosen to take the left road hoping that it was the right one. The two boys sprinted as fast as they could, hoping to catch up with their school group and also fearing that they had taken the incorrect road. They were both so distracted on trying to catch up with the group they never noticed that they were sprinting on a very thin ledge. Mathew was the one to notice that they were on a very thin ledge. When he grabbed Fergus’s arm he said “look at what we’ve been running on all this time”. Fergus looked down and then grabbed Mathew by the arm as tight as he could. They didn’t even need to think about it they both turned around as careful and as slow as they possibly could.

But suddenly Fergus’s foot slipped and he fell. Fergus was so scared that he was going to fall down he grabbed Mathews leg and Mathew fell down with him. Mathew just managed to get a grip of the side of the ledge. Mathew kept trying to pull himself back up onto the side of the ledge but to no avail. Mathew felt like giving up, he felt like just letting go, he thought that it was hopeless but he gave one last pull and he was nearly up but a part of the ledge crumbled so he quickly stopped. Then Mathew thought if he could let go. He wondered if it was a long way down so he looked down but it was longer than long. If he or Fergus fell then they would be dead instantly. ———————–
Mathew clinged on for dear life, he clinged on to the last few pieces of grass that were uprooting from the ground. He realised that it was either him or his best friend Fergus. Mathew just had a grip of his petrified friend’s hand. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to get back up onto the ledge if he kept hold of his best friends hand. He thought of it once then looked at his petrified friend. He thought that if he was going to live then he was going to have to let go of his best friends hand……….

Mathew closed his eyes and began to shake the leg that Fergus was holding on to. After realising what Mathew was trying to do Fergus started to shout at Mathew “WHAT ARE YOU DOING….ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?”
Mathew didn’t want to be a coward. He kept thinking to himself that he wasn’t going to give up but he already knew that he wasn’t going to get back up onto that ledge. His hand was getting sore. He was going to let go. He let one finger off the ledge then another when he could hold on no longer………… When suddenly something or someone grabbed a hold of his arm. He looked up and looking into his eyes was a bald man with dirty fillings and a perfectly combed ginger moustache. It was Mr. Kelly who grabbed Mathews arm and was trying to pull him up. Mathew had to give Mr. Kelly his second arm to get back onto the ledge but he refused to give his arm to Mr. Kelly and offered it to Fergus. Fergus knew that if he grabbed Mathew’s arm then Fergus would fall and bring Mathew with him. Fergus said “I’m sorry” to Mathew “what for” Mathew replied……….

And Fergus let go. He kept falling with the wind blowing on his back. Mr. Kelly pulled Mathew up, unaware that Fergus had let go. They both looked over the edge to search for Fergus but when he caught sight of him he couldn’t bear it. He burped and then gagged and a bit of sick came up. Mr. Kelly put his arm on Mathew’s back and walked him back to the bus. When they got back to the bus Mr Kelly called the ambulance, Mathew was still throwing up and all of the children were wondering where Fergus was but by seeing Mathew’s reaction they had figured out that something was wrong. The ambulance arrived within ten minutes to remove the body. Mathew was sitting on some rocks by himself when Mr. Kelly walked over to him. Mathew looked up “thank you” he said. Mr Kelly didn’t know what to say so he just said “your welcome”. Mr Kelly signalled to the group to board the bus and with that Mathew followed.
It was a long bus ride home but eventually they got there. Mathew was the last person to get dropped off. Mathew dashed in the door and ran upstairs to his room. Then there was a knock on the door and Mathew’s mother answered it. It was Mr. Kelly “may I come in”, he asked “of course Mathew’s mother answered.
Mathew was upstairs in his room listening to the conversation of his mother and Mr. Kelly

He turned around in his bed and looked at the picture on his locker of him and his best friend………

He just lay there and fell asleep, wishing it was all just a nightmare hoping that he would wake up

THE END !