Rochfortbridge students aim for glory at national Credit Union Quiz finals

A team of students from Scoil Chroì Naofa in Rochfortbridge are aiming for glory in the national Credit Union Schools Quiz finals in the RDS on April 7.

Eimear Seery, Tom Moore, James Geraghty and Carl Jewell have blown away all competition put before them so far in qualifying rounds.

They placed first in the North Midlands Credit Union Quiz in the Mullingar Park Hotel on January 29 and placed first again in the regional finals in Moate on March 1.

Some 80 students in the Rochfortbridge school auditioned for the team at the beginning of the year but in the end four were victorious.

The team is mentored by teachers Lisa Colleary and Paula Kilmurray who hold a quiz club in the school and practice with the students multiple times per week.

Tom Moore, whose specialist subject is history, said he “hasn’t had a free break in the last four weeks” in school, such are the lengths the team is going to in preparation for the finals.

Eimear Seery, who is the team’s designated writer and whose specialist subject is literature, is confident in making it three wins for three as she looks ahead to the looming RDS finals.

“First is the best and second is the same as all the rest,” she told the Westmeath Examiner.

James Geraghty, the team’s sports expert, is also aiming for a clean sweep as he said the team “doesn’t take second place”.

Carl Jewell, a geography expert originally from Australia, said when the team wins, “I’m going to bring the trophy home and stash it in my bedroom”.

The Scoil Chroì Naofa U13 Credit Union Schools Quiz team will be training hard throughout the Easter holidays in preparation for the finals, where there will be 50 schools in total taking part from all over Ireland.

The team substitutes in case someone can’t make the event are Harry Butler and Shane Walsh.