Former Omagh CBS pupil shares secrets to success

COMMITMENT to routine, reading in the morning and dedication to exercise…

These three elements can lead you along the path to success, the senior students of Omagh CBS heard recently, during an inspirational speech which took place during their AS prizegiving event.

Speaking out was former Omagh CBS student, and founder of highly-successful teamwear specialists, MFC, Sean O’Neill, who returned to the school on to present the Year 13 students with their GCSE certificates.

Awards were also presented to the Year 14 students that achieved the top mark in each AS subject.

Sean, a MacRory cup winner in 2005, began his speech by stipulating that the connections forged through winning with the school are hard to break.

Since his departure almost 20 years ago, Sean highlighted three key learnings which stand him well to this day, and emphasised the importance of being associated with the school. He further described how school was a ‘two-way street’.

“Show respect to your fellow pupils and staff, and that respect will be reciprocated,” he said. “People in Omagh CBS will get behind you.”

Sean continued by telling the students that: “You are in a place that wins; you are in an environment that wants the best from you, and extracts the best from you.”

For his parting advice he posed himself the question: ‘What advice would I have wanted as a 16-to-18 year old student?’

“We must all suffer from one of two pains: The pain of discipline or the pain of regret,” he said.

“Discipline is small positive actions repeated every day.

“Meanwhile, regret is feeling sad or disappointed over something that one has done or failed to do.

“The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tonnes. You, students, before me, get to choose which pain to avoid.”

Once again, the CBS students achieved an outstanding set of results, which is testimony to their hard work and the expertise of their subject teachers.

The O’Donnell Scholarship Awarded for Top Achievement at GCSE Level was presented to Brian Gallagher, and the the Principal’s Medal awarded for Outstanding Achievement at GCSE Level was presented to Eoin Donnelly and Sé Devlin.

The full list of prize winners and photographs are available on our website www.cbsomagh.org