Merry Chickmas!

During the month of November 2025, Irish Jesuits International (IJI) hosted 5 Transition Year Gonzaga College students – Charlie, Daniel, Rafael, Paul, and Aaron – on their social placements. (See photo). The placement focused on designing a strategy to widen the audience of IJI’s Christmas Gift Shop.

The students designed flyers on canva software, liaised with the printing press and showcased their work at assembly for first year students. Encompassing 16 ethical Christmas Gifts ranging from a chicken at €10 to more substantial gifts of water tanks, the Gonzaga students set about how to challenge family and friends to buy one ethical gift this Christmas.

In keeping with the long-standing relationship between transition year students at Gonzaga College,
Ranelagh and St Declan’s Special School, Ballsbridge, (also founded by the Jesuits), the students got the
chance to interview St Declan’s student, Cillian (aged 8) as part of their research.

Gonzaga student, Charlie led on the interview, as he was more familiar with St Declans, having visited there last month during his social outreach module. Cillian shared with Charlie, “Well I like the chicken. It looks like a fur ball. And everyone buys everything online, so yeah, that makes sense to buy the chicken online?” (See photo).

When Cillian was asked if he enjoyed meeting the Gonzaga students, he shared, “Well, my favourite part was the pizza at lunchtime, but yeah, they were alright. Do you think I could be like them when I grow up?”

St Declan’s and Gonzaga are soon to be new neighbours, with St Declan’s relocating to the grounds of
Gonzaga in Ranelagh, making good opportunity to continue the exchange amongst students.