Templemore College of Further Education held its Graduation Ceremony in the Templemore Arms hotel on Friday October 20^th. This was a proud day for the graduates and their families and friends.

The ceremony began with an address by the College Principal, Dr. Noel Colleran. His address focused on the role of deliberate practice in the development of excellent skills in domains as various as chess, sport, dance, and mathematics. He referred to research that suggested deliberate effort is far more important than, what is perceived as, a ‘gift’ or ‘talent’.

The research found that there is no evidence for the proposition that talent is the basis for excellent performance; that support and encouragement from parents,  guardians, etc., is vital; and that excellent performance is the result of ongoing deliberate practice of one hour per day, and not much more.

Dr. Colleran summarised “I am convinced that all of us are capable of becoming excellent at our chosen skill, if we have the ‘zeal’ to do the work and maintain the effort over a long period”.

He concluded with a quote from Rebert Louis Stevenson; “To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the true success is to labour”.

Special guest, Tipperary’s Senior Hurling player Noel McGrath, addressed the graduates and guests with his thoughts on success. He reflected on his personal struggles and career challenges. According to Noel McGrath there two key factors that contribute to an individuals success – resilience and desire. He said ‘in order to succeed at what you want to achieve you must have the desire to want it and the resilience to overcome any obstacles that may get in your way’.

The ceremony concluded with the presentation of Awards to the graduates by the Special Guest, Noel McGrath, and the College Principal Dr. Noel Colleran.