Community celebrates milestone
IT HAS been fifty years since Court National School was officially opened and blessed under the Catholic ethos, on Monday, September 16, 1968. Today, that history and those traditions are still celebrated and welcomed in every aspect of school life for all primary school students, their teachers and staff in Monamolin.
During the celebrations, children took part in singing as part of the music generation programme, and to mark the milestone, the school is unveiling a new school crest, that was designed by students in the school.
In 1968, it all began with Seamus Kavanagh as Head Master alongside his second in command, Mrs. Mary McDonald and Mrs. Siobhán (Joan) Doyle as Assistant Teachers. There were 101 pupils on the roll that day and on Friday, April 12, another roll was taken by Mrs Joan Doyle, who is still a fond visitor to the school.
Mrs Doyle taught the junior infants, as well first and second class students at the school for 25 years, daily since that first day until her retirement in 1993. She was honoured during a celebratory ceremony held in the school, where she spoke about the history of the school, as she remembers it.
She said that this was a huge milestone for the school, and that she is the only surviving member of that the team of three teachers that in 1968, through hard work and great effort, alongside the community, built up the reputation of the school, and as a result numbers of students increased.
‘I was delighted to be there but it’s true that the case today is better again and it’s much bigger now than ever,’ said Mrs Doyle.
Her grandsons, who are students of
Court National School, Connor and Jack, presented her with a large bunch of flowers during the celebrations.
The community of Monamolin is a very important aspect to school life, and some past pupils of the school now work as part of the school body today, two of those being teachers.
Principal of Court National School, Brendan Roche said that the anniversary was a ‘Huge occasion for the whole school community’ and that the schools history is held in very high regard in the school.
He explained that in some cases three generations of families have gone to the national school in Monamolin, and that family and community is always celebrated.
‘ There is great pride in this community and the school is central to that,’ he said.
The school is delighted to announce that it has now opened a special memory garden, to honour the memory of the late school principal, Mrs Magella Murphy. Brendan said that it is thanks to the generosity of the Monamolin Community Group that this was possible.
Brendan said that there is a massive tradition of sport in the school, and it is closely linked with the GAA.
‘Students know when they come in that they’re coming to a school that has a great tradition in music, sport and academics,’ he said. He added that ‘ Teachers go over and beyond both inside and outside of the classroom to help students with extra curricular activities’.