Alan Craven appointed new Marist College principal
DUNDALK native, Mr. Alan Craven has been appointed to the position of Principal of St. Mary’s College (Marist), replacing Mr. Con McGinley who is retiring after 19 years in the role. He is the third lay Principal to be appointed to the position and Mr Craven’s appointment was very warmly welcomed by staff, students, parents and the wider community.
Originally from Castletown Road, Mr Craven is the eldest son of Liam & Vera, Castlebellingham. He is married to Eileen and they reside in Blackrock with their two children. He received his primary and secondary education at De La Salle College and his teaching degree from the University of Limerick.
Mr Craven is widely known in sporting circles having played Gaelic football for many years with his club, the Sean O’Mahony’s. More recently he has made a name for himself as a coach with the same team, managing the club in 2016 to their first ever Louth Senior Football Championship as well as the Leinster Club semi-final. He took great satisfaction that 17 former Marist pupils were on the panel (ten of whom started) which annexed that first Joe Ward.
Following his graduation from Limerick in 1991, Mr Craven immediately joined the teaching staff of the Marist where he has since dedicated his entire 26 year professional career. He devoted his early career to his twin passions of English and P.E., developing and advancing both subjects. Appointed to the role of Year Head in 2008, Mr Craven completed a Masters in Educational Management in Trinity College in 2010, graduating with first class honours. As part of whole-school improvement, he was selected by the Trustees, to travel to Ohio in 2015 to participate in a pilot programme built around current best practice learning and teaching methodologies. These experiences, together with his involvement in all areas of school life over the last 26 years, his passion for education in general and the Marist in particular, make him an ideal appointment as Principal.
Speaking at the school during the week Mr Craven thanked the school’s Board of Management for the confidence and trust it has placed in him and promised to repay this with his total commitment over the coming years. ‘I am delighted to have been appointed as the new Principal of St. Mary’s College at this particularly exciting time in the college’s development. It is a huge honour to be appointed as Principal to a school with such a rich history and record of excellence. It will be a great privilege to work in our new school with the wonderful students, their parents and the community, and also to lead such a committed and talented staff. Under the guidance of Mr McGinley, Deputy Principal Mr Lambe and the Board of Management, and through the hard work of the teaching staff, the college has implemented an array of school improvement initiatives in the last 2 years. I intend to carry this journey forward and look forward to working with Mr. Lambe and all the staff in meeting the challenges and grasping the opportunities that lie ahead.’
Mr. Craven went on to pay tribute to the commitment of Mr. McGinley and the legacy of the new school building which he leaves behind. He spoke about his confidence for the future; ‘ The Marist Fathers have provided quality education on this site for over 150 years. We are only one year in our new state of the art school building which incorporates the latest educational technologies, classrooms and specialist rooms. I will work tirelessly with the entire school community to provide a progressive, dynamic and contemporary education that matches our wonderful facilities and ensures the very best possible educational experience for the young people of Dundalk and surrounding areas.’