Louis past pupils union re-organised
ON Friday night I headed for St. Louis school for their past pupil’s reunion night which was open to all ex pupils from the school and saw a huge crowd come together specially for the occasion.
The event was organised by teacher Orla Dromgoole and ably assisted by principal Michelle Dolan who told me there had been a past pupil’s union before, organised by the late Sr. Claire and after her untimely passing, the union ceased to exist. Orla then took the mantle and with the aid of social media contacted as many of the pupils as she could.
Orla told me she received very positive reaction from everyone and is looking forward to relaunching the PPU with the 70th anniversary of the school coming up in 2020 and also to help with much needed fundraising for the school.
She went on to say St. Louis school is a real community with daughters following their mums to be educated there and said that the music on the night was being provided by her daughter Fionnghuala playing the fiddle and principal Michelle informing me her mother-inlaw Terese Dolan nee Crossan from Cootehill was a boarder in the school back in the ’60s and daughters Clara, Orla and Aoife all being pupils there in the ‘80s and 90’s.
I then decided to have a look round to see who was there and met three generations of the same family who had all been at St. Louis whom included Rosemary Winkless from St. Malachys Villas with her daughters Elaine Durnin and Linda Murphy both from Railway Terrace, sisters Karen and Debbie McGee from Fatima and Karen’s daughter Carla McEvoy from Saltown all there to relive all the old memories.
Not too far away I then got talking to Anne Reilly nee Lennon from Brid-a-crinn, Hillary Ramege nee Russell from Belfast, Moirin Taggart nee Whelan from Blackrock and Ann Hennessy from Ardee who lied to me and tried to tell me they were from the Class of ’83 and couldn’t wait to meet everyone there.
After this I caught up with Maggie Kavanagh from Dublin who would have been better known as Margaret Muckian from Mount Avenue who had completed her Leaving Cert. back in 1970 and was joined by Jean Power from Dublin (was once a boarder there), Claire Byrne nee McKeown from Avenue Road, Bridie Curran nee Hinfey from Gyles Quay and Marion McAlester nee Ramsey who told me they were the best year ever.
Next I met up with Sinead O’Callaghan from Blackrock, Eithne Bell from Haggardstown and Lynda McQuaid from Blackrock who were part of the Class of ’86 and assured me it was going to be an exciting night seeing all those faces again.
I headed over for a chat with some of the girls from the Class of ’82 and included Anne Duffy nee Gaffney from Glenwood, Una Mackin nee Lally from Walterstown, Aiveen Robinsons nee Clarke from Blackrock who told me not only were there at school together in St. Louis, but had come from the Friary Girls national school together too.
Later on I then got talking to teacher Yvonne McDermott from Dromiskin who was welcoming in two girls from the
Class of ’95 who were Niamh Dunleavy from Blackrock and Anne Campbell from Dublin Road and Yvonne told me they were both model pupils and totally epitomised the ethos of the school? Eh ok, Yvonne, if you say so!!!!
After this I headed over for a chat with Sr. Mary O’Connor who taught in the school between ’76 and ’ 86 and told me it was a lovely school and they were lovely children to teach.
She was chatting to ex principal Siobhan Greer nee Ladd from Blackrock who told me she started in the school back in ’83 and became principal in ’05 and enjoyed the position until ’14 saying there is a lovely community feeling in the school and a strong work ethic, both her daughters Doireann and Rioghnach had been taught there and she was delighted to come back for the reunion. She was with her friend Thaea Collins from Bristol in Connecticut.
Finally, before I departed I met up with Karen O’Reilly nee Owens from Hillview who was just after arriving with Jennifer Hanlon nee Hearty from Greenore, Kim Reenan from Blackrock Lynn Devlin nee Shearman from Oliver Plunkett Park and Sinead Murphy from Lis Na Dara who were part of the infamous Class 4B, the Class of ’94 who were legendary in their time in the school and couldn’t wait for the wine and cheese to get going so they could meet up with all their old mates.