The Best Years of Our Lives
This is the time of year when schools reopen and pupils start a new phase of their lives in a different class with new teachers. As we watch the kids “Creeping like snail unwillingly to school”, many will nostalgically think back to their own schooldays, to the tricks we played on each other and on the teachers, to the nicknames we had, the games we played, the subjects we loved or hated, a favourite teacher, the injustices we suffered and so on. For most people, these will be happy memories.
So we thought to show you a group of young scholars who attended Scoil Ide in Salthill in 1959. They were members of a choir and are, back row, left to right; Evelyn Cusack , Hilary Quinlan , Aileen Boland ,May Clarke , Anne Conneely , Mary Manning and Carmel Fegan. In the third row are Margo Clarke , Brian Duffy , Gearóid O Máille , Mick Carroll , Felim Burke , Marguerite McLoughlin.
Second Row; Honor McGrath , Mary Sweeney , Phillip McDonagh , Leonard Kelly , Aine Sugrue , Anne Sweeney , Mary Murphy and Geraldine O’Brien.
In front are Mary Connolly , Caitríona Gallagher , Desmond Donegan , Barry O’Mahony , Conall Donegan , Joan Gilligan and Patricia Manning.
In 1952, the Order of Jesus and Mary Sisters purchased Dalysfort House Hotel from John and Angela Allen. The converted it into a Primary School and called it Scoil Ide. They opened it on May 1st of that year with 43 pupils and 3 teachers, Mother Mary Immaculata, Sister Celine and Celia Burke. Salthill was expanding rapidly at the time and so was their student population so they had to decide whether to extend the existing school or provide a new building. They decided on the latter, and while the construction was going on, they held their classes in the Hangar and Seapoint ballrooms. The new school was designed by Simon Kelly and built by Malachy Burke.
It was formally opened by Minister for Education Patrick Hillery in 1962. That year, a Secondary Top was opened and three years later, the sisters were able to transfer it to Salerno on Revagh Road in Rockbarton as a secondary school, while retaining Scoil Ide. Their aim was to give a Christian education, to strive to develop, unify and enrich each child’s personality by an education which is attentive to the individual, open to the world, and based on the Gospel. This school was and is noted for high academic standards, attention to drama, music and art. An important aspect has always been education for justice and peace through various activities, projects, fundraising etc. giving an awareness of local/world poverty and need.
TK
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