School opening 'a joy' to be at

Although it was an unseasonably cold and blustery day, a large crowd of guests waited patiently in the yard of the new school building in Brannoxtown NS, writes Brian Byrne, to hear pupils from First through Fourth Classes perform on their violins to mark the official opening of the new primary school.

They were showing prowess gained through a programme facilitated by the Herbert Lodge Music School, and demonstrating just one of the ways that school today is so different from when their parents and in some cases grandparents were getting their primary education.

Certainly, for two guests on the day, Brid Mackey and Sheila Peacocke, it must have been an extraordinary contrast. Brid was there because she's one of the oldest living former pupils of Brannoxtown NS, and Sheila confided that she had been a pupil there 70 years ago.



The official opening was performed by Kildare football manager Kieran McGeeney, introduced by Parents Association member Conor O'Toole as a 'living legend' whose record playing for his native Armagh and more recently Na Fianna in Dublin 'speaks for itself as one of the greatest GAA players of his generation'.

For his own part, Kieran noted that his own love of football began at primary school, and he hoped that some of the children who studied in this new school were getting an introduction to Gaelic games that would see them playing for their county in the future.



School principal Dolores Burke responded that 'the signs are there already', before inviting everybody in for the blessing and subsequent tour of the new school premises.



The blessing was carried out by Fr Michael Murphy and Pastor Robert Dunlop. Fr Murphy recalled that the original school had been set up by the local Baptist Community in 1855, before becoming a school of the Kilcullen Catholic parish in 1922. "Since then it has been fulfilling its role in a very admirable way," he added, and reminded people that all through the years the Baptist congregation of the area had remained 'very good friends' to the school. "That was demonstrated once again during the construction of this building, when they provided space for a temporary school in the grounds of their own church," he reminded all.



Pastor Dunlop said it was a joy to be present in a school that has played such an important part in the village and in the wider community through many years. "This is a facility which will add enormously to the wellbeing of Brannockstown and the surrounding community," he said, then thanked those who had put their energies into planning and building 'an excellent facility'. "May this continue to be a place of learning and discovery, and where a foundation is made for the future."

Fr Murphy dedicated the building to the education of children and to the progress of knowledge, and hoped that it would become a place where students and teachers would 'search for the wisdom that guides the Christian life'.



John Kennedy of the Parents Association thanked all those involved in the provision, design and construction of the building, and his fellow members of the Association for their ongoing efforts in support of the school. He made a presentation to former Principal Esther Reddy and current Principal Dolores Burke in appreciation of their work over the last number of years. Presentations were also made to Brid Mackey, who planted a tree in the school yard to mark the occasion, and to Kieran McGeeney and Fr Murphy.

Dolores Burke expressed her own thanks to everybody who had been involved in the organisation of the day, especially the wonderful children for being so polite, attentive, friendly and helpful. She particularly thanked all those who had contributed memorabilia for a display in the school, including news clippings and photographs.



Balloons were released by representatives from each class, and then the school was open to view by all guests. In each classroom, pupils demonstrated aspects of the work they were doing, including science, health and environmental projects, and use of computers in a variety of tasks.

In a time when it's tough for the country and so many living in it, yesterday's opening was truly one of those hard-to-find 'green shoots' that show real promise for the community's future.

(All the Kilcullen Diary pictures of the day can be viewed here.)