Milestone for St Brigid’s School
Thomas Lyons
In a joyous ceremony the staff and pupils of St Brigid’s Special School in Mullingar joined together at the end of the 24/25 term to mark a milestone in its history.
The institution has been providing a happy and secure learning environment for pupils to ensure they are motivated, sensitively challenged, appreciated and fulfilled for four decades. The school celebrated 40 years at a party that brought together former staff, pupils and supporters of St Brigid’s School, with the current crop who consider it a secondary home.
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Bernie Corroon, Mary Francis Cox and Fr Norman Allred.Image 2 of 11
Sarah Nally, Lorna Butler, Kathleen Mulligan and Luisa Bonjourne.Image 3 of 11
Agnes Duignan with Ester Wren, who was the first principal at St Brigid’s School.Image 4 of 11
Jo Jennings and Breda O’Hanlon.Image 5 of 11
Joanne Jordan, Ester Wren and Bob Keating, principals, present and past, of St Brigid’s School, Mullingar, at an event to mark the school’s 40th anniversary, which was held in June.Image 6 of 11
St Brigid’s School staff gathered for a group photo during the 40-year anniversary celebration event, held at the Annebrook House Hotel in June.Image 7 of 11
Ester Wren, Maura Moran and Jo Jennings at the 40-year celebration event.Image 8 of 11
Sr Ethel Keegan (Loreto Sister) and Ester Wren.Image 9 of 11
A beautiful cake was served up to guests at the 40-year anniversary event.Image 10 of 11
Maria Hussey, Dermot Leavy Bob Keating and Sarah Nally at a reception to mark 40 years of education at St Brigid’s School, Mullingar, before the summer break.Image 11 of 11
Sandra Delaney Gorman and Emily James.Music and stories took centre stage on the day. The gathering started with a mass by Fr Norman Allred, who provides weekly spiritual guidance and support to the school.
“This is my sixth year steering the St Brigid’s Ship,” principal Joanne Jordan said in her address, “The reason I refer to our wonderful school as a ship, is I believe our students, parents and staff are all on a voyage together and like most schools we never know what will arise in the daily tide.”
St Brigid’s School was opened in 1984 after a lot of hard work and campaigning by many of the crowd who joined the gathering. That community support has been a hallmark of the school. Over the years support has been forthcoming from the public with the Lions Club, church gate collections, bag packing, the Rotary Club, North Midlands Credit Union and other local businesses offering a helping hand.
“From day one, St Brigid’s School has been exceptionally well supported with fundraising to aid us to constantly improve and upgrade resources for our students,” Joanne said.
The principal spoke of the progress the school has made in the four decades: “Fr Sean Henry recently recalled St Brigid’s to me with the fondest of memories and the promise of more stories to come with his planned visit to us in the near future.
“Fr Sean was the first chairperson at St Brigid’s School and we are thankful for the vision and ethos that he alongside Bridie Feely, Phil Irwin, Ann Sleator, Sean Quinn, Ted Harrington, Catherine Gibson Brabazon, Maisie Murray and John Lynch embedded in our school.”
That enthusiasm is mirrored in the current chairperson, Bernadette Corroon: “Bernie is an anchor for our school,” Joanne told the gathering. “She holds us steady in stormy waters as the path of education is ever changing. Bernie leads our board of management with a passion and determination to constantly foster growth and development of not only each and every one of our students, but also our staff.” The success of St Brigid’s School means it is a growing institution, and demand for places rises each September.
“The intake this September is 93, almost double the number who crossed the threshold in 1984 when Ester Wren was principal.
“Ester has come to visit St Brigid’s several times since 2019 and she and Toni, our secretary, are lifelong friends,” Joanne said.
“Ester worked alongside her teaching team, Ann Murphy, Mary Frances Cox and Stephanie Henihgan to provide an education to 47 children with a mild general learning disability. St Brigid’s provided those children with a tailored education to support their learning style. This vision was carried on under Mr Bob Keating’s leadership, with a big expansion in the number of students and staff, and also an expansion in the levels and range of curriculum available to the students. St Brigid’s has gone from strength to strength.”
The principal commended the “hard working and dedicated” team at St Brigid’s: “As every principal in the room will tell you, leadership can be challenging, stressful and tough.
“In St Brigid’s our team of 22 SNAs including Edel and Eileen, who are here since the early ‘90s, our 13 teachers, 17 bus escorts, Lorna Butler our school deputy, Toni our secretary, aka my school mammy, Kathleen, John and Lucy, all make it so much easier, and Theo, our treasurer to the board whose generosity of time each week is boundless.”
The school principal concluded by saying: “Our staff team in St Brigid’s really are the key to the success of our school. They all make St Brigid’s a fun and inviting learning and working environment. They go above and beyond to ensure that every child progresses, feels valued and safe.”