By Paul O’Donovan
Amid emotional scenes last Thursday, 30 June, well-known teacher Kevin Smyth bid farewell to St Colman’s National Sch-ool, Mullingar, after 33 years of service at the school.
Overall it had been a week of farewells for Kevin. Many people, including past pupils, principals and teachers, had called to the school to wish Kevin the best of luck, while Kevin also undertook a tour of the classrooms, meeting all the pupils and recalling many great stories from years gone by.
Then on Thursday a retirement prayer service was held for Kevin in St Paul’s Church, Mullingar. All the pupils of the school, staff members past and present, as well as family members and friends attended.
The service was to acknowledge all that Kevin had contributed to life in St. Colman’s over the past 33 years, and an opportunity for everyone to show their appreciation of his hard work, loyal commitment and dedication, both as an excellent teacher and a great friend.
The procession of symbols presented by pupils and staff summed up Kevin’s great contribution to the school over the years. Kevin had a unique and successful teaching style, -where all children in his care were encouraged and cajoled in many and varied ways to fulfill their potential. Indeed a number of Kevin’s past pupils from the early years are presently teachers in St Colman’s School.
Kevin always had a great interest in and love of sports, particularly Gaelic football and soccer, and he has been synonymous with coaching the school’s very successful soccer teams, as well as preparing and coaching the school team for the annual Cumann na mBunscil games, where St Colman’s were often crowned champions. Kevin has always been keen to point out his great love of Manchester United.
As a teacher, Kevin also managed to adapt to the many changes of teaching styles over the years, and he embraced the changes and developments from chalk and whiteboard markers to laptops and the internet with great ease.
Despite these changes to teaching styles, Kevin always used fun aspects to teach his pupils, and games and quizes, with small prizes as rewards, always kept the children interested.
Kevin also has a great love of music and he loved to teach his pupils music and singing, whether through songbooks or CDs and his very enjoyable and fun singsongs in the classrooms are legendary throughout the years.
Without doubt family has played a major role in Kevin’s life as a teacher and during his very witty and humorous speech Kevin recalled fond memories of his late father, Phil, as well as recalling the significant role his mother, Catherine played in his decision to become a teacher. Kevin was delighted to have his mother, Catherine, present on the day of his retirement, as well as his wife, Geraldine, sister, Caitriona, daughters Emma and Sara, son, Robert, grandchild, Abbie, brother Willie and sisters, as well and other family members who attended this very special occasion.
There were many tributes paid to Kevin on his retirement, not least from Michael Donnellan of the Board of Management, a number of pupils from the school, and an exceptional tribute by Mary Garvey, Principal of St Colman’s and of course Kevin’s colleague and great friend, Willie Geraghty.
In conclusion, Kevin made a fine speech during which he recalled many fond moments from his teaching career that span 36 years, the first three of which were spent in Virgin Mary Boys’ School, Ballymun in Dublin, three very enjoyable years, before he began his 33-year stint in St Colman’s, Mullingar in September, 1983.
Kevin thanked all the wonderful, talented staff he had worked with over the years for their gratitude, warmth, kindness, goodwill and incredible generosity, and he thanked all the pleasant and polite pupils, over 1,200, that he had the good fortune of teaching.
“It is an honour and privilege to have taught in this wonderful school for the last 33 years. I have loved every minute of it and I’m very sad to be leaving and I leave with a heavy heart but I leave with some wonderful memories that will remain in my heart for many years to come,” concluded Kevin.