Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Local educators honoured for their lifetime of service

Six local teachers were honoured at the Mullingar Park Hotel on Friday for their many years of teaching children in the Mullingar area.

By Claire Corrigan
The night was organised by the Mullingar branch of the Irish National School Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) to pay tribute to former teachers and principals from St. Michael’s NS, Castletown-Geoghegan, Loughegar NS, Dalystown NS, Whitehall NS, Presentation Junior School and St. Mary’s NS, Rathowen, who have retired recently.
Former teacher Dan O’Dowd was first to welcome the attendees. Addressing the crowd, he said, “It’s a night of nostalgia for you. A night to look back on your years in the classroom and an opportunity for us to say to you well done and enjoy your retirement.”
He delighted the audience with a poem he wrote about the passing years. “I’d like to take you back to a time when the world was a different place and the world was your oyster in the 70s and early 80s. When you started teaching did you wear leg warmers to school, and did you think that shoulders were really cool. Who shot JR and who kidnapped Shergar was the number one question in the land.”
Mullingar INTO secretary, Arthur Fallon, also gave an entertaining speech to the crowd in which he thanked them for their years of dedication to educating. “The general secretary sends her best wishes to every one of you here. INTO head office has sent a letter of thanks along with a certificate to mark your retirement.”
The retirees were also given a painting of Bellmount Bridge by Mullingar painter Mary Weir for the occasion.
In his address Mr. Fallon likened the profession to the bridge in the painting. “For many years you have been the bridge between home and school. The bridge that developed children academically, socially and emotionally, physically and spirtually. You have led children across the bridge from the unknown to the known. As you now cross the bridge to retirement we hope that this painting reminds you of where you have been and leads you to pastures new where you will enjoy every health and happiness.”

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