Education Minister cuts the red ribbon for new Monasterevin school
St Paul's in Monasterevin was officially opened by Minister Norma Foley. Photos: Aisling Hyland
There were plenty of handshakes and beaming faces as St Paul’s Secondary School in Monasterevin was officially opened.
While a year has passed since the first students strolled through the gleaming doors, it was last Thursday afternoon when Minister for Education Norma Foley arrived to cut the red ribbon and officially declare this fabulous facility open for business.
Met by a delegation that included school principal Brian Bergin, Board of Management chairperson Noel Merrick and the school prefects, the Minister strode up the long footpath to the main door flanked by a guard of honour consisting of sixth class pupils and members of the student council.
Among their number was former student Billy Cox, who was in sixth year last year – he donned his old uniform and returned for the big day!
After the Minister did her official duties with scissors and ribbon, and gave some sage advice to this year’s Leaving Cert students, she was brought on a whistle-stop tour of the “really fabulous” school.
That included a tasting session in one of the Home Economics classrooms (the smell was truly divine), a photo op with one of the teachers (a fellow Kerry native), and words of praise for student Cian Connolly who earlier this year won the ‘Design a School Mascot’ contest (it includes a striking buzzard, as they can be regularly seen in the nearby Moore Abbey Woods).
Minister Foley also met Sr Angela Cushen, one of the founding sisters of the school who is still a member of staff there and a valued member of the Board of Management.
“For years, students of St Paul’s visited other schools for sports and debates and exchanges and would return with tales of the wonderful facilities,” Principal Bergin told those gathered for the speeches. “And I would always remind them that we too will have a new school some day and remind them too that a successful school is not about the facilities, but the relationships that exist within the walls. Now we have both, so it's onwards and upwards for this great school.”
