'It has been a privilege and an honour' — Long serving Athy prinicpal bids farewell

Ireland's longest serving headmaster Richard Daly has finally made the decision to retire after an astonishing 32 years as principal of Athy College.

Over this period, he moved campus, reopened a hedge school, scoffed at a future taoiseach and used an RTÉ radio star to guilt the mother of a minister into fast-tracking the present school.

“As I am ending my term as principal of Athy College, I would like to take this opportunity to thank KWETB, the board of management, parents, staff and students (past and present) for their support and kindness over several decades,” said prinicipal Daly.

“Yeah, 32 years as principal, 48 teaching, I believe,” he said modestly.

“I turned 70 last year but was allowed to finish out the year. I started teaching when I was 23, back in 1977,” he said.

“I’ve been in Athy all this time – no ambition,” he laughed.

“I married here and raised the kids. I’m originally from Tipperary and came to work in the old vocational school on the Carlow Road, but that was in rag order – full of prefabs, so after various battles with ministers we got into the new campus,” he explained.

By the time the Department of Education issued a report in 1999 saying the old vocational school – now 60 years old and originally designed for 40 students – was not fit for purpose, it still took another 11 years and that trio of oddities before minister Mary Coughlan cut the ribbon on the Monasterevin Road in 2010.

Under Richard Daly, the KWETB quickly identified and purchased the site and a year later taoiseach Bertie Ahearn came to plant a tree and “said it would be a speedy build and I laughed.” In 2002, the site was fenced and two years later in 2004 roof repairs were carried out on the existing building.

Then, to mark the fifth anniversary of the taoiseach’s visit in 2005, Mr Daly had the genius idea of holding a hedge school in the field where the school was scheduled to be built, a move that garnered national press attention. Incidentally, the protest was covered by one of his former pupils, Chris Fingleton, who was a senior reporter with the Kildare Nationalist at the time.

A year later, the taoiseach returned to Athy in February, saying the new school would go to tender that year, a process that was finalised in 2007.

“However, a year later, the school had vanished entirely from the building list,” sighed Mr Daly.

However, the future school had one very surprising ace up its sleeve.

Richard couldn’t remember which staff member wrangled it, but for awards night that year they got RTÉ personality Derek Mooney to come down and present.

Afterwards, Richard laid out the frustrations they were experiencing and “he listened intently.” 

“Driving home a few days later, I heard Derek bemoan the delay in school building programmes, particularly in Athy, and assuming that was his contribution to the cause, I emailed him ‘thanks’,” said Richard.

“A couple of weeks later, he had a woman called Mona Hanafin on the show discussing her devotion to Padre Pio and he revealed that she was none other than the mother of then minister for education Mary Hanafin.

“I was down in Athy recently and it wasn’t to Padre Pio they were praying, but rather to your daughter, would she get a move on with the promised school,” he said to his guest.

“I’ll say a prayer for them,” said Mona.

“Then, it’s as good as done,” said Mooney.

Richard then revealed he was quickly scheduled in for a meeting with the minister in the Clanard Court a few weeks later when she said to him: “My mother was very good on the radio” and within two years her successor, Mary Coughlan, cut the formal ribbon on the new school.

“I hope that in my time as principal I have assisted students both academically and socially and have helped to create an open, educational setting which welcomes all and responded to the needs of our students and our community,” said Richard.

“It has been a privilege and an honour.’’ Over the past decades, Athy College has become first choice for a large percentage of students and has expanded dramatically in size.

“A new extension bringing it to 1,000 pupils is about to commence and last year had the highest number of students progressing to third-level among most of the local schools.

We have had amazing success in sports and extra-curricular activities and particularly in music and the performing arts. We believe in developing all of the talents of our students, both academically and extra-curricular.

“I am particularly proud of our talent showcase Wintersong, which has become a showcase for emerging artists and Darkness into Light, where a large section of our community join together predawn to express solidarity and support. I am sure that both will remain features in the Athy calendar.

“Athy College was Ireland's first Google reference school and has assisted dozens of other schools to embrace new technology.

“I want to assure parents, students and the community that they can expect the same student-centered and welcoming atmosphere in the school under the new principal Ms Mary Marum, who holds the same values as myself and who will continue to deliver the same excellence in delivery to students and warm atmosphere that you have become used to.

“I wish to thank most sincerely my two deputies Ms Ennis and Ms Sweeney, who have been the heart and soul of the school and whose dedication has been above and beyond their job specification.

“My term as principal ends on 1 September and I will be in attendance for the first week to welcome back our students and welcome new students after the summer holidays. I will miss the camaraderie of working with my colleagues in the school and on campus.

“I wish to particularly thank Celine, Ricky and Olivia, who have supported me and the school on a daily basis and without whom this project would not have been as successful and relevant.

“Let the new chapter begin.”