Address by President McAleese on the occasion of her visit to Scoil Mhichil Naofa
Address by President McAleese on the occasion of her visit to Scoil Mhichil Naofa, Athy, on Tuesday, 23 February 1999
Reverend Sisters, members of the Board of Management of Scoil Mhichil Naofa, teachers, parents and pupils, I am really delighted to be with you today.
When you invited me recently to the 40th Anniversary celebrations of your school, I was unable to attend due to a prior commitment. However, I did make a special note of that very kind invitation sent in by your schoolmate, Maev McManus, and I am glad to have this opportunity to visit you today.
Scoil Mhichil Naofa has a lot to celebrate. It was the Sisters of Mercy who founded the original school in 1852 and, since then, they have served the people of the town and surrounding area with great dedication. My own primary school days were spent at a Mercy convent in Belfast, and I know that education, both formal and informal, has stood me in great stead over the years.
Scoil Mhichil Naofa, since its foundation, has continued the great traditions of the Mercy order. I would like to congratulate Ms. Mary English, your principal teacher, her teaching colleagues and all other members of the school staff, on their commitment to delivering the best educational service possible to the pupils of Scoil Mhichil Naofa. I know that this school welcomes all children, whether they have many advantages in life or have few. You welcome those children who learn easily, and those who cope courageously with notable learning difficulties. You welcome the children of families long resident in Athy, of families which have settled recently in this area, and children of the travelling community who live in Athy from time to time according to long established family traditions.
The organisation of special education facilities and classes makes notable demands on the time, energy and resources of school management, teachers and parents. It requires vision, courage and steadfast commitment to the best interest of each child. This school has promoted the availability of special facilities and staffing with great enthusiasm, and I commend you on your success.
Quality library services are fundamental to the successful teaching of reading, and of supporting a love of reading, and your school is a leader in this regard. You have promoted the importance of the library in many novel ways, not least by inviting favourite authors to come and meet their young readers, and talk about their own books. Your library gives special and well-deserved prominence to the wealth of talent among our Irish authors, as well as an introduction to the whole world of literature.
I know that the parents of Scoil Mhichil Naofa have been particularly active in their support for all aspects of the life of the school. The library project benefited from the generosity of those who contributed to the original stock of books, and many families have been equally generous in their support for fund-raising campaigns from time to time. The Parents Council deserves special praise for organising so much goodwill and energy towards a very worthwhile conclusion. Although the library refurbishment programme is now complete, I have no doubt that the hardworking members of the Parents council are already moving on to other priorities in the school.
I also want to acknowledge the great musical tradition of Scoil Mhichil Naofa, which continues as strong as ever to this very day. This school hall has resounded down the years to many vocal and instrumental productions of exceptional quality, and I am sure you will agree that the contribution made by Sr. Rosarii to the standard of the presentations has been invaluable. The influence of Sr. Rosarii is appreciated in many facets of education in Athy, not least in her untiring efforts on behalf of the travelling community. But, above all, she has been most effective in cultivating enjoyment of high quality in music, and has sown the seeds of a lifelong love for music in the hearts of generations of young pupils.
We are now in the final year of this century. The future holds great opportunities and we can encourage the young people of Ireland to embrace the new millennium with justifiable optimism. May Scoil Mhichil Naofa long continue to meet the learning needs of the children of Athy with characteristic energy, humour and generosity for many years to come.
I noticed from the letterhead of your school that your motto is “Mol an Óige agus tiocfaidh sí” – praise the child and s/he will blossom. Keep praising your children, our children, parents and teachers – for confident children make reassured and reassuring adults and that, more than anything, is what our world needs.