Pride in the past and excitement about the future at St Oliver's National School in Clonmel

Above: Sean Nyhan Bursary winners Hailie Carey Owens and Jamie O’Brien with John Condon, Chairperson of the St Oliver’s board of management; Valerie Slattery, Principal (centre) and teacher Emer Power, representing the Nyhan family

Its many achievements during the past 40 years, since the school opened its doors and welcomed the first pupils in 1982, were celebrated by St Oliver’s National School in Clonmel during a year-long series of events that concluded at the end of the school year last month.

The celebration of this significant milestone in the history of education in Clonmel was very much to the fore in the activities of the school community throughout the school year 2022-23 as the school, which has 320 pupils, girls and boys, and a total staff of 35 (including non-teaching staff), reflected on four decades of success.

Last November past and present staff and board of management members gathered for a reunion event at Raheen House Hotel. A night of nostalgia and fond reminiscing was enjoyed by all present, who included Paul Murphy, who served as the school’s second principal; John Condon, the current chairperson of the school board of management; former board of management chairman, Fr Michael Hegarty; and former school inspector Jack Terry.

Someone who wasn’t present but who was foremost in the thoughts of all was the school’s first principal, the late Sean Nyhan, who passed away in February 2022.

Mr Nyhan, who was also Mayor of Clonmel on four occasions, was regarded as an outstanding educator who played a pivotal role in helping to establish the school in the town and the local community.

In recognition of the 40th anniversary, and to perpetuate Sean Nyhan’s memory, the board of management offered a secondary school bursary worth €500 in his name. The Nyhan family generously offered a second bursary of €500.

Sixth class pupils were invited to do a presentation and submit an entry on their hopes and dreams. The winners, Jamie O’Brien and Hailie Carey Owens, were presented with their awards at the sixth class graduation.

The school had a special visit from Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan on the night of the graduation, which was appropriate, considering that St Oliver’s has maintained very strong links with the parish since its foundation.

Fr Micael Hegarty played a very important role as chairman of the board of management and as the former Parish Priest in St Oliver’s. He played an integral role in the pastoral care of the staff, pupils and families in the community and is wished well in his retirement.

The school works closely with recently-appointed Parish Priest Fr Nicholas Grace, as well as with Fr Paul Spaine.

The school year began with a Mass in September 2022, and at Christmas classes from junior infants to second class presented shows based on the 40th anniversary, while classes from third to sixth class presented their summer shows on the same theme.

During the year an outdoor sensory garden was developed in the school grounds. Eugene Wynne and the local Men’s Shed were of great assistance in this project, which connected the community with the school, and they presented St Oliver’s with an outdoor buddy bench and an outdoor mud kitchen for the garden.

Valerie Slattery, who has been principal since February 2019, says “the community involvement, with which school was set up 40 years ago, is very much retained to this day”.

The student council commemorated the anniversary year with a large picture of the St Oliver’s crest, which featured the fingerprints of every pupil.

Above: Current staff of St Oliver’s National School in Clonmel, with former board of management chairman Fr Michael Hegarty, at the recent event in the school to mark the retirement of long-serving teachers Angela Quinlivan, Diarmuid O’Keeffe and Debbie Swift

The high standards in academic achievements that began during Sean Nyhan’s time as principal are still central to the ethos of St Oliver’s. Equally, the school also strives to develop the whole child, including their physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.

The school also has very well developed IT and computer subjects, which are in keeping with the high standards set in the school.

In addition, St Oliver’s works with local agencies such as Barnardos, which completed a recent project with some class groups on the Creative Breath body-mind programme.

Another significant event at the end of the school year was the retirement of long-serving teaching staff members Angela Quinlivan, Debbie Swift and Diarmuid O’Keeffe.

As well as celebrating the past, Valerie Slattery says she is very hopeful for what the future holds for St Oliver’s, and she’s looking forward to maintaining and building the school’s strong traditions into the future.

“We’re very lucky that we’ve had a handover time where we have new staff coming in, while a strong sense of tradition is maintained by the existing staff.

“There’s pride in the past but excitement about the future.

“We will continue to promote the key elements of family and community while striving to achieve the best version of all our pupils,” says the principal, who is looking forward to welcoming new junior infants and their parents to St Oliver's at the end of next month.