Catholic education remains ‘vital’ to Church as Ballyshannon school marks 150th anniversary

Catholic education remains ‘vital’ to Church as Ballyshannon school marks 150th anniversary Ballyshannon NS pupils wave flags during the school’s 150th anniversary celebrations. Photo: Gabriel Berg

Ballyshannon National School marked 150 years of education in the parish with a special Mass attended by pupils, staff, grandparents, and former students on a sunny day of celebration for the whole school community.

Grandparents, former pupils and members of the wider school community attended Ballyshannon NS’s 150th anniversary celebration. Photo: Gabriel Berg


Bishop Denis Nulty joined Fr Barry Larkin PP of Suncroft parish, Principal Lorraine McGovern, teachers, families, and past pupils for the anniversary celebration at the Co. Kildare school.
During the Mass, pupils sang hymns and songs, with a ukelele choir adding to the music of the day. Gifts were brought forward by the children to represent the life of the school: a candle for faith, a book for knowledge, a school football jersey for pride, and an oak tree for the future.

Pupils from Ballyshannon NS perform with the school ukulele choir during celebrations marking 150 years of education in the parish. Photo: Gabriel Berg


Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Bishop Nulty said Catholic education remains “vital” to the mission of the Church. “Education is so important to the Church,” Bishop Nulty said, adding that Catholic schools give young people “an opportunity of having a faith and being strong in that faith”. He also praised Ms McGovern and her staff for their work.

Bishop Denis Nulty in conversation with The Irish Catholic at Ballyshannon NS. Photo: Gabriel Berg


After Mass, Bishop Nulty planted a tree to mark the anniversary, while pupils prepared a time capsule containing poems, self-portraits and notes for future generations of Ballyshannon children.
Old school registers, some dating back to the early 1900s, were also on display as pupils and visitors reflected on the generations who have passed through the school.


Ms McGovern said the celebration was a chance to honour the school’s past while looking ahead to its future. “We’ve had generations of families that have gone here,” she said, adding that great-grandparents and past pupils were among those present. “They come back and tell their stories.”
Ms McGovern said Ballyshannon NS has grown alongside the wider community. When she arrived in 2005/2006, the school had two teachers. It now has five mainstream teachers, three support teachers, SNAs and a wider range of pupil supports and activities. “It has grown with the community,” she said.
She said the time capsule would allow future pupils to look back on school life in 2026, describing the anniversary as a moment of “generations passing by”.