Wexford school principals share memories ahead of 50th anniversary celebration

Irish Independent

28-05-2025

Our Lady of Lourdes Bunclody officially opened in 1975 with the amalgamation of female and male pupils for the first time.
The principal at the time, Michael Dee said they were surprised at how seamlessly everything fell into place at the beginning of the school.
"We were all pleasantly surprised at how seamlessly the amalgamation worked out. After a few weeks it looked as if both staff and pupils had been in such an environment all their lives. The school very soon garnered a reputation for hard work and high standards, traits still evident to this day.
"Apart from the academics I would have very happy memories of the music, drama and games programmes which proved very enjoyable and successful. We always enjoyed great cooperation from Bunclody G.A.A. and soccer clubs and the help forthcoming from F.C.J. school in all our stage productions. Our school concerts wouldn't have happened without Harry Mc Mullen,' he added.
Keen to follow in his footsteps, James Roberts took over the role as principal in 1997 and got heavily involved in the Rackard League.
"They say that a new broom sweeps clean but when I followed Michael Dee as principal of Our Lady of Lourdes National School in 1997 I was determined to hold on to as much as I could of what his dedication to the school had given Bunclody. Michael had successfully managed to integrate two schools into a cohesive, dedicated and happy family where the focus was on the children,' he said.
'My first year's involvement with Rackard League was successful with the boys winning the Roinn A Football Competition in 1997/98 but truth be told, this was mainly down to the work of the previous principal Michael Dee, to teacher Edward Martin and to Colm O Tiarnaigh, the then principal of Kilmyshall NS who had sown the seeds of success. Interest in GAA was high, especially as the winning Wexford All Ireland Hurling Team visited the school the previous year.'
He also spoke about how the staff fought to receive more help from the state after they were not included as a a priority school (Band 1) which would have given them much-needed additional teachers and considerable extra funding.
According to a survey, which they used to support their campaign, Bunclody was recognised as the most economically depressed town in Ireland.
"With this knowledge we pushed the Department for inclusion in Band 1 of DEIS and we were included shortly after. This gave the school extra teachers and crucially a fulltime Home School Co-Ordinator. The additional funding enabled breakfast clubs, homework clubs, school meals, extra resources, play therapy services and a whole range of extra services to be provided without the need for fundraising,' he explained.
One of the most successful programmes introduced was the Enrichment Programme. The aim of this programme was to provide something different to the normal classroom experience and enable students to challenge themselves to achieve their full potential. Some of the elements of the programme included cryptology and code breaking, painting classes, debating, Maths competitions, LEGO Robotics, cooking, Spelling Bee, quizzes and podcasting.
Speaking on his most memorable possession after being at the helm for 22 years, he said: 'My most cherished possession from my 22 years as principal in Our Lady of Lourdes NS is a series of books called 'To Be Continued …'. The books complete stories written by Ben Markey. Ben was a second class pupil who died in a tragic accident on May 11, 2013. He was an extraordinary boy who loved writing. Many of his stories were unfinished because he would start one story but get a new, better story he couldn't wait to write.'
Current principal, Tomás Moriarty who took up the mantel in 2019, said he knew from the beginning that the school was a special place, despite the challenges posed by Covid-19.
"From my first visit, to meet James Roberts and the children, it was clear that OLOL NS was a special place. Walking in through the gates, I remember that the school grounds were sparkling in the early Summer sun and from the first meeting with the children and staff I was made feel welcome,' he said.
"The years since have been eventful but rewarding! I was still finding my feet when the Covid pandemic hit in March 2020. None of us could have foreseen what was coming when Leo Varadkar announced schools would close in March 2020. The talk was that we would be open again after Easter, little did we know. Two long periods of online learning followed alongside interludes in school with open windows, masks and the constant smell of hand sanitiser. May we never see the likes again!"
He emphasised that, as a result of building on the legacies of the previous principals, the current school is full of life and boundless activities.
"School life here in OLOL NS is a daily burst of activity, the classes and corridors buzzing with the life and energy that the children bring to the school. There is so much happening, from our school band to art classes, from Rackard League, athletics, soccer and more to Chess Club. Every day is different but each day brings its own rewards.'
To celebrate the milestone, the school is inviting past pupils, staff, and locals to a special mass beginning at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 29, followed by refreshments and speeches.