Ballyhaunis Community School P.T.A.A
Centre
Ballyhaunis - Young Pioneers compete in
All-Ireland quiz finals
The Ballyhaunis Community School Young Pioneers reached the All-Ireland
Quiz Finals which took place at Enver College, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan
on Saturday, 26th April.
The team comprising Aoife Noone, Lynda Healy, Conor
Freeman, John Judge and Joan Leonard, came fourth in the
Under-16 Pioneer Quiz Competition.
The team made up of Aileen Burke, Brenda Kilcourse, Sarah
Nolan, Aidan Noone and Siobhan Quinn, came second in the
Young Pioneer competition.
Congratulations to all who took part. The Ballyhaunis Community
School Pioneers would like to extend a special ‘Thank You’ to their
leader Mrs. Joyce.
Pioneer Quiz
The Ballyhaunis Community School Pioneers organised and hosted a Quiz
for all the local National Schools in the area on Friday evening, 28th Feb.
The night was enjoyed by all who took part and the standard event was a
great success. The Young Pioneers would like to extend a sincere ‘Thank
You’ to all of their sponsors.
Ballyhaunis
Community School publishes twenty-fifth yearbook
The Community School, Ballyhaunis celebrated the
twenty-fifth anniversary of its opening this past school year (2002-03),
marking a quarter-century of excellence in the provision of education to
the region.
One of the first community schools in the country, it first opened its
doors in September 1977 with the amalgamation of the three post-primary
schools in the town - St. Joseph’s Convent Secondary School, The Technical
School and
St. Patrick’s College. Since then it has grown in size, stature and
reputation and has come to be regarded as one of the finest second level
schools in the country.
Towards the end of every academic year since 1977-8 the Ballyhaunis Community
School Yearbook has been published, and this year’s issue - the twenty-fifth
- is bigger and better than ever. For the first time ever, the Yearbook
is on sale in retail outlets throughout the town and it costs just £6.
A well put together document that records a fruitful year in the life
of the Community School, the Yearbook details all aspects of the school’s
year - academic, sporting and cultural - and serves as a record of the great
work that goes on there from day to day. It should be of interest to anyone
who has ever had any connection with the Community School - and this would
include the great majority of families living within a five-mile radius
of Ballyhaunis.
The back issues of the Yearbook form an impressive record of a whole
generation who have gone to the Community School. They bear witness to
the ever-evolving educational system, and detail the many impressive academic,
sporting and cultural achievements of its pupils past and present. This
year’s Yearbook maintains this fine tradition, and marks the special anniversary
with a section entitled “Looking Back Over The Past 25 Years” which includes
reminiscences from former staff and past pupils, along with a large selection
of photographs from the past twenty-five years - recording musicals, sporting
events, and other milestones in the history of the school.
The Yearbook opens with a thoughtful introduction by Mr. Jarlath Fahey,
Principal, and an Editorial from Doireann Markham. Features on each of the
years are given followed by the usual photographs of students - individual
photographs of all Leaving Certs and class groups for the other years.
Organisations within the Community School have submitted end-of-year
reports, including the Parents’ Association, Pastoral Care Team and the
Young Pioneers. There are contributions
too from some of the school’s international students.
For those who have attended the Community School over the past twenty-five
years, or indeed anyone who had family members there in that time, “Looking
Back over the past 25 years” should be of great interest. Extending over
thirty-three pages, this section includes many reminiscences and a large
selection of interesting photographs sure to bring back memories. It includes
an account of the “Class of 78” reunion held this Christmas past (i.e. the
first ever First Years in the school); pieces on all the Musicals and School
Tours arranged by the school over the years, and a large selection of photographs
from past Sports Days. There are the recollections of retired staff including
Mary Freeley, Patsy Noone, Fr. Walsh, Sr. Joan, Maura Griffin, Sr. Dolores,
Pat Higgins, as well as from past pupils from the different decades, seventies
up to the nineties, and memories of a School Bus Driver.
The Editorial Committee who have put together this fine publication were
as follows: Editor - Doireann Markham; Sports - Sarah O’Connor, Tracey
Folliard; Secretaries - Anna Maria Tighe, Siobhan
Quinn; Photographers - Tracey Devaney, Edel Moroney, Emma
Herr; Features -Louise Cunnane, Patricia Finan, Sarah Kelly, Claire Caulfield,
Corina Duggan, Sonia Cribbin, Lorna Clancy, Frances Grogan.
In Ballyhaunis Community School, the emphasis has always been on the
individual student being enabled to achieve his or her full potential.
Reading through this year’s Yearbook it is apparent that this is still
the case, and that the aspiration expressed in the very first Yearbook,
by former principal Mr. Eddie Thornton - “Our aim is to create an excellent
educational establishment, where every student is important and one which
will fully provide for the Community it was instituted to serve” - still
holds true.