Visit of President Mary McAleese to

Our Lady’s Secondary School.

On Monday December 7th Our Lady’s Secondary school was honoured by a visit from President Mary Mc Aleese and her husband, Dr. Martin McAleese. On her arrival The President was played in by student members of Templemore Pipe Band. After signing the visitors’ book she was introduced by Principal, Ms Patricia Higgins, to members of the Student Council, the Board of Management and the Parents’ Association before she unveiled a plaque to mark her visit to the school. In the library, the President Mc Aleese chatted with students and viewed displays by the History, Science, Home Economics, French and Music departments. In the German room which was splendidly decorated for the visit, there were multilingual greetings from students in all the languages of the school - Irish, English, French, German, Polish, Hungarian and Lithuania. Students of Home Economics, under the watchful eye of Ms Caroline Kinane, then treated Ireland’s first citizen to the delights of home baking before she was briefly entertained by the school’s traditional music group. In the Design and Communication Graphics room President Mc Aleese interacted with students of the subject and viewed artefacts created in the Woodwork and Construction Studies’ Department.

After viewing a short digital display on school life, President Mc Aleese was formally welcomed and introduced to students and guests in the school Gym by Ms. Higgins. In her address of welcome Ms Higgins told President Mc Aleese that her visit had been eargerly anticipated by students and staff of the school. She spoke of President Mc Aleese’s outstanding academic prowess which she carries so lightly as she extends the hand of friendship to all the people of Ireland expecially the old and the vulnerable.

After Ms. Higgins’ address, there was an enjoyable performance by award winning Irish Dancer, Aoife Newe who danced a reel for the President. The traditional music group accompanied the school choir and conducted by Ms Mary Minchin then gave a short performance.

The high point of the visit was, of course, President Mc Aleese’s address. Speaking in her characteristically engaging and sincere manner she spoke of the warm welcome she experience on her arrival at the school. She said she was impressed by the range work being done by students and the quality of the work on display. She expressed her happiness to be greeted in a range of languages in the school and made reference to the difficulties for newcomer students who do not always have the same network of family suppport close at hand that we may take for granted. President Mc Aleese spoke of her love of Gaelic Games and the rivalry between Tipperary and Kilkenny. She said she looked forward to seeing Tipperary in Croke Park next year.
Transition Year student, Saoirse Timmons was the final speaker. She thanked the President for her visit to the school and for her commitment to young people. She expressed the hope that the young people of Our Lady’s would grow up to be the kind of leaders and problem solvers that President Mc Aleese had wished young people to become when she spoke at her inauguration ceremony in 2004.Finally, first year student, Shane Manton made a presentation to President Mc Aleese.

The Presidential Visit comes just weeks before Our Lady’s is due celebrate 25 Years since the amalgamation of the Christian Brothers and Convent fo Mercy schools in Templemore

 

Signing the Visitior’s Book at Our Lady’s President Mc Aleese. Also in the photo: Imelda O’ Riordan (Parents’s Council), Mr. John Lynagh (Chairperson Board of Management), Mr. Willie Butler (Deputy Principal), Ms. Patricia Higgins (Princpal), Dr. Martin Mc Aleese.

President Mc Aleese is addresseed by German student James Newe under the watchful eye of German Teacher, Ms. Tina Fogarty.

Daniel Butler makes a short audio- visual presentation during the Presidential Visit. Also in photo is Principal , Ms Patrica Higgins.