st marys celebrating 50 years

THE LURGAN MAIL, MARCH 5, 2009—25www.lurganmail.co.uk

Down memory lane - special souvenir pullout

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26—THE LURGAN MAIL, March 5, 2009 www.lurganmail.co.uk

Celebrating 50 years of excellence at St Mary’s High School

School in theheart of townST Mary's was opened in

J a n u a r y 1 9 5 9 a s aSecondary Intermediate

School to serve the girls whod i d n o t g o t o G r a m m a rSchool from the Parishes ofShankill, Seagoe, Magheralinand part of Tullylish.

The f irst Pr incipal was Sr MAquinas. The initial enrolment was374 pupils with a staff of 16. Theprincipal and six teachers wereMercy Sisters.

During the 1960s the school flour-ished and increased. Between 1969and 1971 extensions were addedwhich provided much neededScience, Music and Art facilities,additional Home Economics rooms,extra classrooms and a second Gymhall.

In 1972 pupils began to enter then e w C e r t i f i c a t e o f S e c o n d a r yEducation (CSE) which provided amuch needed motivation for bothpupils and staff.

1973 was a year of big changes. SrM Aquinas retired, the school leav-ing age was raised to 16 and StMary's joined the Dickson Plan.Miss K O'Reilly the new Principalhad the task of managing a changeto a non-selective school for 11 to 14year olds.

This change brought about a veryrapid increase in enrolment duringthe 1970's, in addition the pupilswho did not transfer to the Senior

High School at 14 stayed at St Mary's(originally a temporary arrangementw h i c h b e c a m e p e r m a n e n t ) .Enrolment peaked at over 740 in1980-81.

Miss O'Reilly retired in 1981 andwas succeeded by Miss M T O'Neill.In 1982 it became school policy forall pupils to be given the opportuni-ty to enter for public examinations.The school joined the first cohort ofschools in the 11-16 programme in1984 and found it very beneficialbecause of the level of support.

Plans to extend the school groundsand improve the sports facilitieswere completed in 1988. A computernetwork was installed in 1989. TwoScience rooms were refurbished anda Technology Suite was fitted in1993. Home Economics rooms wererefurbished in 1996. A second com-puter network and extra sciencefacilities were installed in 1998. Afurther extension to the TechnologyDepartment was completed inSeptember 2004.

Miss O’Neill successfully managedthe school through the implementa-t i o n o f t h e No r t h e r n I r e l a n dCurriculum in 1989 and retired in1998.

Ms DJ McNally was appointed asPrincipal in 1998 and St Mary’s hascontinued to be an outstanding cen-t r e o f e x c e l l e n c e u n d e r h e rleadership.

In 2002 St Mary’s acquired theadjacent vacant Sacred Heart Schoolbuilding which gave them much

needed extra accommodation. Thes c h o o l i s ve r y we l l e q u i p p e d ,although the building itself is nowdated.

The Technology Suite has recentlybeen extended and refurbished, theScience Suite was refurbished anumber of years ago.

In 2005 the C2K network of com-puters was rolled out and in 2007they upgraded the stand alone com-puter suite for Business Studies.

They have also installed a thirdcomputer suite in the Sacred HeartAnnexe linked to the C2K networkand this combined with mobile lap-tops for daily classroom use ensuresthat both pupils and teachers havevery good access to ICT facilities.

Last year a platfor m lif t wasinstalled to facilitate a pupil con-fined to a wheelchair and justrecently substantial renovation proj-ects have been completed in the PEand Art departments.

In this time of change and themove towards a provision whichtakes account of the vocational aswell as the academic Ms McNally isproud to lead and support a dedicat-ed and professional staff that is fullyprepared, confident and ready toembrace any changes which willcome in their direction in the future.Everyone in the school communitycontinues to look forward to thesechallenges and providing a highquality Catholic Education based ongospel values to the next generationof young people in Lurgan.

Sr Mary Aquinas, firstprincipal at St Mary’s.

The first conignment ofuniforms arrived at

Sacred Heart inDecember 1958.

Mr Forte hands over thekeys to the new school.

A knitting class in 1959.

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Congratulations to St Mary's on their 50th Anniversary

GEMINI COACHESDavy would like to wish St. Mary's all thebest on their 50th Anniversary and offers

the best of luck for the next 50 years!

Tel: 028 3834 4222

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Wishing St Marys AllThe Best On Their 50thAnniversary

18A Edward St, LurganCo Armagh, BT66 6DB



RIGHT:- Girls in the first uni-form.

The girls of St Mary’s.

Mrs K. O’Reilly, the second principal.

LEFT:- A class singing alongin the 60s.

St Mary’s High SchoolCelebrating 50 Years of Quality Catholic Education

We, in St Mary’s, would like to pay tribute to past & present generationsof Governors, teachers, staff, parents and pupils

who have contributed to our school in any way since 1959.

Waring Street, Lurgan Tel: 028 3832 2446www.stmaryslurgan.com

Please join with us in our Celebrations

PAST PUPILS’FUNCTION5 March 2009Ashburn Hotel

SPRINGTIMECONCERT

5, 6 & 7 May 2009St Mary’s High School

OPEN DAYJune 2009

St Mary’s High School



Tasting waffles with fresh creamEithne and Rosemary on Blankenberge Beach, Belgium, 1960.

Ann Withers in her school days with friend AnnPoland. LM0809-951

Former St Mary's pupils, Annette Mulholland (nee Coleman), AnnLappin (nee Withers), Peggy O'Neill (nee Harte), Cathy Douglas (neeMartin) and Geraldine McCann (nee McGeown). LM0809-142gc

AN N L a p p i n ( n e eW i t h e r s ) w e l lremembers meeting

the new girls at St Mary's -indeed she was a new girlherself as she attendedthe school from its firstday.

She transferred to St Mary'sfrom Sacred Heart along with herteacher Sister Mary Aquinas, thefirst principal at the new school.

"I was 13 when I started and Iremember the uniform with ablouse and a beret, none of ushad that before.

"I had to be down to the schoolto meet all the girls starting,that's what I remember most."

During that first day Ann andother pupils from Sacred Hearthad the job of showing otherpupils round, they'd been upand down to the new school overpreceding months: "We had to

show groups of girls around,they were from all over but theyweren't Magheralin girls orDerrymacash girls, they were StMary's Girls.

"There was great excitement,we all had brand-new leatherschool bags."

She also remembers one schoolrule in particular: "We had towalk on one side of the corridorand had to carry our bags on theinside so we didn't scrape thewalls."

In common with other classmates it was the first time Annhad been taught by lay teachers.

Another abiding memory is of aschool trip to Europe: "MissCarville took the girls on a conti-nental tour to Belgium, Franceand Holland. We visited Brugesand Brussells.

"None of us had been on a boatbefore, it was so exciting.

"It was my first experience offoreign travel, we wore our uni-forms during the day but in the

evening we were allowed getchanged.

"it was a wonderful eye-open-ing experience, we got to see

h o w o t h e r p e o p l e l i v e d . Iremember tasting waffles andfresh cream for the first time. Ican still taste them."

Kay Kealey on the school tour to Belgium 1960.

Miss Carville on the first school tour to Belgium, April1960.

Maeve, Eithne, Kay and Patricia School Tour, Belgium 1960.Getting the first school uniforms in string wrapped packages.

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Uniforms arrived in brown parcelsPEGGY O'Neill (nee Harte)

started at St Mary's the dayit opened and well remem-

bers the uniform the girls used towear - topped by a fetching beret.

The girls got their uniforms a monthbefore the school opened: "I remember

they arrived in brown parcels wrapped instring."

Peggy's four sisters - Marie, Sheila,Ursula and Katheleen also attended theschool through the years.

Of her school days she said: "It was thefirst time we had lay teachers, it was thefirst time I'd been taught by anyone other

than the Sisters."I made a lot of new friends and it was

the first time we had an assembly everymorning. The whole school was therewith the teachers sitting across the back."

Peggy recalled: "Kathleen O'Reilly, thefirst teacher I had, was very interested inpoetry, I got that at home too because my

father was very into poetry."I walked to school every day from the

Avenue Road. I guess I never got into anytrouble at school and I left when I was15."

Peggy went on to do nursing, moving toAmerica for a time before returning toLurgan in 1990.

Sr M Aquinas at Dublin Zoo on School Tour March 1961.

Pupils of St Mary’s who organised a party for needy children in the Lurgan area. Included are Mr R Turner of the NSPCC and MrS Boyes, teacher.

A library class in 1959.

Head girl May Mawhinney hands over acheque for £100 as a donation from St Mary’sfor St Paul’s new church in 1964.

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Congratulations to all involved inSt Mary's High School on their 50th

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"Congratulations to St Mary's HighSchool on their 50th Anniversaryevery good wish for the future"



SISTER Mary FinbarrMcCartan who was onthe staff of St Mary's in

1959 shares her memories.St. Mary's, which opened in

January 1959, grew out of a needfor an alternative education stylefor ages eleven to sixteen. So, whilethere was emphasis on academicachievement it was according tothe ability of the student,

St Mary's introduced a moreinnovative, comprehensive edu-cation/formation. This wasreflected in the curriculum, andthe range of subjects offered. Inaddition to the usual academ-ics, there was a focus on socialand cultural development.Consequently, music anddrama developed the talents

of many, and gave us memorablemusical performances. Art andcrafts, cooking and needleworkprovided much enjoyment anddisplays. Sports and the debatingteams built up a spirit of competi-

tion and community.The library, a new experience for

our pupils, was furnished and sup-p l i e d i n s u c h a w a y s t h a t i tdeveloped a love of reading, at alllevels, and quiet time for researchand browsing.

The school uniform provided asense of belonging and pride as astudent of St Mary's. However, thesixties was the age of the mini-skirt. The uniform requirement of"to the knee, or below" providedmany an interesting encounterbetween the fashion-consciousstudents and me. My past pupilscan supply the details!!

As St Mary's became a busy, pro-ductive and pleasant centre ofeducation, we had some interest-ing "trial and error" in the masteryof new equipment. The "purple"mimeograph manual machinewas replaced by the Gestetnercopier, a black-ink "nightmare! Asixteen "mm." projector for filmstook some skill and patience tohave the sound and picture coor-

dinated! Slide projectors wereknown to "chew" slides, etc. etc!!In the context of the present age oftechnology, our experience seemslike no challenge.

Move the "mouse and click" wasstill in cyberspace in the sixties!!

I would like to speak in detailabout our outstanding teachers of1959, under the leadership ofSister Mary Aquinas, who were socooperative and creative in bring-ing the St Mary's mission to reality.Each one, in her/his department,provided great leadership, genius,and Christian witness for the stu-dents. Some individual names Ihave forgotten, but I still sensetheir presence, their personalitiesand their dedication.

This school community was our"baby" born in 1959. Now, thepresent staff, including some pastpupils, continue to enrich andenhance St Mary's through its"adult" years. May the good workbe blessed, for at least another fiftyyears.Thank you.

Some interesting encountersover mini-skirts

Kathleen Cassidy and Maria Wilson atthe school in the 60s.

On a trip to the Lake District in the 60s. We will make no com-ment on the length of the skirts!

On stage in 1966.

THE trip to Belgium, and I

think also Holland, was an

eventful journey which I

remember vividly, as we

all got very ill on the boat

crossing from Belfast to

Heysham on the first leg

of the journey!

We were accompanied

by lay teachers on that

trip. We also went on

another trip in April 1961

and Sr M Aquinas and Sr

M Finbarr (and perhaps

other nuns and lay teach-

ers) accompanied us to

t h e So u t h o f Ire l a n d ,

i n c l u d i n g D u b l i n ,

Killarney, Cashel etc.

Rosemary O'Boyle (nee

Donohoe)

Big trip

ABOVE: A classgroup in the 60s.

R IGHT: - A cuppresentation.

LISMORE COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLDrumgask, Brownlow, Craigavon, Co. Armagh BT65 5DUTel. Craigavon (028) 3831 4950 - Fax: (028) 3831 4966E-mail: [email protected]

Principal: J. Corrigan, BA (Hons), DipEd

Congratulations to St Marys HighSchool on their 50th Anniversary

Celebration and we wish themthe best of luck for the future

Committed to Educationthrough Care, Partnership

and Excellence

CHURCH PLACE, LURGAN

We would like to congratulateSt. Mary's High School on their 50th Anniversary!

For ReservationsTel: 028 3834 8848

Email: [email protected]

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Wishing St Mary's all the best for the future.



When Mr Finn made our8s class all stand up andcopy him do actions toAretha Franklin - Say alittle prayer!!

Anna-Marie O'Neill

Prayer

Given a love of learningLAURETTA McGeown

(nee Withers) sharesher memories of St

Mary's.I was enrolled in St Mary’s

school in September 1973. Ibelieve that was the first year ofthe Dickson Plan. I didn’t takethe 11plus exam but I remem-ber that some pupils in MrsGaffney’s primary 7 class in theSacred Heart did. I also remem-ber a few parents were sohorrified at the prospect of theirdaughters going to St Mary’sthat they were removed fromprimary 7 and sent a year earlyto St Michael’s.

I don’t know whether mymother would have entered mefor the 11 plus had the DicksonPlan not been introduced but Idon’t remember being particu-larly clever or studious at thatage and I don’t imagine I wouldhave passed - so I am verygrateful for a system that gaveme opportunities for an educa-tion that I may not otherwisehave enjoyed.

I remember being very wor-ried about the entrance examand I thought the maths wasvery difficult but I was placed inthe “grammar stream” and sohad the prospect of transferringto St Michael’s after three years.I remember my mother beingvery pleased at this news but Idon’t think I really cared orattached any significance to itat the time. Most of my friendsw e r e n o t i n t h e g r a m m a rstream.

Being in the grammar streamhad advantages and disadvan-tages. We were bullied from dayone for being “snobs” and“stews”. Mrs Elliott had a classof “special” girls who were par-t i c u l a r l y v i c i o u s a n d

p a r t i c u l a r l y t e r r i f y i n g .Venturing down Waring Streetwas intrepid, but only the mostfoolhardy strayed into ArthurStreet territory.

On the other hand I remem-b e r t h e s c h o o l a s b e i n g anurturing environment. Theteachers always seemed gen-uinely pleased to be teaching usand I feel they instilled a greatsense of self belief in us. I hadlistened to my older sisters talk-ing about St Mary Aquinas inless than glowing terms butwhen I was there the Principalwas Ms O’Reilly. I mustn’t havegot into trouble too oftenbecause I have no real recollec-tion of her.

My greatest fear was of MrsMcLaughlin because I had nomusical talent whatsoever. Iremember getting whackedover the knuckles with myrecorder on more than oneoccasion, and even my singingre n d i t i o n o f “C h e r r y R i p eCherry Ripe” was somewhatsubstandard. She did, however,permit me to prance about thestage in the production of “TheArcadians” – obviously not asinging part – there must havebeen a crowd scene!

I wasn’t much use at lan-guages either but I remembert h i n k i n g t h a t t h e F r e n c hteacher Ms Keeley was verybeautiful and she used to playthe guitar and try to teach ussongs in French.

I was even less use at Irishthan French but I enjoyed goingto the Gealtacht because I metgorgeous Dublin boys. When atthe Gealteacht I remembermyself, Roisin McGibbon, andEvelyn Molloy performing in aconcert wrapped in bedcovers(as evening gowns) impersonat-ing the Three Degrees singing“When will I see you again” in

Irish. Now if that’s not self beliefwhat is?

The Irish teacher also taughtL a t i n w h i c h a t t h e t i m e Ithought was a waste of effortbut now that I am an enthusias-tic gardener I wish I had paidmore attention because I wouldunderstand the Latin plantnames. I did enjoy the projectswe did about Roman life andlater went on to take AncientHistory at A level so obviously itw a s n’t a w a s t e o f e f f o r t –teacher knew best!

I also wish I had paid moreattention in Mr McKinley’s sci-ence classes which I mainlyu s e d t o c o p y D e l o r e sMaginness’ Latin homework!Everyone loved Mr McKinleybecause he was good fun andalways very kind. I rememberhim and Mr Elliott workinghard at the scenery for our pro-duction of The Arcadians.

I liked cooking and sewing inHome Economics with MrsGreen but I have a vague recol-lection of an attempt at sexeducation with Mrs McBride( w h o w a s a l s o a H o m eEconomics teacher as I remem-

ber) being bewildering – It wasonly some time later I realisedwhat she had been trying to talkabout!

I loved Art and Mrs McCannorganised an after-school clubfor art & crafts. We weaved withraffia, did batik dyeing, mademosaic, drawing, painting.

Ms O’Neill was the historyteacher who brought history tolife.

Besides the teachers I remem-ber chips from the Manila Cafe,sweets from Nailey Moore’sshop, having the odd smokefrom a cigarette from some ofthe older girls, rolling up thewaistband of my school skirt tomake it shorter – all the usual.

St Mary’s school gave me thegrounding to go on and enjoyacademic success, and the con-fidence to know I was goodenough to compete with any-one from any walk of life. Butbeyond academic or career suc-cess contact with inspirationalpeople like Pat McCann, MarieO’Neill and Mrs Vallely gave mea life-long love of learning andinterest in art, history, and read-ing that has enriched my life

and actually helped me escapefrom the stress of every daywork and life.

A big thank you St Mary’sfrom Lauretta McGeown (neeWithers).

Arcadians Musical 1976 with Ethna McLoughlin.

Preparing for a schoolplay in the 1970s.

FAX:02838 322078

FAX:02838 322078

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulateSt. Marys High School on reaching their 50th Anniversary

and wish them all the best for the future!

St Paul's JuniorHigh School

Francis Street, LurganPrincipal: Mr S Flanagan M.A H.Dip Ed

Congratulationsto St Mary’s High School

on celebrating their50th Anniversary !

St Teresa'sPrimary

SchoolTel:02838 323425

"Congratulations to all involved in St Mary's

High School on their 50th Anniversary

Every good wish for the future"

Congratulations to St. Mary’s High Schoolfor providing quality educationto the young ladies of Lurgan

for the past 50 years.

Best wishes fromSt. Patrick’s Primary School Aghagallon

Telephone:028 92651017

32—THE LURGAN MAIL, March 5, 2009 www.lurganmail.co.uk THE LURGAN MAIL, MARCH 5, 2009—33www.lurganmail.co.uk

Celebrating 50 years of excellence at St Mary’s High School Celebrating 50 years of excellence at St Mary’s High School

2009 2009

The

clas

sof

The

classof

The St Mary's High School year 8 form group. LM1009-100gc


The St Mary'sH i g h S c h o o ly e a r 1 0 fo r mgroup. LM1009-102gc



The staff at St Mary's High School. LM1009-105gc



A school trip to Lourdes in 1967.

A happy place to work'AHAPPY place' was

how two former viceprincipals described

their time at St Mary's.Brendan McKinley (Right) and

Tony Elliot (Below) notched up 75years service between them.

Science teacher Brendan was thefirst male member of the teachingstaff when he joined in 1963.

"I was often called on to do allthe odd jobs around the school,"said Brendan.

"The headmistress, Sister Aquinaslabelled me Brother Beck 'n' Call."

Brendan was part of a smallteaching staff with just under 300pupils enrolled at the school.

He continued: "It was my firstpost after I qualified.

"It's rare for a teacher to spendhis whole career in St Mary's cer-tainly for 40 years. But it was agreat school and I wouldn't have

wanted to be anywhere else."It was a very happy place to work

I can honestly say I looked forwardto going to work every day."

Brendan progressed through theteaching ranks to become vice prin-

cipal, apost he held for 20 yearsbefore retiring in 2003.

On leaving he was presented withthe Benemerenti Medal from thePope. It is awarded to those thatshow long and exceptional serviceto the Catholic Church, their fami-lies and community. It is also the

highest accolade the church canbestow on lay people.

"I must have been doing some-thing right," added Brendan.

"I have a lot of fond memories ofthe school and I can count many ofthe staff as some of my closestfriends."

Tony Elliot was a geography andmaths teacher at the school from1967 before retiring in 2002. He wasm a d e h e a d o f t h e g e o g r a p h ydepartment before becoming viceprincipal in 1988.

He said: "There were a lot ofchanges over the years. The schoolleaving age was raised to 16 and wealso had the introduction of theDickson Plan.

"It was a challenging time for theschool, especially with the DicksonPlan. Because of the small numberof schools involved in the new sys-tem there was a lack of support.

"But the school progressed and

developed well, I believe we usedthe Dickson Plan to the advantageof the school.

"Despite some of the best pupilsheading off to St Michael's, many ofthose that stayed on did very well

in the school."Indeed the school was ver y

proud of its academic record andthe amount of pupils leaving with-out qualifications was very small.And many more actually went on tofurther and higher education.

"There were pupils that have went

on to become teachers at theschool. I remember past pupilstelling me they remembered jokes Itold them 20 or 30 years ago andthey still didn't find them funny."

He continued: "And the schoolhad a good sporting tradition, wehad great success in camogie, net-ball, gymnastics and athletics.

"My favourite time of year wasmid-August when the results camein - it was good to see the fruits ofour labour."

After 35 years service at the schoolwith 15 years as vice principal Tonyretired.

He concluded: "The staff roomwas always abuzz, a real hive ofactivity, we were a very professionalgroup but there was never a dullmoment.

"We had our ups and our downs,but I have nothing but the best ofmemories from my time at theschool."

St Mary’s staff in 1975-76.

“Sister Acquinasl a b e l l e d m eBrother Beck ‘n’Call”

F o r m e r V PB r e n d a nMcKinley

“We used theDickson Plan tothe advantage ofthe school.”

F o r m e r V PTony Elliot

Leavers withBishop Brooksin 1976.

Great daysTHERE are so many memories - from Mrs

McLaughlin's music class where we all had

to sing the hymn "How Great Thou Art" -

most of us out of tune, to pleading with Mr

McKinley for + marks for the various

Houses - Maeve, Deirdre, Grainne and

Eimear. He always gave them - and for very

little.Great days at St Mary's in the late 70s

early 80s.Fiona McGrady

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The art of teachingFORMER principal Mary

O’Neill spent a remark-a b l e 3 7 y e a r s a t S t

Mary’s School.St Mary’s was Marie’s first and only

school since gaining her teachingqualifications at Queen’s in 1961.

She’d also been there as a sub fornine months in 1959 when theschool opened.

“I went back to the school recentlyand talked to a group of year 12 girlswho were compiling a memorybook,” said Marie, who was viceprincipal from 1973 to 1981, thenprincipal from 1981 to 1998.

“Myself and Mrs Lappin (a formerpupil) talked to the girls about whatthe school was like when it opened.

“It was very funny - one of the girlsasked, “Were they alllowed to bringtheir mobile phones to school?”

Marie went on to list the differencebetween the school when she start-ed and today’s classroom.

“Discipline was a bit more rigid,”she recalled.

“There was a staff of 18 between200 or 300 pupils - class sizes were a

bit bigger. When it opened first thestaff there were the Sisters of Mercy.Three of them are still alive which isamazing.

She added: “The biggest differencewas that there wasn’t a great interestin exams. There was plenty ofemployment for girls in factorieswhen they were finishing at 15.

“In 1973 it was raised to 16. Theinterest in exams had begun to startsince then.

"When we became comprehensivein 1973 children didn’t need to dothe 11 Plus and it proved to me thatthe 11 Plus was a very wrong thingfor deciding children’s future.”

Mary, who taught mainly History,but also Geography, English andFrench, told of her fond memoriesof St Mary’s.

“I must say I enjoyed my 37 yearsat St Mary. My memory is actuallybetter for the girls I taught at thebeginning. One of the unfortunatethings about being principal is youonly get to know badly behavedgirls.

“I always used to say to parents if Ididn’t get to know your daughter it’sa good sign.”

Marie continued: “A lot of the girlshave done very well for themselves -doctors, scientists, all kinds ofthings.”

Always one to support her girls, inher house Marie has a piece of artfrom one of her former pupils, AnneHarrigan.

“I enjoyed being principal other-wise I wouldn’t have done it for aslong as I did,” commented Marie,who is on the Board of Governors atSt Paul’s.

“The one thing I didn’t like as ateacher was corrections.

“I liked the pastoral side of beingprincipal. I was very lucky to havetwo fantastic VPs - Tony (Elliot) wasgreat for looking after the buildingand maintenance and Brendan(McKinley) had a great head forfinance.

“Paperwork became increased astime went. I definitely would notenjoy the role as much now asthere’s too much paperwork.”

She concluded: “I must say I wasvery fortunate to have a dedicatedand hard working staff. It’s a tributeto the school that a lot of them arestill there.”

Miss Marie O'Neill, pastprincipal of St Mary'sHigh School. LM0809-125gc

The student council with Miss O’Neill in 1982.Bank of Ireland competition winners in 1983.

Trip to France in 1980.

Maginn and McCreanorSchools of Dance

Congratulations to St Mary's on their50th Anniversary and best wishes for the future

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A goldenTHE anniversary

celebrations at StM a r y ' s a r e a

'golden milestone',a c c o r d i n g t o t h eschool's principal.

Deirdre McNally succeed-ed Miss Marie O'Neill in1998 as principal, and underher stewardship the schoolhas grown from strength-to-strength.

She said: "This is a veryspecial year of celebration inSt Mary’s as we mark ourgolden jubilee. It is a goldenmilestone on the journey ofCatholic post-primary edu-cation in Lurgan which hasseen St Mary’s grow fromstrength-to-strength overthe years."

T h e s c h o o l o p e n e d i nJanuary 1959 to 374 pupils

and 16 staff as a secondaryintermediate school forgirls. The first principal wasSister Mary Aquinas of theOrder of Sisters of Mercy

"She lit the beacon andlaid the foundations for asuccessful school," contin-u e d M s M c N a l l y. H e rphilosophy and values ofachievement through hardwork and service to othersare an integral part of theethos of St Mary’s today."

Sr Mary Aquinas was suc-ceeded as principal by MissKathleen O’Reilly (both nowdeceased). Ms McNally con-t i n u e d : " I h a v e j u s tcompleted my first decadeas leader – a decade whichhas been most rewarding,very fulfilling yet challeng-ing.

"Change has been a part of

educational life over theyears. In 1973 St Mary’sbecame part of the DicksonPlan, commonly referred toas the two-tier system ofJunior High Schools andS e n i o r H i g h S c h o o l s .Although St Mary’s had thename Junior High School,the school, did and stilldoes, cater for 11 to 16-year-olds. Transfer at 14 plusbecame the norm and thisdemanded a huge leap offaith at that time for pupils,parents and staff of all theschools in the area.

"The school has embracedthe changes wholeheartedlyand positively, always seek-ing out what was best for theindividual pupil.

"The school is a very car-ing school with a strongemphasis on and ethos of

A childcare class in 1981.

RIGHT:- Eithna McLauglinretires.

LEFT:- Students who weresuccessful at CSE in 1983.

StartingI remember when I first

star ted we were in a

class call 1R and we had

the lovely Mrs McDonald

for home economics.

CSE prizewinners in1982.

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WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CONGRATULATE ST MARYS HIGH SCHOOL ONREACHING THEIR 50TH ANNIVERSARY AND WISH THEM CONTINUED SUCCESS FOR THE FUTURE!

STRANMILLIS UNIVERSITY COLLEGEA College of Queen’s University Belfast

McDonalds Restaurants LTDEdward Street, LurganTel: 02838 328 000

McDonalds Restaurants LTDWe would like to congratulate

St Marys on their 50th Anniversaryand take time to thank all pupils past

and present for their continued custom

23 North Street, LurganTel: 028 3832 2486

10-12 Edward Street, LurganTel: 028 38 322295

Clinical trials are said toshow that taking LIPObind

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We would like to take thisopportunity to wish St. Mary's High

School all the best on their50th Anniversary!



milestonepastoral care," added MsMcNally.

"Relationships at all lev-els reflect this. Parents andpupils have full confi-dence in the school, andthe fact that a number ofstaff, both teaching andnon-teaching, are pastpupils of the school is ameasure of this confi-dence."

St Mary’s boasts strongl i n k s w i t h t h e l o c a l ,national and internationalcommunity and engagesi n n u m e ro u s p ro j e c t sannually to raise aware-

ness of and give practicalhelp to those who are inany way disadvantaged orin need.

Financial assistance isprovided annually forc h a r i t i e s s u c h a s S tVincent de Paul, NSPCC,Cancer Research, MarieCu r i e , S o u t h e r n A re aH o s p i c e , T r o c a i r e ,C o n c e r n , C h i l d re n o fCher nobyl and SimonCommunity.

M s M c N a l l y a d d e d :"Cross-community con-tact is high on our agendawith curriculum projects

involving Lurgan JuniorHigh School and our links c h o o l , Ba d i - Un - D i n ,Mahmud Girls College,Kandy, in Sri Lanka.

"St Mary’s has grown andmoved with the times. Ithas become a centre ofexcellence both in curric-ular and extra-curricularterms.

"Our exam success hasbeen consistently wella b o v e t h e N o r t h e r nIreland average, and wehave achieved successesin the f ie lds of spor t ,music, art, technology,

ICT and more."S h e c o n c l u d e d : " We

have much to celebrateand be proud of in thisJubilee Year and it is anhonour and privilege forme as principal to leadthis outstanding school.

"Change has been anintegral part of the pastand will, no doubt, be partof our future.

"We are well placed toadapt to the future, alwaysensuring that the provi-sion for the pupils in ourcare will be simply thebest."

Choir practice in the 90s.

These girls were cook-ing up a storm in the90s.

Ms Deirdre McNally, principal of St Mary's High School. LM1009-125gc

ABOVE:- A ski tripin the 90s.

LEFT:- Dancingthe night away.

All smiles at the dishes.

Students who enjoyed musical success.

C. MALLONWholesale, Retail Butcher & Poulterer All produced locally

EDWARD STREET, LURGAN - Tel: 3834 8635 34 HIGH STREET, PORTADOWN - Tel: 3833 4712ASHGROVE, PORTADOWN - Tel: 3835 0532 LEGAHORY, CRAIGAVON - Tel: 3832 1358

Congratulations to St Mary's on their 50thAnniversaryand BestWishes for the future

Best wishes to everyone atSt Mary's on their 50th Anniversary

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Tel: 028 9265 2377 or 07803897911

IRISH NATIONAL FORESTERS SOCIAL38 North Street, Lurgan,

Telephone: (028) 38323065Well done to St. Mary's High School on their 50th Anniversary

from all the branch & Club members!



Lourdes trip made impression

IHAVE had some terrific memo-ries in St Mary’s but the best waswhen I went to Lourdes. I went

to Lourdes on October 20, 2008and it was brilliant. I got to see theGrotto, City of the Poor and theTorchlight procession.

The best part of Lourdes was when wewent to the torchlight procession as it wasbeautiful to watch. We all carried a candleand held it up whenever everybody sangAve Maria and also seeing the Grotto where

Our Lady appeared was brilliant. You wereallowed to go and touch the Grotto and gosay a prayer there as well.

At Lourdes they had a tiny little river full ofHoly water where you could fill up bottles ofHoly water and bring them home. Lourdeswas full of people from all over the world.We went during the 150th anniversarywhich was very exciting. Going to Lourdeswas an amazing experience that I will neverforget. It was the best memory I’ve had at StMary’s.

Ann Dowds 9F

Polish studentis ‘so happy’WHEN I came

to school forthe first time,

everybody was verynice and helpful tome. Mrs McNally toldme that there werethree other Polishgirls in school.

I was so afraid, but Ismiled, because somebodys p o k e w i t h m e i n m ynational language.

Now I am here three yearsand even if I have some sada n d h a rd d a y s , I ’m s ohappy. In school I got a lotof certificates and goldmedals from volleyballmatches. Also I have a lotof wonderful friends andmy English is very good.

We should always havefaith to confront our fearand never be afraid.

Aleksandra SzczypiorYear 11

Excited at changeAS I got off the bus and

walked through theb i g s c a r y g a t e , I

b e c a m e r e a l l y e x c i t e dbecause it was a really bigchange from my primaryschool.

I could not believe my eyesbecause there’s so much to do andso much to see.

When I first got to the assemblythere were so many girls and noboys.

When Mrs McNally mentioned allthe form teachers I wondered whois mine going to be? Is it a he or ashe? My teacher was Miss Towe. I

said to myself she looks nice andsweet.

Miss Towe took us to our formclass where she introduced herself,then I met Trisha, my helper. She isvery nice.

We then got our timetable of newsubjects.

The morning flew by and in notime it was break. I talked to theother girls in my class. As the daywent on we began to follow ourtimetable until home time.

I got on the bus home thinking Iwas tired but happy as I hadenjoyed my first day at my newschool.

By Aoife Tennyson 8.T. Collecting for the hospice in 2006.

On the trip to Lourdes lastyear.

Competing for the UTV School Choir of the Year in 2004. The school won the competition ( celebrationspictured below).



‘The happiest years of my life’WA L K I N G t h ro u g h t h e

wooden doors of thefoyer I was so nervous

I had come from Tannaghmore PS andfrom July 1 when school had ended for thesummer, I couldn’t wait, but as soon asthe 5th September arrived I was a nervouswreck.

Although as soon as I walked through tothe assembly hall I was warming to mynew school already. All the teachers were

very friendly, and made me feel very wel-come. I was brought to form class and webegan a friendly exercise which I’m surewill be friendships I’ll treasure forever.

Lifelong friends have been made in StMary’s and I’m sure I’ll remember thesethree years for all my years to come. Firstyear was one of the years where I was ashy girl with very low confidence, but byMarch I was beginning to open up. Iwould voice my opinions and was myselfamong new people.

Second year was one of my favouritetimes. I had great friends, a brilliant edu-cation and my confidence had come inleaps and bounds – I felt safe in St Mary’sand it was something I looked forward toschool and seeing my friends.

As I continue what may be my last yearhere, I realise that the time has flown andI wish that everything would slow down.My GCSEs are coming closer and the sup-port from the staff here has been amazing.

My mum was a past pupil and many of

the teachers that taught her have nowtaught me and the standards of teachinghave kept up, if anything improved. Theschool itself hasn’t physically changedaccording to my mum’s memory but itcontinues to deliver the high standard ofeducation the people of Lurgan expect.

The three years I have spent here havebeen the happiest years of my life – and ifI leave for St Michael’s I will most certainlybe back to visit.

Shannon Dowds 10F

Memories of head girlI’M now in my fifth year

o f St M a r y ’s a n d a mstudying for my GCSEs.

I have accomplished a lot in myfive years in St Mary’s, one of thesewas winning a story writing com-petition that was open to all of theUK. Winning this meant I had theopportunity to visit the House ofCommons in London to receive myaward for Sir Stephen Redgrave.

Just a few months ago I took partin the national finals of a road safe-ty public speaking competition.

I had the privilege of reading atour jubilee mass in celebration ofour school’s 50th year of education,this was a once in a lifetime experi-e n c e , a s w a s b e i n g t h erepresentative for the youth of theDromore Diocese at a mass cele-brated by Papal Nuncio at thelaunch of the John Paul II award.

This year we also took a schooltrip to Lourdes in the south ofFrance. I’ve no idea how to evenbegin explaining this experience,there’s no words that give it therespect it deserves, it was one of

the most enjoyable and equallyspiritual experience in my life, Iwill never forget about my timethere.

I feel that looking back on mytime in St Mary’s the thing that willhave the most significance waswhen I became Head Girl, it was amajor factor in being able to do somany great things in my last yearof St Mary’s.

By Rosalind McConville Year 12St Mary’s Head Girl 2008/09

Miss McGurn’s Geography Class, 10G, who raised £85 for Trocaire. The girls decidedto buy pigs, chickens, a water supply and a vegetable patch for people in the devel-oping world.

Mrs McStravick meets the Dalai Lama.

LEFT:- On a skitrip in 2001.

Year 12 studentsmeet PresidentMcAleese.

DRUMCREE COLLEGE4 Moy Road, Portadown, Co Armagh BT62 1QL

Tel: 028 3833 4725We would like to congratulate

St Marys High School on their 50thAnniversary and wish them continued

success for the future

26-34 Lurgan Road,Portadown

Tel: 028 3835 2222

18 Alexander Crescent,Lurgan

Tel: 028 3834 9222

CRAIGAVON SENIORHIGH SCHOOL

www.cshs.org.ukCongratulations to St Mary’s High School

on celebrating their 50th Anniversary!CCoonnggrraattuullaattiioonnss ttoo SStt MMaarryy’’ss HHiigghh SScchhooooll oonn cceelleebbrraattiinngg

tthheeiirr 5500tthh AAnnnniivveerrssaarryy!!

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wwwwww..ppeerrffeeccttddaayynnii..ccoomm

The Wedding Specialist

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St Mary's High Schoolpupils who performedin song and dance atthe 50th Anniversaryspecial Massheld inJ a nu a r y. L M 0 4 0 9 -154gc

Bishop John McAreavey, Ms Deirdre McNally, princi-pal, Miss Marie O'Neill, past principal and CanonCathal Jordan with the St Mary's High School 50thAnniversary cake. LM0409-180gc

Past pupils of St Mary's High School at the anniversary lunch. LM0409-183gc

Former St Mary's teachers Patsy Toman andTony Elliott at the service. LM0409-155gc

Former St Mary’s teachers celebrate the anniversary in January. LM0409-187gc

Fran McCann, Vera McGeown, Mary Tomelty, Deirdre McCannand Marie McClean who are some of the St Mary's longestserving teachers. LM0409-181gc

Part of the St Mary's choir with teacher Miss FranMcCann. LM0409-153gc

St Mary’s 50thAnniversarySpecial Mass

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oonn iitt''ss 5500tthh aannnniivveerrssaarryy..

st marys celebrating 50 years

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