Trevor Quinn
“A journalist from this town, John Healy, once wrote a famous book called ‘No One Shouted Stop,’ but after this meeting I want everyone to shout stop!”. Those were the words of Deputy Principal of St Joseph’s Secondary, Charlestown, Mr Austin Egan last week.
He was speaking in front of a room bustling full of inquisitive and supportive parents, staff and public representatives a specially arranged meeting to discuss the future of Charlestown secondary school on Thursday last.
The Marist Sisters announced last week that they would be withdrawing their patronage over a three year period up to 2014, after more than sixty eight years of providing an educational and cultural platform for many thousands of children to excel in their academic and personal advancements.
“This is the start of a new dawn and a new chapter in the life of St Joseph’s”, said Mr Egan, who acknowledged that the past few days in the life of the school had been a confusing time for people in the local area.
It was inevitable for some time that the Marist Sisters would eventually disengage their association with the school Mr Egan said.
Local Councillor and former member of the board of management Gerry Murray said the Marist Sisters ‘had been trying to put an exit strategy in place and for one reason or another the department dragged their feet until it reached a point where they had to give a timeframe’.
“It is only now that they are leaving we understand the commitment they have made both personally and financially. I don’t think it would be asking too much to ask the Department of Education to step in,” said Cllr Murray.
Fine Gael TD John O’Mahony ,whose wife Gerardine has been a teacher at St Joseph’s for many years, reaffirmed his commitment to securing the future prosperity of the school.
“I have a long association and knowledge of the good work done in this school by the Marist Sisters” said Deputy O’Mahony, who added that he was confident that the department would listen to the approvals of staff and trustees as regards potential new models, and he also stated that he believed there would be a welcome for an approach to the VEC.
Deputy Principal Austin Egan said he had recently travelled to Dublin to meet with the trustees and he was very encouraged by the progressive discussions that had taken place. Mr Egan referred to the academic records of two years ago when St Joseph’s proudly recorded the second highest ratio of entrants to third-level from all of the feeder schools in the county. “We have one common goal that this school will triumph into the future.”
An Open Night for incoming first year students and their parents will take place on Thursday, February 10th from 5pm to 6.30pm. Enrolment will follow on Thursday and Friday, February 17 and 18.
Cllr Murray made reference to the fighting spirit of the school’s football team who were playing a soccer match on Tuesday last in Castlebar.
“When they scored,” Cllr Murray added “they lifted up their jerseys and the words ‘Save our School’ was on their shirts. Because of that spirit I think they could have beaten any team that day.”
