Life begins again Having spent seven years as principal in Rice College, Westport, Frank McCarrick is looking forward to a new chapter in his life Neill O'Neill AS the sun set on December 21 last – the shortest day of 2007 – it drew to a close the 35-year career of Frank McCarrick, principal of Rice College in Westport. A native of Sligo, Frank had spent 28 years as a resident of Maynooth where he taught in the west County Dublin suburb of Lucan, before deciding he wanted a change in 2001. It is a decision he has never regretted.
“I applied for the job of principal in Rice College in 2001 and was lucky enough to be appointed. Before that I worked in Lucan where I was teaching maths, religion, history and a bit of PE, for almost 30 years. I lived in Maynooth with my wife, Maura, and our two children, Donnacha and Claire. I hail from near Tubbercurry and went to school in Ballinafad in Mayo. I always felt at home in the west and often holidayed in the region, though I didn’t know much about Westport. We always had an idea that we might end up living in the west so when the job came up we didn’t need much persuading to make the move.”
He officially began work in Rice College on September 1, 2001, but moved west in June that year. Frank and his wife loved Westport from day one.
“What epitomises the town for me is the effort and leadership in Westport. The first year we were here, Westport won the Tidy Towns and I was invited to the celebrations in my capacity as principal of Rice College. I quickly realised that Westport was a confident town where the community believed in themselves a lot. I felt it was a community I would like to work in as there was a great level of voluntary activity in the town and it was well led, which impressed me.
“I was always made to feel welcome in Westport. I was even recognised here, from the days when I played inter-county football for Sligo in the early seventies. Nobody in Kildare would have known that about me but I found that around Westport people remembered me from it.”
The McCarricks found a new house in Murrisk soon after arriving in Westport and Frank is quick to add that the reasons he grew to love Westport also apply to the picturesque village he now calls home.
“There is a fantastic community spirit in Murrisk and my family, coming in as outsiders, were always made to feel very welcome. We hope to remain here for the rest of our days if we can.”
Moving to a new town and assuming such an important role in the community never fazed Frank, and as with the area itself, he quickly settled into his new role.
“A school is a conglomeration of relationships between many bodies and people. As any school is an integral part of its community, today’s principal has to liaise with many bodies from the Department, to the board of management, trustees, local sporting groups, statutory and voluntary organisations and student and parents’ councils. We look after one dimension of the lads’ lives and the other groups look after others, and there is a lot of overlap so it was important to me to establish relationships with all these people. In doing this I got terrific support from the staff, students, parents and everyone around the town, which made it all easier.”
According to Frank, the key to understanding a school is to understand the intricate set of relationships that exist there, and during his tenure he was very much in favour of cultivating a healthy student-teacher relationship.
“If you can relate to students in a way that they see the teacher as a human being and not just an authoritative figure, and make this work both ways, it makes for a harmonious environment in the school. Both teachers and students will work better if they know they are valued and respected by each other. There was an American philosopher called George Sheehan who said that every human being needs to be four things – a good animal, a good craftsman, a good friend and a saint. If you apply this to a school it incorporates the physical, the occupational, the social, psychological, emotional and spiritual dimensions of a person.
“Every school should endeavour to develop these attributes of the human being and this can only be done if a good open relationship exists between the management, principal, teachers, students and staff of the school. One of the ways schools are measured is through league tables which leave out the elements of being a good animal, a friend and a saint. Measuring on academic ability alone is not accurate, you have to look at all the activities and aspects.”
Understandably then, Frank is very proud of the terrific success Rice College has enjoyed over the last few years.
“We have competed in the Connacht Colleges Final for the past four years and won two. Without giving hostages to fortune, I honestly feel there is an All-Ireland title in the team this year. I believe sport gives lads focus, confidence, self-discipline, teamwork, social interaction and self-belief, and I have always put a huge emphasis on it. We also attempted to increase the academic standard in the school. I felt there were many students who were happy to settle for what they could get rather than strive for what they were potentially able to achieve. For me, the secret of getting boys to do well in school is to keep them longer in the senior cycle. Up to the age of 16 boys are less mature than girls, but they quickly catch up after that and we changed the transition year programme to encourage more students to participate in it, which in turn allowed them more time in school. This really worked and last year, for example, we had some outstanding results in the Leaving Cert. Those boys have showed others coming behind them that it can be done and it gives them motivation.”
There are 450 students and 36 staff in Rice College at present, and while Frank is sad to be leaving them behind, he is also looking forward to a new era in his life.
“I said to myself 30 years ago that I would retire when I was 60. When you put your energy into teaching for so long it takes a lot out of you. In December I turned 60 and decided to keep true to my promise. I have loved working in Westport. Being a principal is a tough job but we were lucky in the move we made. For a start we came to Westport, which is doubtless one of the most self-starting and enterprising communities in the country. Secondly, I came to a school which had fantastic potential and a staff that were willing and able. All I may have done with my leadership style is allowed this to flower a little. The fact that a lot of this is happening now is satisfying and the school is very progressive, which is encouraging for parents to see.”
With his family reared and his work commitments slowed to an occasional correspondence, Frank says he is looking forward to having a few relaxing evenings and dedicating more time to his favourite hobby – playing music.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Frank’s son Donnacha is now a teacher in Meath, while his daughter Claire is a nurse who is currently studying at Dundee University.
“They always saw themselves as Kildare people, but love coming down to Mayo,” said Frank, who relishes the fact that he will now be able to spend more time with them on their next visit.
This apart, he has no major plans.
“I play the flute and traditional music is one of my favourite ways to unwind. I’m looking forward to having a few nights playing with Liam Grealis, Tommy Lyons, Reverend Gary Hastings and all the other musicians I regularly encounter in Westport.”
As for his legacy, he hopes to be remembered in Rice College as somebody who tried to bring the best out in everyone. There can be little doubt he succeeded in this.
