Double celebrations for Glenswilly National School

Glenswilly National School will have a double reason to celebrate this weekend, when the ribbon is cut on its new extension, as well as celebrating its 50th birthday.

Please click on the arrows to see the gallery of some of the old photographs from Glenswilly National School

It marks the latest chapter for the school, which forms an intricate part of the community and all are welcome to attend to share in the memories or take a look back at some of the old photographs, with refreshments served. It all takes place this Saturday from 12 noon to 4pm, with the formalities pencilled in for 1pm.

The first principal was Mr Hugh Herrity before Mr Liam McGowan took over and now Joseph Gallinagh, a Ballybofey native, has been in charge since 2012. Geraldine Galligan is deputy principal, with Linda O’Donnell as secretary and Charlie Kane has been there doing whatever might need to be done since the day the school first opened.

“It’s a privilege and an honour to be part of such a wonderful school,” Mr Gallinagh told LetterkennnyLive this week. “The Glenswilly area has a fantastic community spirit and we’d like to think we play a small part in that. In my time here, I’ve found the pupils and staff wonderful to work with, as have the successive Boards of Managements and Parents Associations for giving up their time voluntarily over many years to support the school.”

Opening first in September 1973, the school combined the five pre-existing schools in the area - Rashedoge NS, Keelogs NS, Templedouglas NS, Trankeel NS and Leitir Liag NS - which totalled 150 students and initially operated with five teachers. This was later pushed out to six teachers, when Leitir Liag NS joined.

The school added two additional classrooms in the 1980s and finally completed its long-awaited extension last year. Additional land was purchased by the school community in 2012 and a car park, astroturf pitch in 2016 and running track was then added in 2021. There are plans to develop a sports field adjacent to the school.

The school currently has 260 pupils and has opened a new ASD class this year, bringing to five the new rooms as well as an extension to the hall which will form a central part of Saturday’s activities.

There are currently 16 teachers and six special needs assistants. Down the years there have been countless past pupils who have taken their given career onto incredible levels, although Mr Gallinagh believes every pupil that has passed in and out of the school gates has proven to be a success in whatever way life might’ve taken them.

Swimmer Anna Hennessy, fresh from her success at the European Down Syndrome Championships in Italy earlier this month, is always a welcome visitor. Donegal’s 2012 All-Ireland winning captain Michael Murphy, who still lines out with Glenswilly, is a frequent guest, as was the late Manus Kelly, a Fianna Fáil councillor, who was described on his sad passing as a “leading light” in Irish motorsport, by Donegal International Rally winner Andrew Nesbitt. Councillor Donal ‘Mandy’ Kelly, who was Mayor of the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District last year, will be one of those in attendance on Saturday.

Jason Black, the first Donegal man to conquer Mount Everest and K2, has also popped in, as has Jason Quigley, who challenged for the WBO middleweight title in November 2021, and Shane Williams, the former Welsh and British and Irish Lions winger, who is the record try scorer for his country and has been inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame. In 2017, Murphy swapped sports and went to France to team up with top 14 side Clermont Auvergne, while Williams lined out for Glenswilly. Olympian Mark English and local athlete Sean McGinley opened the running track last year.

Sport and the development of sporting facilities have played a huge part in Glenswilly NS’s journey to date, so much so they won their first Donegal Sports Star award, for best sporting school. There have also been fabulous performances in the likes of the debating championships, where the school reached the All-Ireland quarter-final. The VEX Robotics and Coding teams and Credit Union quiz teams have helped put the school on the map, with Geraldine Galligan overseeing the creative arts. The German Rose of Tralee was at the school, while Amy Callaghan donned the Donegal sash at the event in 2017.

“We’d like to think that like the local GAA club here in Glenswilly, as well as Glen Rovers FC and Olympic AC, there’s a sense of pride in the school,” Mr Gallinagh added. “We’re never short of volunteers to help out in any way and are hugely thankful for that. We always try to push things on to ensure that the children in the area get the best education they can, as well as being able to develop in other areas. We’d be delighted to see you all on Saturday.

“Former students never forgot where they came from and have always popped in to help in any way they can, and we can’t thank them enough for that.”