100 Years Teaching Tradition In Clonmore
Mrs Carmel Kenny with Junior and Senior Infants 2012/2013 Back Row (L-R): Callum Patterson, Sarah Brophy, Louise Carroll, Sarah Deegan, Caoimhe McDonnell, Ciar�n OShea, Gear�id Gaynor, Nikolas Botos. Middle Row (L-R): Shane Leahy, Orfhlaith Bergin, Carol Noonan, Daniel Dunne-Buckley, Zoe Butler, Danielle Bergin, Carina McPherson, Saoirse Nolan, Euan Patterson. Front Row (L-R): John Ryan, Claire Tierney, Katie Patterson, Kieran Martin, Darragh Monahan, Julia Patterson, Megan OReilly, Sarah Patterson. Missing from photograph: Zoe Penfold.
2012 marks a very special year for the Allen family and Clonmore N.S. as it is the 100th anniversary of the family’s teaching tradition in the school. From 1912 to 2012 three generations of the Allen family have taught continuously in Clonmore N.S.
In 1912 Mrs. Johanna Allen (nee Ryan) was appointed principal of Clonmore N.S. She spent 43 years in that position and was remembered in her obituary as a teacher whose “aim was always perfection and whose standards were consistently high.”
On her retirement in 1956, she was succeeded by her son Brendan. Brendan, having previously worked in Portarlington remained principal of Clonmore N.S. for almost 38 years until his retirement in 1993. Brendan’s love of the Irish language shone through in his teaching and although retired for almost 20 years, he remains strongly interested in the Irish language and writings, education and Clonmore N.S.
Brendan’s daughter Carmel (Kenny) joined the staff of Clonmore N.S. in 1988. She taught for six years with her father, Brendan, in what was then a two-teacher school. Carmel has just entered her twenty-fourth year as a teacher in Clonmore N.S., where she has taught in a variety of positions over the years. She currently teaches Junior and Senior Infants.
The teaching tradition in the family does not stop there. Brendan’s brother Ailbe was principal of Drom N.S. and he also has two other daughters who are primary teachers. Geraldine teaches in Wexford while Adrienne teaches in Sydney, Australia. A fourth generation of the family, Ciara Allen, who is Brendan’s grand-daughter, is continuing the teaching tradition and works in Limerick. Ciara has done some substitute teaching in Clonmore N.S. in the past.
The Allen family is very proud of its connections with Clonmore N.S. The children of Johanna, Brendan and Carmel all attended the school as pupils. The school, its staff and pupils have seen enormous changes over the last 100 years. Today it is a vibrant six teacher rural school with 87 pupils, under the principalship of Brian Kenny.
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Saturday 18 May 2013
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