CARETAKER Tom Hannon; Ailish Nolan, teacher; Emma O’Malley, Principal; Anne Gilleran, Deputy Principal; and Secretary Anna Burke of Colaiste Mhuire, Ballygar, which is celebrating 75 years. Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, the school has a unique position in the Irish educational system, given, of the country’s 700 plus secondary schools, it is one of just over a dozen that is wholly community-owned. It operates independently outside the remit of the likes of CEIST, Galway-Roscommon Educational Training Board (GRETB), Diocesan schools, among others, although, of course, it is under the umbrella of the Department of Education. The school has a fascinating history, in that its establishment was spearheaded by an unlikely hero — a potato inspector named Tadhg O’Connor. Read the full feature in this week's edition of The Tuam Herald, on sale in shops or online here

Source: The Herald May 10, 2023 10:14 UTC