Local school bids farewell to popular staff member

A local school has bid farewell to a popular staff member

Margueritte Walsh, who has retired from teaching, proved to be a popular and much loved teacher during her profession, much of which was spent in Rathcabbin.

A well attended retirement Mass was celebrated by Fr Michael Cooney on Thursday last in Our Lady Queen of Ireland Church, Rathcabbin in honour of Marguerite’s departure from the school. Fr Michael, in congratulating Marguerite and wishing her good health to enjoy the years ahead, also said he had sympathy with her as he said it was also “an emotional day as you complete this part of your life”. He said she was a “faithful friend to many people and to all the beloved children that she dedicated your life to”.

He mentioned “all the special talents” that she used to the full to get the message across to give her pupils an understanding of life and said he hoped that she would do all the things that she wasn’t able to do when working, now that she would have time.

In paying tribute to Marguerite, school principal Mr Conor D’Arcy said that she was “a fantastic teacher, colleague and friend” to him since he came into the school twelve years ago. He complimented her for “looking so well today” and said she was a fantastic advertisement for teaching and wished her all the best on her next venture and mentioned how they would all miss her in the school come next September.

Born and raised in Coolross, just two miles down the road from Rathcabbin School, Marguerite recalled walking to school, “something” she said “infant children wouldn’t do now'.

After finishing secondary school in Birr, she went to Carysfort to teaching college. She recalled all who taught her through the years in Rathcabbin and spoke with affection of all.

She started teaching in January 1983 back in Rathcabbin and stayed there until 1987. Taking a three year career break to travel Australia and New Zealand, Marguerite said “it was difficult to come back to a small village again after that three years”.

When numbers dropped, “Rathcabbin school became a two teacher school briefly” she said “and so I found myself doing shared learning support in Lorrha for a year”.

A vacancy came up in Rathcabbin the following year and Marguerite was successful in interviewing for the position, where she has remained until her retirement last week.

In thanking everyone for coming out to the event, she humorously reminisced about her teaching years, change and continuity, incidents and happenings and finished by saying “I have mixed feelings about saying goodbye, it has been such a huge part of my life. Energy levels may not be the same but children’s energy levels never change. It’s time too to give a bit of time to myself though and to do the things I want to do,” she said.