Carnamoyle classmates reunite
21.05.10
‘Then’ and ‘Now’ photo
launches August reunion plans
by Dónal Campbell, Inishowen
Independent
FOUR decades have come and gone since such excited
chatter was heard in the vicinity of the old national
school at Carnamoyle near Muff. Last Saturday afternoon,
a group of women met there for the first time since the
school closed its doors for the last time in 1971.
Classmates back then, they had much to catch up on as
they posed to recreate a class photograph taken around
1970.
The 'then' and 'now' photograph was staged to launch
plans for a forthcoming reunion of pupils who attended
the three schools in the area – Carnamoyle, Gortin and
Scoil Naomh Bríd. In 1971 the old schools amalgamated
into the new Scoil Naomh Bríd in Muff village. |
Saturday’s get-together was
the first time many of the women had seen each other in
years. Amidst hugs and laughter and catch-ups, talk
revolved around their years spent together in the old
schoolhouse . . . the open fires, the smell of turf, who
they sat beside, the teachers, the school melodica and
the craic.
Geraldine Judge (nee Doherty) traveled from Dublin to be
there; Mary McCarron drove from Maghera, Helena Hegarty
(nee Gallagher) from over the road in Muff, Maeve
Bradley (nee Diver) from Newtown. Indeed most of the
girls still live locally around Inishowen and Derry.
Claire McGowan was to be found in the middle row of that
old photograph in 1970. These days she’s Claire Hoey and |
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home is Tyrellspass in Co.
Westmeath. “I wouldn’t have missed this for anything,”
she smiles, nodding at the group of women deep in
conversation in front of the old school, “I would have
come from the far side of the world for this today never
mind Tyrellspass. It’s great to see the girls again –
some of them I wouldn’t have seen since around 1984 when
I moved away.” |
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Claire gets back to the
area regularly to visit her mother who is now in her
late 80s. Like the other women, she will return for the
Reunion Dinner Dance which takes place on August 6 in
the Halfway House, Tooban.
Organiser Maeve Bradley confirms that there is
phenomenal interest locally in the function: “We have
made contact with former pupils of Carnamoyle, Gortin
and Scoil Naomh Bríd and expect a huge turnout on August
6th. That’s the same weekend as the annual Blessing of
the Graves in Muff and Iskaheen, so quite a few people
will be in the area anyway. There has been a great
response as is evident by the numbers who have turned up
today just for this photo launch.”
A book has also been compiled consisting of old
photographs and memoirs. Currently with the printer, it
will be available in July. |
The women were amazed to
discover that there were two grandmothers in the group –
Margaret Barron and Martina McCarron. As they retired to
the nearby Rock Bar for a further catch-up, there was
the promise of further discoveries. Maeve reckons it
augurs well for August: “Considering there are three
schools and numerous classes, there is a lot of craic
and chat to be had when the full reunion takes place.”
Mary Haughey was back too on Saturday. She was a 20
year-old teacher in 1970 and taught in Carnamoyle
between 1962–71. In the old photograph she barely looks
older than her pupils. “I remember Carnamoyle fondly,”
she recalls, “There was some good times here even if it
was a different era. I remember when the old national
schools closed and we moved to the new school in Muff I
came across one wee fella crying. ‘What’s wrong?’ I
asked. ‘I just want to go back to Carnamoyle,’ he wept.” |
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