40 years of Ennis National

ENNIS National School will be celebrating 40 years of learning this summer as the school prepares itself to move to its brand new location. The celebrations will take place on June 8, with the school calling on people with photos and memorabilia spanning the past 40 years to send copies for display on the day.
According to Ray McInerney, principal, “1973 saw the Ennis National School, then the Boys’ National School, move across to the Kilrush Road to its new location. Now in 2013, 40 years on, we look forward to moving out the same road to a brand new 32-classroom school. In memory and honour of all those who attended or worked there, around 3,500 pupils and 100 staff, the school in this year of the Gathering intends to celebrate these 40 years of learning on Saturday, June 8 with a school open day.”

The open day will take place from 10am to 4pm. A special school mass will be held at 7.30pm in Ennis Cathedral followed by a social evening afterwards in the Old Ground Hotel.

“We invite all those pupils, parents and staff, with school connections to come join with us on this day, in the first instance by checking with us on the school website, ennisns.ie and registering their interest and comments by email to nashgathering@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from all who attended or worked in the school over the years,” added school PRO Tom Glynn.

Those at the open day will have the chance to relive their years in the corridors and classrooms of the soon-to-be-replaced building. There will be an opportunity to see the changes from blackboards to whiteboards; examine names on rolls; view photos of graduations, teams, choirs, bands and so on.

There will also be an opportunity to take part in traditional school activities from football to basketball to board games. There will be tea and coffee in the staff room provided by the parents’ association.

“This day is a chance for people to avail of a last opportunity to take photographs of you and yours in a place soon to be gone where you spent many years of your young life. We look forward to a day to remember on Saturday, June 8 and maybe some of you [would like to take photographs] in advance of our Ennis National School Golf Classic in Ennis Golf Club on Saturday, April 27,” said Mr Glynn.

If you do have photos, memorabilia, old copies and so on, you can send copies for display, as well as personal and business cards with plans to place them on the school tree to encourage past pupil networking.

“To help make this 40-year reunion a success, we ask our past pupils to put June 8 and nashgathering@gmail.com in their homework diary, be it facebook or twitter and spread the news to all school friends at home and away. Bí linn ar an lá comóradh daichead bliain i Scoil Náisiúnta na hInse,” concluded Mr McInerney.