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Tag Archives: INTO

‘Adored’ Ashling honoured in new Mary I scholarship

THE late Ashling Murphy will be remembered by her alma mater, Mary Immaculate College (MIC), as it teams up with the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) to offer a new entrance scholarship in her honour. The Ashling Murphy Scholarship was launched at the INTO Education Conference at the Tullamore Court Hotel recently. Ashling, from County Offaly, had graduated as a primary teacher from Mary I just three months before she was tragically killed. The scholarship will be jointly awarded by MIC and the INTO to the amount of €4,000. It will be a bursary awarded to a First Year Bachelor of Education (Primary Teaching) student for their exceptional achievement and talent in the field of traditional Irish music. Speaking at the announcement of the scholarship, Professor Eugene Wall, President of the college, said: “In launching this scholarship, we will continue to cherish Ashling’s memory and her many accomplishments, her love of music and her skills as an educator. Ashling exemplified …

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Local schools helping plant the seeds of growth in Ireland and Africa

SCHOOLCHILDREN from over 20 Clare national schools have joined a campaign that’s planting more than a million trees in Ireland and Africa this year. In the lead up to Christmas, close to 160 class groups at national schools across the county will hold tree planting ceremonies on school grounds, local parks and public land, and will lend their backing to communities who will be planting tens of thousands of new trees in Uganda, Kenya, Senegal and Malawi before the end of the year. The schools initiative is part of the One Million Trees campaign, which will see Self Help Africa plant over a million trees this year.  The campaign is being coordinated by Clare native Sean McMahon, the former principal of Mullagh National School and a former President of the INTO teachers union. The campaign is being backed by the INTO,  and will see native Irish seedlings being distributed for planting by each participating class group. Workshops, collections and other …

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Maureen Cronin – A local legend, fondly remembered

TRIBUTES have been paid to the late Maureen Cronin who passed away at her home in Ennis in her 105th year this week. The pioneering educator, talented musician and avid writer was not only well-known in her adopted home-town of Ennis, but she also rose to national prominence. She appeared on radio and television including RTÉ’s Nationwide in 2014, as well as 2015’s The Local Eye where she was seen on one of her regular visits to The Clare Champion offices. She was born Maureen O’Carroll on Christmas night 1916 in Toureenfineen, Rockchapel, County Cork and grew up in a house surrounded by music. After school she trained as a teacher, and on marrying her beloved husband Seán she blazed a trail by defying the marriage ban on women teachers. In 2014, she was honoured at the 2014 Hidden Hearing Heroes Awards for the part she played in getting the ban lifted, becoming a test case for the INTO Teachers’ …

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Clare man new INTO president

Corofin man Joe Killen takes over as the new president of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation today (Wednesday) at their annual congressin Killarney. Joe Killeen, who is principal in Lough Cutra NS, Gort since 1987began his teaching career at Kiltrusten NS, Strokestown, County Roscommon. Joe became Gort Branch Secretary in 1987 and represented Gort INTO Branch and District 6 of the INTO (Galway/Roscommon) for over 20 years. In 2008 he was elected to the Central Executive Committee of the union to represent INTO District 6. He represented District 6 on the Small Schools Task Force set up in 2012 by the union to advise the executive on opposing proposals by the Department of Education and Skills to close small schools. Joe is also actively involved in a range of community, rural, cultural and sporting organisations. He comes to the role at a time of industial unrest among primary and secondary teachers over pay inequality.

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Corofin man elected INTO vice-president

Corofin man Joe Killeen is the new vice-president of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO). The principal of Lough Cutra National School, near Gort, was elected to the post at last weekend’s annual congress in Belfast. The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation has in excess of 43,000 members, of which 7,300 reside in Northern Ireland. Its members teach in the region of 600,000 pupils. Mr Killeen began his teaching career at Kiltrusten National School in Strokestown, County Roscommon, and became principal at Lough Cutra in 1987. In the same year, he became Gort INTO branch secretary. He went on to represent the Gort INTO branch and District 6 of the INTO (Galway/Roscommon) for over 20 years. In 2008, he was elected to the central executive committee of the union to represent INTO District 6, which has a membership of 2,500 teachers. Mr Killeen was a member of the Small Schools Task Force, set up in 2012 by the union to advise …

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Conference sets Ennis tills ringing

THE 147th annual INTO Congress, held in Ennis last week, had a “positive” outcome for the town’s retail and hospitality sectors, with practically every bed in the town full to accommodate the 850 delegates, their guests and family members for the three-day event. Boutique and clothing retailers in the town, who had enticing offers, reported that the primary school teachers kept their tills ticking over an²²d hotel and guesthouses were full, while cafés and restaurants benefited from the large number of visitors soaking up the spring sunshine and strolling along the medieval lanes and streets. Ennis Chamber interim CEO, Alec Fleming reported that his members were happy with the business generated during the teachers’ conference and described the feedback he had received from chamber members as positive. “The feedback from the INTO delegates and officials was very good. The weather was also exceptional and there were definitely people in shopping in Ennis. Practically all the beds in town were taken …

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INTO honour ‘legend’ Maureen Cronin

‘LEGEND’ Maureen Cronin was given two standing ovations by delegates at the annual INTO Congress when the 99-year-old was honoured for defying the marriage ban and working for a year without pay in Mountcollins National School, County Limerick. Kerry-born, Maureen  taught for many years before marrying in 1950 and immediately came under the marriage ban. However, Maureen continued to work for almost a year before being told if she continued she would be removed by the gardaí. Maureen subsequently worked in temporary jobs before taking up a permanent job in a private school in Castlecomer. She moved to Rockchapel, County Cork after the ban was lifted in 1958 and has resided in Ennis in her retirement. The appreciative audience of INTO delegates welcomed Maureen when INTO president Sean McMahon told them ” a legend has entered the room” and during his speech showed their appreciation with two standing ovations. Maureen told The Clare Champion that she never expected to receive the reception she got …

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Maureen proves age is no barrier

ENNIS woman, Maureen Cronin from Mountain View has proven that age is no barrier when honoured at the 2014 Hidden Hearing Heroes Awards ceremony in Dublin which celebrate those who made a significant, and often unheralded, contribution to society. RTE personality Brenda Donohue presented the 92-year-old with the ‘Age Is No Barrier Award’. Maureen was recognised for having played a key role in getting the marriage ban lifted for school teachers in 1950s Ireland. She became a test case for the INTO Teachers’ Union when she defied the ban and carried on teaching in Limerick for a full year without pay, then continuing her career until well after the ban was eventually lifted in 1958. Proving that age is no barrier, the Kerry native delivers parish newsletters to the local shops, writes poetry for The Clare Champion and plays several musical instruments at parish events. She was also featured on RTE’s programme Nationwide recently. Speaking at the function Brenda Donohue, RTE said, …

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