North Clare bid a fond farewell to two women who have helped shape the educational landscape of the area this week as both Mary Lyons and Seosaimhín Uí Dhomhnalláin retired from teaching.
The two women, who were recently principals of the Ennistymon CBS and Scoil Mhuire respectively, enjoyed their last day of teaching this Tuesday, after a combined total of 81 years in Ennistymon.
Indeed, both women’s careers had many similarities – both made Clare their home after falling for West Clare men, both had their first stint of teaching in the Kilrush CBS in the early 1980s and both oversaw the massive educational transition which eventually birthed the Ennistymon Community School.
A proud Cork woman, Mary Lyons was drawn to education by a love of science. She came to the Ennistymon CBS in 1985 and over the years has taught chemistry, science, religion PE and business. She became deputy principal in 2000 and principal in 2016.
“I made Clare my home very quickly. I got married in 1986 and lived in Kilrush, and I have been driving to Ennistymon ever since. I have estimated that I have travelled around 700,000km in the 38 or 39 years I’ve worked in Ennistymon,” she told The Clare Champion.
“I became deputy principal in 2000 and principal in 2016. At that point in time our whole focus was on amalgamation and there was umpteen meetings between the three principals, the teachers, the boards – a lot of work went into getting the new school together over those few years.
“We moved in 2023 and Orla [Conway] became the new principal of the Ennistymon Community College and we got into this new building last easter.”
A native Irish speaker from Rosmuc in Galway, Seosaimhín Uí Dhomhnalláin, studied Gaeilge and history in University College Galway before moving to Clare in the 1980s.
“I started my career in Kilrush CBS and a bit like Mary, I met a man.
“Following my year in Kilrush, I worked for two years in Údarás na Gaeltachta but at the end of those two years I married a man from Kilrush and I applied to every school in the county and I was very fortunate to be employed as a teacher of Gaeilge and as a guidance councillor at Scoil Mhuire in Ennistymon,” she said.
“It has been my great privilege to serve this community for the past 42 years. Over that time I was the first transition year co-ordinator in Scoil Mhuire and I was appointed principal in 2002. In 2023, when I transferred to Ennistymon Community School, I bookended by career exactly where I started as a teacher of Gaeilge and a guidance councillor.
“I have always been very passionate about the Irish language. I reared my family with the language. It has been a focus in our school and I always found in Clare that there was a great wish for the language. There was still that memory in North Clare and the language being very alive. I always found that the students had a great willingness and a great enthusiasm to learn the language.”
Having spent the vast majority of her professional career in an all-girls school, the transition to the Ennistymon Community School presented some new experiences for Seosaimhín.
“Last year I taught a class of sixth year boys, which was something new for me. It has been 40 years since I had last thought a class of boys,” she said.
One of the central legacies of both teachers time in education is the creation of the Ennistymon Community School.
“All of our careers we have been planning for amalgamation but the last five or six years have been really intensive planning,” said Mary.
“Many principals and boards of management before us had played a huge role in getting it to this point slowly over the years. We are very proud that we are finally able to get into this new school. I am delighted that we saw it through and it happened on our watch.”
According to Seosaimhín, the new school has set education in the area on solid footing for the future.
“It was wonderful to transition into the new school and experience the future of education in this locality. That future is very bright,” said Seosaimhín.
Now that they have retired, both women plan to spend a lot more time exploring their hobbies and interests.
“I have no major plans yet but I think we will find more time to enjoy the things that we have enjoyed in the past and have more time to do them. I think I will travel some more and play more golf. I have grandchildren now so I’m looking forward to spending lots of time with them now that they have moved back to live in Ireland,” said Mary.
Likewise, Seosaimhín says she is looking forward to a new beginning, but has no major plans as of yet.
“I am trusting that life will unfold and guide the way. I intend to pursue lots of interests that have been on the back burner for many years,” she said.
“I have family in many parts of the world and I look forward to visiting them and also just having more time. Life is very busy when you are in school. The prospect of time is very attractive.”
While they are both looking forward to retirement, they leave their careers with a certain level of sadness.
“I will certainly miss the buzz of teaching,” said Mary. “It is always busy and exciting between all of the students and the staff. I will miss the buzz for sure and the people.”
Andrew Hamilton is a journalist, investigative reporter and blogger who has been working in the media in Ireland for the past 20 years. His areas of special interest include the environment, mental health and politics.