The School's Silver Jubilee
Our Jubilee Banner
Our Silver Jubilee by Catriona
The Move from Kilnalack
The School Crest
2024 ???? by Aoife
An Historic Day by Jennifer
Looking Back
School Birthday by Angela
Silver Celebration by Aoife
The School's Birthday by Danielle
The School's Birthday by Helen
The school of Butlersbridge had its big day last Thursday. Twenty five years of education but now they’re taking a break and having fun. It was noise or excited voices from start to finish. Children read, I read, children sang songs of praise and parents and teachers said a few words. Ciara Leddy and her father a past pupil from 1974, cut the cake. When the prayer service was over children ate, drank and laughed a lot. When out side, next mission was to try and get cake. Our bus driver fed us like birds at the door. Children wanted to see Mammy and Daddy and cameras were going off. The Football Blitz was interesting with cheers and crying all around. Teams won. Teams lost but all were happy as ever.
Caitríona. 4th class
It’s the day that we move and there is dust all over the place. Anyway I got taken away to some other school that had been just built .It seems like twenty five years I have been sitting here, an old desk like me. I miss all the fun and shouting I hope I will be able to go back to my old school. I miss the people who used to sit at me. But anyway I will be used again with new people. Or will I? Will they have new desks? I hope not . Maybe the teacher will use me. The teacher used me for a while then put me in some kind of house. I heard somebody say this a boiler house. So that’s where I spent most of my life. If you ask me it was very nice and warm. So to this day I still live there. I made friends as well.
F
riday 5th February 1999. Ciara and her Father cut the cake. Our school had turned twenty five. Watching us from an old photograph on the wall were about ninety pupils who were like us, only now some of them were coming in the gate as Parents. A photographer was busy repeating the same exercise in our General Purposes room. As we crowded in together, squashed, trying to fit in and smile at the same time. When he pointed the camera at me I got nervous. We got e-mails from past pupils of the school.The printer spat out messages from far flung places as those children in the black and white photograph came to life as e-mails. My teacher Mrs Gaffney who taught me in infants, came as well.
We had a prayer service in our classroom led by Father Gilchrist. There were three songs, Mrs. Fitzpatrick’s room sung I Have A Family, Mrs Brady’s room sung Needing Others and Mr Leddy’s room sang Think a little While. The football blitz was on after lunch. We had a great time. There was a table tennis game with two teams. A football match came next between eight teams. My team got in to the final. We lost, but we got second place and a silver medal each. I will never forget that day. We took the design for our school crest from one of two inscriptions that were on the gable wall of Kilnalack school. Our teacher Mrs Brady, sketched it from the original and put it on computer disc. So we have a lasting link with our ancestor's school. The motto reads: FORTITUDINE ET SAPIENTIA which means COURAGE AND WISDOM.Back to home page. 2024 ???? Carrie slipped into anther dream,’There she was 25 years on teaching in this very school, of course things were different then .There was a computer for every student, instead of books they had computer disks they worked on their computers all the time. She wasn’t really a teacher she was more a supervisor, the computers showed them how to do almost everything. She walked over to the window. Here the good news stopped. The rubbish dump was right beside the school. It was piled so high that rubbish regularly fell over the wall into the school grounds. As she looked farther on she saw that it wasn’t the dump. It was a dump. She turned away from the window and walked over to her desk there were no books except computer manuals and computers disks. She selected a disk and put it into the computer, it was a child’s homework. She corrected the homework and took out the disk, she picked another one and realised she could get the computer to do it. At half two she decided to tell the children about the past "When I was young there was not that much pollution in this area, but we only had one computer per class" the children gasped after that the day went quickly. At the end of the day we all went out to the cloakroom she put on my coat and started out the door. The air was choking she ran back to the school ’’Carrie please the answer the question’’ ‘We must not pollute anymore.’’ (She had not properly woken up yet.) ‘Very Good maybe finally you’re starting to listen. Well Done! Aoife [[[[[[[
Hi my name is Jennifer Mc Govern,I live in Butlersbridge
Co Cavan.Today is the fourth of February 1999. It is a
Very special day. Our school is twenty-five years old.
There is a banner made by four children. John Conroy,
Donal Leddy, Sennin Flanagan and I. It is nine o clock in
the morning but I am so excited. I just went into Mrs Brady’s
room and there is a huge cake with lots of coloured
sprinkles and whipped cream with the numbers
twenty-five in red cream. And I think there is a jam
filling inside. I am in Mr Leddy’s room talking to my
friends. A boy from Mrs Brady’s room is telling Sixth
class to go into his room for a photograph. Now he is telling
fifth class to go in. I went into the room. Sixth class were
standing on desks beside the blinds. Colm Connaughton
is telling Oonagh, Pauric and I to stand up on the desks beside
Sixth class. Caitriona and Gary are standing beside me
now. Colm has taken the photograph the flash nearly blinded
me. Fifth class have to go out of the room while Junior
infants & Sixth class are having their picture taken.
Deirdre Henry has brought a box for the master. It is
Quarter to eleven now. Bring!Bring! the phone is ringing.
I ran out to answer it. The woman on the phone wanted
The master. It is break-time now. We have to line in
single file to get our lunch in Mrs Brady’ room. I have
Strawberry jam sandwiches & a bottle of orange.
Break is over now and it is time for the prayer service.
Andrew Boylan TD, The Parents Association, The board
Of management, retired teachers, ten past pupils & their
Wives or husbands. And Mr Bric & his partner John O Flynn
were all sitting in Mrs Brady’s room. Fr.Martin Gilchrist
is saying the prayer service. My Mum and Dad are here.
The prayer service is starting now. Mrs Fitzpatrick’s & Ms
Carter’s room are singing "They care for me". Father
Gilchrist is saying the opening prayer. Fionan O'Reilly
is reading the first reading. Mrs Brady’s room is singing
"It is right to give you praise".
The priest is saying the Gospel now. Oop’s I forgot to tell you
Pat Lee is filming the service. It is time for the prayers of the
faithful. There are eight prayers of the faithful. These are the
eight people who are saying them. Fiona Callaghan, Peter
Conaty, Ciara Foynes, Martin Fitzpatrick, Kim Leddy,
Caitriona Fitztpatrick, Niall Brady and Danielle Mc Ardle. It
is time for our class to sing a hymn. It is called If You Think a
Little While. My best friend Lisa nearly had a nervous
breakdown. If you think a little while about the size of the
world…..Thank God it's over. The master is directing the
adults into our room. Lisa & Michael are helping the adults
with whatever they want. The adults are watching a video of
when they left their schools to come to Butlersbridge Central.
After the parents had left we played a table-tennis blitz and a
football blitz. My team won the table-tennis blitz. The people
on my team were Angela Brady, Oonagh Hague, Leona
Connolly, Fionan O’Reilly, Patrick Flynn and Fergal
Flanagan. Caitriona Brady’s team won the football blitz. I will
remember today forever.
By Jennifer
5th Class
5/2/1999
Looking Back
On this day 25 years
People shared laughter and tears.
The day they left Kilnalack
They knew that they would never come back.
Kilnalack was cold and rusty
Coolboyogue was old and dusty.
Butlersbridge was new and clean
It was like nothing they had ever seen.
The window’s shone
The desks were strong.
The tiles on the floor
Were shiny and green.
The walls were painted in
A shade of cream
The children shouted with
Laughter and praise.
They knew that these
Would be happy days.
Children here and children to come
May their days be lots of fun.
Jennifer
Lisa HelenAoife
Danielle Una
Yesterday was the 25th anniversary of my school. In 1974 the two schools closed down Kilnalack and Coolboyogue they joined up as one. That school was built in Butlersbridge and was called Butlersbridge Central. Yesterday morning the photographer came out and took a photo of the 95 pupils and the teacher. After that he took a photo of the infants and then 6th class. We put the chairs back for the prayer service. At 10.30 we went out for break and at 11.10 we came back in. We got our school bags and brought them down to Miss Carter's room and then we brought our lunch into Mrs Brady's room. Around five minutes we went back into Mrs Brady's room and sat down and waited. Fr.Kelly Fr.McGovern and Fr. Gilchrist who was saying the mass was there. Our inspector Mr.Bric was there. Past pupils retired teachers the parents association and the board of management our T.D. Andrew Boylan and the cleaner Mrs Downes and the bus driver Mattie and T.J.Mrs Fitzpatrick's class and Miss Carter's class sang the opening song they sing ‘They care for me’. Then the priest said the opening prayer. After that Fionan said the first reading and then Mrs Brady's room sang ‘It is Right to Give you Thanks and Praise’. Helen said the second reading. Fiona Callaghan , Peter Conaty, Ciara Foynes, Martin J Fitzpatrick, Kim Leddy, Caitheriona Fitzpatrick, Niall Brady and Danielle Mc Ardle all said Prayers of the Faithful. The master said some words and asked Mr Smith and Mrs Smith to talk about their experience at Coolboyogue. The master asked Josephine Devlin to say a few words about her experience at Kilnalack and then Mr Bric the inspector said some words and then Fr Gilchrist thanked the master. All the adults went into the master’s class room and had cake tea and biscuits and looked at old photo’s and watched the video. We got crisps and a bottle of cola and then we got our lunch. We went our for lunch then once break was over Paddy was here and they started the football blitz and Dublin won in the football they got a medal. We started the table tennis blitz we won and got a bottle of orange and the losing team got a bag of crisps. The day was over and I had a great time.
BY ANGELA
Yesterday the fourth of February 1999 was a special day in our school. It was the twenty-fifth anniversary of our school. On that day twenty five years ago two schools, Kilnalack and Coolboyogue, joined together to form one school, Butlersbridge Central N.S. To mark the occasion we had a celebration. First of all Colm Connaughton the photographer took a picture of the whole school just like they did twenty five years ago. He also took a picture of 6th class and Junior Infants on their own. Then the room had to be got ready for the prayer service. The room had to be cleared out and all the chairs in the school had to be put in there. We typed out leaflets for the prayer service and handed them out at the door to the adults. Pat Lee came and videoed the service. Mattie the bus driver, Mr Bric the school inspector, Fr. Kelly, Fr. Mc Govern, Andrew Boylan T.D., Fr. Gilchrist were there. Ten past pupils and three former teachers as well as the present staff were there too. The Parents Association presented the school with a trophy which is to be awarded every year to a pupil who has made an outstanding contribution to the school. In the prayer service Fionan O’Reilly said the first reading, Helen Mc Keever said the second reading. The Prayers of the Faithful were said by Fiona Callaghan, Peter Conaty, Ciara Foynes, Martin J. Fitzpatrick, Kim Leddy, Caitriona Fitzpatrick, Niall Brady and Danielle Mc Ardle. Fr. Martin Gilchrist said the service. Master Leddy got up and made a speech. Then he asked Mr. and Mrs. Smith to talk about their memories from Coolboyogue. Josephine Devlin talked about Kilnalack. Mr. Andrew Boylan T.D. made a speech also, so did Mr. Bric. After that the adults went to our classroom for tea, cake and biscuits. The cake was big and had 25 written on it in red cream. They were shown a video of the children leaving the two schools and coming to this one. The children were given minerals and crisps. When the P.E. coach came the Football Blitz was started it was won by Dublin. When the adults went the table-tennis competition got started. Angela’s team won. That was Angela Brady, Fionan O’Reilly, Leona Connolly, Shauna O’Reilly, Jennifer Mc Govern, Patrick Flynn, Oonagh Hague and Fergal Flanagan. My team lost which was Pauric Mc Gahern, Helen Mc Keever, Aoife O’Reilly, Lisa Brady, Claire Sweeny, Martin Fitzpatrick, Liam Boyle and Tammy Leddy. The winning football team and the runners up got medals. The Loser Final winners got a bag of crisps. The winning table-tennis team got a mineral and the runners up got crisps. After that it was time to go home. This morning everything is back to normal.
Aoife #e#e#e#e
Hi! Im Danielle and I'm helping to prepare for the big day tomorrow. The Master, Jennifer's daddy and Liam Leddy are putting up flags. There is a big banner made and everyone drew a picture. There is going to be a prayer service. I am reading. I'll tell you more tomorrow.
Bye mum. As I entered the school and walked down the footpath admiring the flags and the banner. I went straight to my classroom. Some of my friends were already there and the master was running around trying to mark sure everything was in order. When everyone in our classroom we practised our singing one more time we sang ‘If you think a little while’.Then the photographer came. We went into Mrs Brady's and a photo was taken of the whole school. Then he took one of our class and junior infants. The video man came then. So did the priest.
We all went into Mrs Brady's room and the prayer service started. When it came to my turn to read this is what I said;
Dear Lord as we look forward to a new Millennium and another twenty five years of education in this school. We ask you to bless the children who will attend here and the teachers who will work here.’
Lord hear us.;
Then our classroom sang.The master said a few words then Mr and Mrs Smith and then Josephine Devlin told us about her memories of Kilnalack. All the adults went out to our room to have tea and sandwiches. We stayed in Mrs Brady's room and the master gave everyone minerals and crisps. Then it was break time and we all went outside. After break time the coach came and we had a football blitz competition. We made it to the semi-final but we lost. When all the was over we went inside and it was time to go home.
By Danielle
The School's Birthday
Yesterday was Butlersbridge Central's 25
th birthday.25 years ago Coolboyogue and Kilnalack joined together to make Butlersbridge Central National School.We all joined together to make the 4th of February a very enjoyable day. First, four people made a banner. Everyone drew pictures and wrote poems and stories. Then we put up a display of photographs. Some were very old and it was funny seeing our relations when they were young .We put up morning news and stories that were written by the children from Coolboyogue. We gave the E-mail address to some past pupils and they sent some E-mails. We put up bunting. We printed leaflets and gave them to people. Before the prayer service Colm Connaughtan took a photograph of 6th class and junior infants. Then a video camera man came and videoed the prayer service. At 11 :30am people started to arrive. Old teachers came and priests and parents came. There were readings and prayers and songs. Then the Master made a speech, then Master Smith made a speech, then Josephine Devlin made a speech and then Mr Bric made a speech. At the end we were sick of speeches. But then we were filled with excitement when the master produced crisps and minerals. The adults went into our room and had tea and sandwiches which were supplied by Mary Mc Keever, Marion Leddy and Marlyn Shannon. They got Ciara Leddy and Liam Leddy to cut the big cake which had a big 25 in the middle and it had whipped cream all around it. After lunch people went around the back of the school to have the Football Blitz. The rest of the people stayed inside and had a Table Tennis tournament .I won my game but sadly our table tennis team didn’t win enough games and we lost the tournament. Then a load of people came running in cheering.Dublin had won the football blitz. They got gold medals. The winners of the table tennis got a mineral. Our team got a bag of crisps. At 3:00 everyone went home content that they would remember that day forever.Helen
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