Celebration for 'Mish's' 43 years in teaching
Maire Ui Fhlaithimh (seated centre), who retired as Principal of Dingle CBS Primary School last week with members of the school's Parents Council at a special function in Benners Hotel at the weekend. Seated from left; Ursula O'Connell, Dawn Keane,... Credit: Photo: Ted Creedon
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ON this page last week we reported the retirement of Máire Uí Fhlathaimh, known affectionately by generations of Dingle boys as 'Mish', from teaching at Scoil Ignáid Rís Primary School after 37 years service there.
We also reported that there would be a major function in Benners Hotel on Friday night to mark the retirement which came as a bit of a shock to Máire.
"I knew they were planning something but I had no idea it would be something like this until I read it in The Kerryman!" she said at the function in Benners.
The hotel's function room was packed with Máire's family, friends, colleagues and well wishers for a night of celebration and entertainment.
"I did my teacher training in Carys ford in Dublin and spent three years teaching in Basin Lane Convent off James' Street. Most of the children were from Fatima Mansions. I married Thomas in 1969 and spent a year teaching Irish and English, on a part-time basis in the CBS Monastery school in Dingle. I subbed in the primary school in 1970 and then spent fifteen months in Clooncurra National School in Lispole," she said.
"The attendance figures at Clooncurra fell and I went on the teacher's panel and when one of the Christian Brothers left the primary school in Dingle I was appointed to the school and was its first lay teacher," she recalled.
Máire was appointed Principal in 2003 and was also the first lay person to hold that position.
"I remember that in those early years in the school every class had children from fishermen's families. The first thing they talked about every morning was how many cran of herring were caught the night before. They used to go down the pier every morning before coming to school. Now there's just one child from a fishing family in the school," she said.
"The Sam Maguire Cup was always a welcome guest in the school and always meant a half day! Whenever a school team won a semfinal we always had a half day in case they didn't win the final. But if they did win we had another half day!" she laughed.
Asked what plans she has for her retirement she said "I don't play golf and I'm not going to start! I'm open to offers!"
