This article is from page 28 of the 2007-04-03 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 28 JPG
TRIBUTES were paid last week to Mary O’Loghlin, former teacher and musical inspiration at Scoil Mhuire in Ennistymon, who retired from teaching last June. Mary returned to Scoil Mhuire one last time last Fri- day, where she was presented with a painting to mark her retirement.
Over the last three decades, Mary has been heavily involved in the mu- sical development of Scoil Mhuire. She has inspired countless musicals and recitals and put many students on the course to a lifetime of musical enjoyment.
“Mary was ahead of her time. She exposed us to a variety of musical
styles. She crossed musical bounda- ries, experimenting all the time, and I think that this was her most precious attribute,’ said a former student.
“No-one was better at finding, ex- pecting and demanding brilliance. Thank you, Mary, for the lifelong love of music — the welcome release from the books and the precious school memories.”
As a young teacher, Mary arrived in Ennistymon with a vision of a school which nurtured musical talent of the young.
“The magnitude of Scoil Mhuire’s musical achievement under her lead- ership is well known — year after year, her utter fearlessness in taking on enormous tasks, or at least tasks
that seemed enormous to the rest of us, was quite amazing,’ said Scoil Mhuire teacher, Mary O’ Flaherty. ‘As the absolute excellence of the end-product was of paramount im- portance to her, she demanded the highest standards in musicals which could only have been described as amazing. Though there were a few hell-raising moments for us of little faith, the students followed her with doe-eyed devotion and delivered out- standing performances.’ Throughout her career, Mary had a dedication which was recognised by all the students who learned under her. Indeed, months after her retire- ment, she 1s still involved with the musical development in the school,
helping to prepare the school choir before they sang at a tribute night to Irish Olympiad, Ronnie Delaney, in Dublin last December.
“We practiced in school, at her home and in dingy backstage rooms,’ continued one former student.
‘At competition, when she appeared before the choir, it was without sheet music. She had the uncanny ability to control the entire choir with one hand.”