This article is from page 19 of the 2009-08-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 19 JPG
HISTORY will be made in north Clare this September as all three secondary level schools in Ennisty- mon will begin the school year with female principals for the first time Vole
This follows the appointment last week of Ann Tuohy as principal of the Christian Brothers’ Secondary School in the town – the first female principal appointed in the schools ROI (erase) ae
Ms Tuohy will replace current prin- cipal Michael Concannon who will retire this September after 40 years of service to the school.
Indeed, Mr Concannon was only the second lay teacher to be appointed to the school following the appointment of its first non Christian Brother prin- cipal, Michael Mulqueeny, in 1995.
This news follows the confirmation last May of Mary Joyce’s appointed as the official successor to former principal Enda Byrt at the Ennisty- mon Vocational. Ms Joyce, who has filled the role of acting principal for the previous 12 months, was the first full-time female principal appointed at the Ennistymon Vocational School in its 52 years history.
Mr Byrt, who is a former Irish international basketball coach, fin- ished his many years of service to the school last year and has returned to America where he coached basket- ball for a time in the 1990s.
Ms Tuohy and Ms Joyce are joined
by Ennistymon Scoil Mhuire princi- pal, Seosaimhin Ui Dhomhnallain, completing a full sweep of the main jobs in local secondary school edu- cation by women.
Scoil Mhuire has a long standing tradition of appointing a female prin- cipal to the all girls school.
As a Moy native, Ms Tuohy is no stranger to the area and 1s a past pu- pil of Scoil Mhuire in Ennistymon. She brings a wealth of experience to the role having thought for years at St Patrick’s Comprehensive School in Shannon
A spokesman for the school wel- comed Mrs Tuohy back home to north Clare.
“Both the staff and pupils of En- nistymon CBS welcome her to the
Monastery and wish her well in her new post,’ said the spokesman.
‘The school has often been referred to as a ‘small school’ but it was re- cently listed as 17th for students at- tending university in the national league of graduates attending uni- versity.
“Despite its size, the school offers a wide selection of subjects and the number of business people, academ- ics, farmers and sports people is greatly beyond proportion to the size of the school. For this the teaching staff and past principals must take a large share of the credit.”