Bawnmore seeks memories for school’s 150th celebrations

By JACQUELINE HOGGE PREPARATIONS are gathering pace at a Claregalway primary school that will celebrate its 150th anniversary this summer. Bawnmore National School has been educating generations of children from the parish and all associated with the school are looking forward to celebrating the contribution it has made to the local community down through the years. Three generations Once such person is Asumpta Gallagher (née Kearney), who along with her ten siblings attended the school throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Her father Richard Kearney was also a past pupil and Asumptaâ€â„¢s son Dylan is the one of the third generation of the family to be enrolled at the school. â€Å“My family is steeped in this school as are so many families throughout the area so weâ€â„¢re really keen to get everyone involved in celebrating this remarkable milestone for Bawnmore National School,â€Â she said. â€Å“My brothers and sistersâ€â„¢ children are here too so weâ€â„¢re all still actively involved in school life and now that we have an opportunity to get involved in marking the 150th anniversary we want to reach out to all the other families in the area who we know will have photos, stories and memories to share from their time here.â€Â Friday, June 21 has been set aside as the official day of celebration when a photographic memory wall will be unveiled in the school gym. Mass will also be celebrated in the school on the day, which will be marked with a day of heritage for the current pupils, with a night of entertainment and a meal at The Claregalway Hotel. â€Å“We are asking anyone associated with the school to contact us with their stories and any photos they may have from their time here,â€Â said Asumpta, who as a member of the parentsâ€â„¢ association is coordinating arrangements for the June celebration. â€Å“We held a launch night at the school last month where we had a great turnout from the community. â€Å“Brendan Smith, the education officer at NUI Galwayâ€â„¢s Digital Enterprise Research Unit came to talk to us about other schools in Galway that have gathered information on their history into digital archives and websites. â€Å“We want to build excitement over the coming weeks, as well as building up the memorabilia we have so that on the official day of celebration we have as complete a picture of the history of the school as possible. â€Å“My own brothers and sisters who donâ€â„¢t live in the area are really looking forward to coming back for the celebrations and sharing their memories and experiences of their school days here.â€Â Anyone wanting to contribute to the exhibition or lend a hand with preparations for the June celebrations can contact Assumpta on 087 4051600.