Lesotho ambassador visits Kinnegad school

The ambassador of one of Africa's smallest countries visited St. Etchen's National School, Kinnegad on Friday last on a fact-finding mission about school development in Ireland.Her Excellency, Ms. Mannete M. Ramaili, the Lesothan Ambassador to Ireland, visited the school along with representatives of Sammon Contracting, the building firm which developed the state-of-the-art Cardinal Glennon Building at St. Etchen's.Ms. Ramaili was joined by her Counsellor, Mr. Phakiso Ralepoma; Miceál Sammon, CEO of the Sammon Group; David O'Ferrall, Construction Director with Sammon Contracting, and Martin Heffernan, an architect and Business Development Director with the Kilcock-based firm.Mr. Heffernan spent seven years working on the development of schools in the Kingdom of Lesotho, which is the longest standing beneficiary of Irish aid programmes.The African country - which is completely landlocked by South Africa - is seeking to improve and develop its school system, and Ms. Ramaili was extremely impressed with the Cardinal Glennon Building, which opened last year.She was greeted at the school by Mr. Matt Melvin, principal of St. Etchen's NS, and Rev. Fr. Tom Gilroy, parish priest of Kinnegad.Mr. Melvin furnished Ms. Ramaili with an overview of the development of the Cardinal Glennon Building, before taking her on a tour of the school.The Lesothoan envoy met with senior pupils, and was treated to a rendition of "The Fields of Athenry" by the sixth class pupils under Mr. Donal Connaughton."I felt like dancing when I heard you sing," Ms. Ramaili told the pupils. "At home in Lesotho, when you hear song, we like to dance, so I will have to show you some of our Lesothan dance the next time I visit your school."Afterwards, Ms. Ramaili was greeted by a dance and music troupe in the main hall of the Cardinal Glennon Building, with deputy principal, Ms. Colette Boardman's group of senior pupils performing the tin whistle, and some modern Irish dancing.Ms. Ramaili and her entourage were then presented with a St. Brigid's Cross and a Genesis-made statue of the Children of Lir, by sixth class pupils Megan Fleming and Conor Mullen-Carey.In return, the ambassador presented the children with a book about Lesotho, a hat native to the southern African country, a collection of Lesothan flags, and friendship pins featuring the Irish and Lesothan banners.