'I'd do it all over again' - Mary reflects on 38-year teaching career
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Mary with her family. Back row: Gerry Daly, Odhran Daly, Conor Lutterll, Paul Hyland. Front row: Eadaoin Daly, Mary Daly and Cliodhna Hyland.Image 2 of 12
Mary Moriarty, Mary Daly and Fiona Fox in Coralstown.Image 3 of 12
Dearbhla Hyland.Image 4 of 12
Margaret Lloyd with Mary.Image 5 of 12
Mary Daly with Kathryn Keenan from Emper NS.Image 6 of 12
Roisin Dalton, Olga Turlacov and Delia Turlacov at the reception in Coralstown NS.Image 7 of 12
Francis Murtagh and Matthew Glennon from Coralstown.Image 8 of 12
Mary with her siblings, Christine, Patrick, Caroline, Ann and Carmel.Image 9 of 12
Gerry Daly, Breda Daly, Cora Daly, Mary Daly, Nuala Daly, Ciaran Daly and Tom Daly at the retirement party.Image 10 of 12
Jo Giles, Joanna Tyrrell, Mary Walsh and Andrea O’Connor took care of the refreshments.Image 11 of 12
Sophie Thurlow. Caoimhe Flynn and Grainne O’Donoghue from Coralstown NS.Image 12 of 12
Geraldine Merrifield, Tom Gilroy and Matt Melvin at Coralstown NS for Mary’s retirement party.Coralstown National School’s recently retired principal Mary Daly says that she loved “every minute” of her 38-year teaching career and would do it all again.
The close-knit community in Coralstown held a reception in the school just before the Christmas holidays to thank Mary for her six years as principal and sterling service to the teaching profession.
Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner a few days after the event, Mary said that she was deeply touched by the send-off she received.
“It was an absolutely wonderful night. The people in Coralstown put so much work into it and made it really special,” Mary told the Westmeath Examiner.
A native of Ballymahon, Mary’s first post after graduating in 1986 was in Ballymore National School. During her four years at the school, she met her husband Gerry Daly, who was the captain of the Westmeath hurling team at the time.
Mary says that her career path has enabled her to “see a fair bit of Westmeath”.
After Ballymore, she spent two years teaching in Whitehall NS before taking up a position in Dysart NS in 1992 to be closer to her new family home in Ballinagore.
Mary was made principal in 1998, a position she held until she moved to Ballinahown National School in 2011.
After seven years as principal in Ballinahown, she made her final career move to Coralstown.
Although she has fond memories of all the schools she worked in and the staff and children she encountered, Mary says that the last chapter of her teaching careers in Coralstown has been particularly rewarding.
“I had a brilliant staff. They are second to none. Every child is special. Our end game apart from learning is that we want every child to be happy. That’s paramount in all that we do.”
Looking ahead to her retirement Mary, whose two daughters Clíodhna and Éadaoin followed her into the teaching profession, says that she and Gerry are looking forward to seeing “a bit of the world”.
They visited their son Odhrán in Vancouver last summer and plan to visit their other son Iarlaith in Melbourne around Easter.
While she is looking forward to starting a new chapter in her life, Mary says that she thoroughly enjoyed her almost four decades as a teacher.
“If I was back in 1986 and had a choice, I’d do it all over again.
The part that I will miss the most is working with the children. That’s what it’s all about.”