Aoife Carty, Brendan Howlin TD, Billy O’Shea (performed launch), Tom Gunning and Rebecca Crean pictured at the launch of the Loreto Secondary School Wexford 150th. Anniversary Book ‘Lasting Values’ in the Talbot Hotel. Pic: John Walsh
TEACHERS, PUPILS, past pupils and members of the Parent’s Council gathered recently at the Talbot Hotel for a very special occasion – the launch of a book celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Loreto Secondary School.
Welcoming the group to the event, school principal Billy O’Shea said that there were no strangers in the room, adding that they were thrilled to welcome Ms. Lally Scallan who had been the Head Girl of the school in 1947.
Mr. O’Shea remarked that in 150 years of history, a lot of people had passed through the school and the fortnight of celebration of that was very significant. The school was, he said, in the process of looking back, running in the present, and also looking to the future with a new school building due to open in November 2017.
Speaking about the book ‘Lasting Values’ Mr. O’Shea remarked that he had approached long-serving teacher Tom Gunning to write and compile it. He pointed out that Mr. Gunning was a religion teacher and thus did everything for the greater good with no talk of royalties or commission! He mentioned the fact he had also written a number of books in the past and lastly, he had been in a good mood when he asked him, which secured his dedication to the task.
Mr. Gunning himself gave a different account of how he secured the job saying that he had agreed to the job after his mind wandered when the principal started talking to him about Man United.
“Mr. O’Shea knows that I don’t listen and that was how I ended up doing it. A few months later he met me on the corridor and asked me how I was getting on with the book and I didn’t know what he was talking about!”
Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin said it was a great honour for him to be launching “a piece of Wexford history” and said that the book was aptly named, pointing out that values, which are instilled by family, community and school, are a person’s “compass on the ocean of life”.
He congratulated Mr. Gunning and all of his “voluntary and conscripted” collaborators.
He added: “This book encapsulates an excellent school community and the best is yet to come. Changes are afoot and Pembroke Hill beckons.”
The book ‘Lasting Values’ is on sale from the school and Mr. Gunning encouraged everyone to purchase a copy to “help us clear our debt!”
[Full story and coverage of Loreto 150th Anniversary in this week’s Echo]