Gillygooley PS pupils perform last ever Christmas play

THERE were bittersweet emotions at Gillygooley PS as the pupils enjoyed a standing ovation for what was their last ever Christmas play ahead of the school’s expected closure next year.

Following a midwife and her donkey upon their travels to the birth of Jesus, the play, titled ‘Midwife Crisis’, put an entertaining spin on the traditional nativity play, and it was expertly performed on the stage of the Gillygooley Orange Hall by the plucky pupils.

And everyone in the school playing role in the show – from Reception to Primary Seven, ensuring that the audience, full of proud loved ones and teachers, enjoyed meeting a whole host of characters along the way, such as the shining star, the shepherd and the three wise men.

For decades, the Gillygooley school community has been celebrating the festive season with a stunning range of insightful nativities and colourful pantomimes.

Such previously-successful productions have included ‘The Mouse in Santa’s House’, ‘The Inspectors’, ‘Hansel and Gretel’ and ‘Pirate vs Mermaid’.

This year’s spin on the famous nativity was described by school staff as ‘bittersweet’, as it will be their last, following recent announcements that the beloved primary school will close it’s doors in August 2024 after 86 wonderful years of education.

The community was devastated by the recent news, and, despite sterling efforts to save the school, the Permanent Secretary at the Department of Education, Mark Browne, turned down their bid to transform Gillygooley PS an integrated school. He cited ‘falling pupil numbers’ and said that the school was ‘unsustainable’.

Mervyn King, Chair of the Board of Governors at the local school said that the decision had been greeted with a ‘heavy heart and deep sadness’.

As the the pupils of Gillygooley PS enjoyed one last applause for their festive efforts from the night and over the decades, the occasion also marked one of celebration – as many a local child will look back on the school with the fondest of memories that will last forever.