Knockavoe remembers the past and looks to the future

IT was a busy end of term at Knockavoe School this year, as pupils and staff came together for a duo of events, firstly to remember a beloved former staff member whilst also ushering in an exciting new chapter in the school’s growth.

Anne MacIntyre-Murphy, a former teacher at both Knockavoe and Glenside, was lovingly commemorated by a plaque at the school’s new garden, unveiled her family and friends. A dedicated teacher of over two decades who came from a family of educators which included brother’s Eamon and the late Ben, both of whom taught in St Colman’s, Anne’s career in special needs teaching began when she started in Glenside in 2000 before making the move to Knockavie five years later. She stayed there until her retirement in 2016 before passing away at Easter.

Grainne Dunne, vice-principal at Knockave, paid tribute to her former colleague saying, “Anne was such a wonderful, lovely lady and we knew we had to do something to honour her memory. I had previously been taught by Anne and when I got the job at Knockavoe, I was excited to be working with her.

“Anne was always very supportive of the school and of New Horizons where a lot of our pupils would attend. The school has always had plans to build a nice garden on the grounds and we thought this would be a great time to do it. We brought in New Horizons to plant the garden and had a memorial plaque for Anne designed by Dominic Graham, inviting members of both the McIntyre and Murphy families to open the garden and remember their beloved Anne.”

OUTDOOR GYM

The school has also seen the fruits of fundraising labours come to pass, unveiling a new outdoor gym.

Ms Dunne expressed her delight at the new facility, consisting of an exercise bike, air-walker, pull-up machine, noughts and crosses for sensory pupils and covered benches.

Ms Dunne continued, “This gym has been a long time in the making. Sigersons initially approached us saing that they would like to do something for Knockavoe, something sporty which would unite the community and we settled on an outdoor gym. Sigersons ran an event which raised an amazing £11,000 but the project had to take a back seat once Covid hit. Then, two years ago Connor Crawford, a parent of two of our pupils, held a fundraiser in the Fir Trees where he was able to collect a further £10,000 and, once restrictions were lifted, we were able to bring the project forward.

“The gym is a brilliant facility for both staff and pupils alike and it was a long time coming. Everyone gathered to open the facility in June, including representatives from Sigersons and Connor and his family who made this possible.”