Gillygooley PS pupils to perform last ever Christmas school play

It is set to be a momentous and historic evening for Gillygooley Primary School tonight (Thursday) as they prepare to host their last ever Christmas play ahead of their expected closure next year.

‘Midwife Crisis’ puts an entertaining spin on the traditional nativity play, as it follows a midwife and her donkey upon their travels to the birth of Jesus.

With all pupils in the school playing role in the show, from Reception to Primary Seven, you can be sure to meet some of your favourite characters along the way, including 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 has been described by staff at the school 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 Governers at the local school said that the decision had been greeted with a ‘heavy heart and deep sadness’.

The pupils of Gillygooley PS will take to the stage at Gillygooley Orange Hall at 7pm tonight (Thursday) to perform their last ever Christmas school play, ‘Midwife Crisis’. While it will certainly be a bittersweet night, it will also be one of celebration – many a local child will look back on the school with the fondest of memories that will last forever.