‘Twinspirational’ pupils return to Gillygooley PS

IT was double the fun in Gillygooley last week as a pair of twins revisited their old primary school, where they hoped to inspire other sets of twins.

Gillygooley PS invited Andrew and Alan Carson back to their old stomping ground after the pair were selected to be head and deputy head boy at Omagh Academy, respectively.

During the visit, the boys met the rural school’s two current sets of twins, Bella and Tilly Sproule, 10, and Poppy and Mia Barrett, 7. Andrew told the UH, “It’s really good to come back to the school, the place feels a lot smaller since we were last here.

“Part of the reason we ended up
going to Gillygooley is because it is such a small school and it meant we
weren’t just referred to as ‘the twins’,
but instead we were able to be individuals.”

Alan added, “If the younger twins can see us do well, hopefully they can go on to do similar things when they go to secondary school.”

When asked how it was to be a twin at the primary school, Tilly joked, “You can’t get away with anything, because she would tell!” – an accusation swiftly denied by sister, Bella.

Having two sets of twins at one time is unique in most schools, but the odds are even greater in such a small rural school.

Jayne Baird, acting principal, said, “It was great to have past pupils, Alan and Andrew Carson, visit Gillygooley Primary School so we could congratulate them on their recent appointments to the prestigious posts of head boy and deputy head boy of Omagh Academy.

“As a school we like to celebrate the success of all pupils, past and present. To have the boys talk to the children about their time at Gillygooley, and about their new roles at Omagh Academy, proved an inspiration for our current cohort.”

She added, “At Gillygooley Primary School every pupil is recognised as an individual – our two current sets of twins would agree. 

“They are encouraged to grow and develop as independent young people and our small school, in a rural community, provides the perfect, supportive environment to facilitate all children’s development.”

By James Kelly

j.kelly@ulsterherald.com