After an incredible 40-year career, 32 of which were spent in Scoil Bhríde Buachaillí, and 16 years as Deputy Principal, Mr. Shanahan retired on Tuesday 1st February. Mr. Shanahan’s footprint can be found right across the school, including the layout and fit out of the first computer room, the fit out of the old staff room, dividing prefabs, building and manufacturing backdrops for school concerts, shelving units for books and the stage for Christmas concerts in the church. The list goes on and on. Of the many extra-curricular activities to which he contributed, that which gave him the most satisfaction was his involvement with the school’s Gaelic football and hurling teams. Bringing the same passion and commitment to the Gaelic football and hurling teams in Scoil Bhríde Buachaillí, success duly followed with annual and bi-annual visits to Croke Park for Cumann na mBunscol finals, the vast majority of which saw the school bring back some silverware. The highlight was in 1996 when Scoil Bhríde were crowned Division 1 Champions of Dublin in both football and hurling at both Junior and Senior level, Mr. Shanahan being directly involved with three of the four teams. All four wins were repeated the following year to complete a ‘double quadruple’, a feat not achieved by any other Dublin school.
Over the years, Mr. Shanahan forged strong and lasting relationships with pupils, parents and guardians, staff members, members of the various Boards of Management, those working in neighbouring schools and those working in outside agencies. These include speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, School Age Disability Teams, Visiting Teachers for Visual and Auditory Impairment, Technical University Dublin (formerly ITB) and St. Brigid’s GAA club. These links, and more, have been established under one guiding principle — to enhance the educational development and experience of every pupil at Scoil Bhríde Buachaillí. It is no great surprise that representatives of all these organisations have commented positively on the warmth of welcome as well as the school’s openness in embracing new ideas and practices to the benefit of all who cross its threshold.
Mr. Shanahan was always been guided by one question — what is in the best interest of the pupils of the school? His track record at the school shows that he has delivered on this time and again, and he will be sorely missed.
Fittingly, Mr. Shanahan’s last day at Scoil Bhríde Buachaillí was Tuesday 1st February, the feast of St. Brigid, and the occasion was marked with as appropriate a celebration as then current guidelines allowed. Best wishes to Eiven!
