St Mary’s High School Brollagh
IT MAY be just bricks and mortar to some, but to those in the local community St Mary’s Brollagh is more than just a school, it is an essential part of everyday life.
This week many prominent members in the locality have spoken about how much the school means to them and the implications for the surrounding area if it were to close.
Owner of the Riverside pub in Garrison and former teacher at the school Gabriel Keown said the school was an ‘essential hub for the community’ and its closure could have a hugely detrimental effect on the area.
“From a business perspective the removal of 27 jobs from the local area would have a severely damaging effect. Staff spend their time in the local community and spend their disposable income in the area. Economically it is difficult enough to survive in rural areas let alone make a good living and this will be even harder if schools like Brollagh close. There is also the social side; the school is a venue for many social and community activities. There is a big gym used by various community groups and the school actively supports these groups and it is also used to be used for various community outreach programmes.
“What we will have is another boarded up building in the middle of the county and the further soul destroying of community life.”
He continued: “You also can’t underestimate the importance of this school and its links to the further education sector. If you close them down you remove that, you remove vocational opportunities for children.
“I wouldn’t be where I am without St Mary’s, absolutely no doubt about that, under no circumstances.
“It is just another part of the community torn away that’s irrecoverable, never to be replaced again. That school was basically funded by the local community and to see that being taken away with the flick of a pen by CCMS or by people who have no affiliation, that’s not going to happen without a fight.”
Belleek butcher Kevin McGovern echoed Mr Keown’s sentiments.
“It is vital; local for the children providing a short journey to and from school and there are great teachers, who go above and beyond for the children. The education in Brollagh is as good as anywhere, they always go the extra mile.
“We would do business with the staff and we would notice their loss if the school closed, as would the coffee shop and the general shops in the town. It would be very difficult to survive in the town without the school there to support us.
“I don’t want to see the school close, everybody feels that way. I would have nephews-in-law at the school and they are all very happy and it is a good school.
The school means so much to so many and we don’t want to see it close, that’s the bottom line.”
Fergus Kelly, a parent who moved to Derrygonnelly from England last June sent his 14-year-old son Kieran to St Mary’s, rather than send him to a school in Enniskillen.
He explained why.
“I believe the education at Brollagh is as good if not better than anything available in Enniskillen. It is more than just a school. When we first came we couldn’t have wished to find a better, more friendly atmosphere, I honestly couldn’t say nicer things about the school.
“He has settled in so well, we’re really pleased with what is on offer at Brollagh. When we went around the schools we fell in love with Brollagh straight away. The education he has received so far has been fantastic, he has taken tests and got 96% in Maths. He is learning more in Brollagh than he ever did in England.”
From a GAA perspective chairman of Erne Gaels Declan McCaffrey expressed a fear that players who currently enjoy game time at St Mary’s would lose out in bigger schools like St Michael’s, Enniskillen.
“The weaker players wouldn’t get the same one to one training as they get with Simon Bradley and we would be afraid if player drop out. It has also traditionally been a feeder area and strong platform for successful Erne Gaels and Devenish sides and that would be lost.”
Acting principal Simon Bradley added that “everybody in the local area, regardless of where you were educated knows the value of the school. It is not just a school from 9- 3.30pm.” If the worst should happen he admitted his fears for the local area.
“It could end up with the total depopulation of this part of the county. There is a lot more to be considered if the school closes, it would have a heavy, heavy impact that can’t be reversed. It is a massive decision for Mr O’Dowd, it is not just going to have an impact on immediate staff it will have an impact on the area for the rest of time.”
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