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End of an era as principal and deputy principal prepare to retire

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By Sean Moriarty

Between them they have dedicated a staggering 85 years of education service but that's all set to change at the end of the month.

Liam Twomey and Kathleen Cronin are calling time on their teaching careers St Francis’ Special School in Beaufort as both the principal and deputy principal are set to retire.

Principal Mr Twomey has spent the last 20 years in charge of the Beaufort facility. Prior to that the Knocknagree native spent four years as head teacher at a national school near Kanturk after beginning his career in Dublin.

His retirement will mark the end of a 44-year and eight-month career in education.

In his time at St Francis Special School which began in 2002, he has seen many changes.

He oversaw the official transfer of St Francis from the Franciscan Sisters of the Divine Motherhood to the order of St John of God in 2005.

In September 2015 the school opened four new classrooms thanks to Department of Education funding.

Older classrooms were converted into specialised physiotherapy, speech and language and occupational therapy facilities. The cost of these additional facilities was covered by fundraising efforts during the annual Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle in 2015 and 2016.

The Ring of Kerry also provided funding for a fleet of new mini-buses which went on the road last year.

He is determined to see out his career by making sure the final phase of a special sensory garden and playground is completed. The garden opened last year but further improvements, to make it fully accessible and useable by wheelchair users, is expected to be completed in the next two weeks.

“I want that playground built before I go,” he told the Killarney Advertiser. It is on target to be finished in two weeks. We ordered two new buses last year and a new bike shed was built last summer.”

Outside of the school Liam has a keen interest in outdoor pursuits and he is going to devote more time to cycling, hiking and swimming.
 

40 years service

Muckross native Kathleen Cronin has spent nearly 40 years at St Francis Special school. She began her career in September 1982 and has been the school’s deputy principal for the last five years.

“I am certainly going to miss it,” she said. “I will remember the brilliant parents who were tireless in everything they did for their children and went about their business with such dignity in very difficult circumstances. Our client base has changed thanks to the difference in mainstay education.”

Kathleen is going to devote her time to being a full-time grandmother in her retirement.

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Chamber pays tribute to late Dick Henggeler

Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has expressed condolences following the death of Dick Henggeler, the well-known owner of The Rose Hotel in Tralee. Mr Henggeler passed away peacefully at […]

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Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has expressed condolences following the death of Dick Henggeler, the well-known owner of The Rose Hotel in Tralee.

Mr Henggeler passed away peacefully at his home in Baltimore, USA surrounded by his Aghadoe-born wife Eibhlin (née Moriarty), their son Franz, and other family members.
Dick and Eibhlin purchased The Rose Hotel in 2015 in tribute to their late daughter Dorothy, who represented Washington DC in the 2011 Rose of Tralee Festival.
The Chamber said Mr Henggeler would be remembered for his warmth, good nature and positive approach, as well as for being a forward-thinking and knowledgeable businessman.
“He knew how to run a good hotel and that was and still is very obvious at The Rose Hotel, which is a great success story,” the Chamber said.
It added that continuity of ownership will remain in place, with Eibhlin, Franz, daughter-in-law Amber, and grandchildren Conrad and Rowan continuing to honour Dick’s legacy and vision for the hotel.
“Dick took enormous personal pride in Tralee and all of Kerry and he was always available to generously support any community initiative or endeavour undertaken in Killarney,” the Chamber said.
“He will be greatly missed by all that knew him but he leaves a wonderful legacy.”

He will repose at O’Shea’s Funeral Home, Killarney, on Friday (October 17), from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. The funeral will arrive at St Mary’s Cathedral on Saturday morning at 10:00am for Requiem Mass at 10:30am, with burial afterwards in Aghadoe Cemetery. The Requiem Mass will be live streamed at https://www.churchservices.tv/killarneycathedral.

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Beaufort Film Night returns with French drama-comedy

Beaufort Film Night will return on Friday (October 17) at Cullina National School, with a screening of the French drama-comedy The Marching Band. The film tells the story of Thibaut, […]

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Beaufort Film Night will return on Friday (October 17) at Cullina National School, with a screening of the French drama-comedy The Marching Band.

The film tells the story of Thibaut, a successful conductor recently diagnosed with leukaemia. A search for a bone marrow donor reveals that he was adopted and has a brother, Jimmy, a cafeteria worker.
The two meet, discover a shared love of music, and form a strong bond through an unexpected collaboration with Jimmy’s workplace band.
The Marching Band (French title En Fanfare) will screen at 8.30pm. Admission is €7, cash only, and will cover the motion picture licence fee.
The film has a 12A rating and is in French with English subtitles.
Beaufort Film Night is a non-profit community group that screens cultural English and international films that usually do not receive general release in Kerry.
The event is supported by Kerry County Council Arts Office and Access Cinema. Cullina National School is providing the venue.
Further details are available on Beaufort Film Night’s Facebook page @BeaufortFilmNight.

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