SINGING: Pupils from Kilcummin National School, pictured with Garda Brendan O'Donovan, gathered outside Our Lady of Lourdes Nursing Home to sing Christmas carols on Wednesday morning.

By Michelle Crean

Sounds of Christmas carols from young voices brought a huge sense of happiness to many in Our Lady of Lourdes Nursing Home this week.

Pupils from First and Second Class at Kilcummin National School gathered at a social distance outside the home and sang loud and proud on Wednesday morning as part of the An Garda Síochána 'Christmas Together' campaign.

The pupils were joined by the organiser, Garda Brendan O’Donovan, who collected cards created by the pupils of Kilcummin NS for the residents of the nursing home and other nursing homes in the Killarney area.

"We are encouraging families to drop presents for the residents and staff of the nursing homes in the Killarney vicinity, to Killarney Garda Station," principal Gillian Sheehan told the Killarney Advertiser.

"The cards and gifts will be dropped to the residents after undergoing a rigorous sanitising process by Garda Brendan and his colleagues at Killarney Garda Station. Thanks to Garda O'Donovan for his commitment to this festive community initiative. Thanks also to class teacher Miss McCarthy and SNA Teresa for organising the visit to the grounds of our neighbouring nursing home. We look forward to welcoming the residents back into the school in the future when it will be safe to do so. In the interim, we hope to help the An Garda Síochána 'Christmas Together' campaign with some outdoor, socially distanced, carol singing and music. Our senior pupils will spread some festive cheer to the residents of the Heather Lee Nursing Home with a short outdoor music session, thanks to teacher Mr Kelliher and Tony O’ Connor, Kilcummin Comhaltas, later this week. This event is weather dependent, so we are preparing a live Zoom session in the event that the clouds try to dampen festive spirits in Kilcummin!"