Chalk Talk: Generation games at Cannistown NS as school pupils welcome grandparents

There was a great turnout at Scoil Bhríde National School in Cannistown on Friday, 9th October, as grandparents and family members arrived for the school’s Grandparents’ Day celebrations where First and Fifth Class pupils were waiting to welcome them.

The children were delighted to show off their artwork on the walls and give their visitors a look around their classrooms. There were card games, puzzles and drawing activities, with grandparents joining in and enjoying the chance to see what their grandchildren get up to during the school day.

There was music too, with Principal Kevin Mullin playing the accordion, accompanied by a parent on the bodhrán. It all added to the traditional Irish atmosphere, while the Parents’ Association kept everyone supplied with tea, cakes and buns.

Principal Kevin Mullin said it was a great opportunity for grandparents to see how much school life has changed.

“It’s great to have the grandparents of our First Class and Fifth Class children in and see them in their classrooms and see how much things have changed since they were at school,” he said.

Grandparents’ Day is usually held during Catholic Schools Week in January, but Scoil Bhríde decided to celebrate earlier this year.

Deputy Principal Éadaoin Lyons explained that grandparents with grandchildren in several schools often found it difficult to attend all the celebrations when they fell around the same time.

“Primary schools normally host this event during Catholic Schools Week, but we found many of the grandparents had grandchildren in other schools and found it difficult to get to them all, so we decided to have it earlier in the year,” she said.

The old school photographs hanging on the walls were another lovely reminder of Cannistown’s long history. For former pupils returning as parents or grandparents, those photographs are a lovely reminder of their own schooldays, and an opportunity to point out familiar faces to the next generation.

Among the visitors was retired schoolteacher and Navan & District Historical Society member Canice Smyth, who was there with his wife Eileen to visit their grandson.

"Education in the area can be traced back centuries, while the old school building dates from 1890, when it was a one-teacher school. Over the years, Scoil Bhríde has grown and changed, but its place in the local community remains as important as ever."

Principal Kevin Mullin thanked everyone who attended, saying the school was delighted with the huge turnout and delighted for visitors to stay on and enjoy refreshments after their classroom visits.

By the time the last cups of tea were finished, there was no doubt that Grandparents’ Day had been a great success, with plenty of catching up, a few familiar faces and a warm welcome for everyone who came through the doors of Scoil Bhríde.