Saving the best for last! President Connolly visits Longford

Inside the gate of Melview National School, the chatter taking place between the 7+ year olds standing in the guard of honour as they awaited President Catherine Connolly’s arrival, was as lively as the performances they would hold for her a short time later in the hall.

As the State car parked outside the school, a security team of two, identifiable as Gardaí only by the small metal Garda insignia on their lapels, pulled up in the car behind; their presence immediately noticed by the young pupils.

“Are they her kids?” asked a little girl of her friend, as they watched one of the Gardaí open the President’s car door.

“No, that’s silly!” the other laughed. “They’re probably her brothers...”

Nearby, two locals had gathered to view the arrival while Gardaí from Longford Garda Station, two in uniform and two from the detective unit remained on hand as back up for the President’s ‘brothers’.

Welcoming President Connolly and her husband Brian McEnery to Melview National School were Principal Bryan Kennedy and Deputy Principal Audrey Hunt; the visit being a hugely significant one, as it marks the President’s first trip to Longford.

Taking place just two days before the anniversary of her inauguration, it also means she has completed her goal of visiting all 32 counties during her first year.

Following a tour of the school with Principal Kennedy, the President was escorted into the school hall where she was introduced to a number of people including past pupil Sarah O’Sullivan, who was one of Ireland’s first female Gardaí when she joined the force along with eleven other women in 1959.

Introducing the first of five musical performances, Principal Kennedy said Melview was “very proud to be Irish” and highlighted the school's strong tradition of Irish song, dance and music.

On MC duty for the event was fifth class pupil, Emma, who very eloquently introduced each act, the first being a lively performance by pupils Joseph, on guitar, and Seán on banjo, accompanied by teacher Ms Anne Creed on piano. Interspersing the music and set-dancing was a Q&A where six students could each ask the President a question.

One pupil, Carla, asked the President what career she had imagined pursuing when she was 10 years old and in fourth class. The President admitted to the difficulty of answering such a question, explaining that she had lost her mother when she was in fourth class, noting how “things sort of stopped then.”

She added that she “loved doing things” like skipping and being with her friends and therefore hadn’t given much thought to the future at that time.

Another pupil asked the President what she loved most about Ireland, to which she replied “Everything! The children and the landscape. I come from Galway and I always thought Galway was the most beautiful place in the country but having travelled the whole of the country, I realise every single place has its own unique beauty, and especially the people and especially the children. The spirit of Ireland is to be felt everywhere I go.”

Demonstrating their Rubik’s Cube skills for the President were five pupils from Ms Gilchriest’s fourth class, Conan, Konstiantyn, Oliver, Luke, and Rossa, all of whom recently represented the school as a team at the Rotate, Repeat, Rubik competition. As part of the competition, the boys each had to solve a Rubik’s Cube in under a minute and a half.

The team not only took first place in the relay category, Oliver, the President was told, had also won first place after solving the cube in an astonishing 2.8 seconds! With the Rocky theme tune playing over the speakers, all five raced against the clock to solve the Rubik’s Cube as President Connolly and her husband looked on in amazement at their speed.

Each succeeded in well under a minute, prompting huge applause from the crowd. As her visit to Melview NS came to an end, President Connolly headed outside to perform one last act: raising the Gaelbhratach flag, an impressive accolade recognising the school's use of the Irish language outside of classroom lessons.

Speaking of the visit afterwards, Principal Kennedy told The Longford Leader, “this was the President’s final county of her 32 county visit over the past year and we were honoured to have her! As she said herself, she was saving the best for last!”