School principal departs after 40 years with host of fond memories

The pupils of Scoil Éinde in Salthill have bid a fond farewell to their principal as Michael Gallagher waved goodbye to the school he has dedicated over 40 years of service to.

Much respected in the community, Michael says he felt the time was right to pass on the mantle of running the school in which he has taught since January 7, 1976.

Originally from Belmullet, the man who students described as “the best principal ever” embedded himself in Galway life and has become an esteemed figure following the transformation of a school that had severely decreasing numbers before his appointment as principal in 2009.

According to Michael, he recognised upon taking the role eight years ago that his primary task would be to bring Scoil Éinde back to a position of respectability in the community.

“Our numbers had gone seriously down and I suppose we were at a crossroads really so there was a bit of work to be done.

“That was the one thing I was conscious of when I was appointed, that would be the first task – to up the numbers and try to make the school attractive again,” says Michael.

In this, he was hugely successful and the school once again found its place at the heart of the community – with many believing that this was down to the leadership and commitment of Michael.

Of course, the man himself modestly says that it is a combination of the work of the staff at the school, a commitment from parents and the changing face of Salthill as young families started to move back into the area.

Reflecting on how this lifelong relationship with education began, Michael explains that it was never part of any master plan to become a teacher.

“I did consider teaching but I don’t know if there was any moment where I decided I actually wanted to be a teacher.

“I got the points in the Leaving Cert and I did the interview for St Pat’s in Drumcondra at the time and I was offered a place – I think I just fell into it really,” he laughs.

If it was a case of falling into it at the beginning, it was never something he tried to escape from and following his graduation for college, he set to work in Saggart, Co Dublin.

Three months later, he moved to Scoil Éinde and the rest, as they say, is history.

In his career at the school, Michael developed a relationship not only with pupils and parents, but with colleagues, too – something that he says he will miss most as he spends more time walking the Prom and honing his golfing skills.

He says that together with the staff of the school, he had a “sense of happiness” in the school.

“If you set an example and treat children with respect, that is huge and I think that if you give it, you get it back – I would like to think that I contributed somewhat to that,” he says.

Of his days at Scoil Éinde, a few of his proudest achievements include setting up school tours abroad in the 1980s at a time when this was pioneering – as well as the smaller every day things that have resulted from his work.

“It is lovely when you are walking in town and a past pupil that you haven’t seen in maybe thirty years comes up to you – you feel that at least they are still willing to say hello to you, so you couldn’t have been that bad.

“It is great when you see past pupils and you hear of them doing this and doing that and you feel that I might have had some little part in shaping that – a very small part, but at least you feel you were part of it some place along the way,” he says with a smile.

Michael feels that he is leaving the school in a good position and believes that his successor will have the opportunity between now and September to plan and take the school to the next level.

“I have enjoyed it – hopefully, I have helped children along the way and the children would have good memories of their time in school and that they have enjoyed it.

“I hope that they felt happy, secure and comfortable there, that they were encouraged and I would be happy to think that was part of my legacy in the school.

“The school will go on to be bigger and better and there are great people there. They will always have a great interest in the children, great parents and a great school – it will always be very close to my heart,” says Michael.