Ballyneale National School is located in the picturesque village of Ballyneale, set in the Valley of Slievenamon, six miles from the town of Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary. The building itself is a beautiful child friendly building which enjoys state of the art facilities– large, sunny and well equipped classrooms and a large outdoor play area with plenty of room for expansion. The well maintained grounds with lawns, flower beds, a vegetable garden and mature trees reflect the work taking place within the school, in stimulating young minds to grow in knowledge and maturity. The safe, secure grounds are conducive to nature walks and maths trails. The family size atmosphere and attention given to each individual child are fundamental characteristics of our school.
Tweets by ballyneale_ns https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsBALLYNEALE NATIONAL SCHOOL
NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2022
Dear Parents,
Parent/Teacher Meetings: Meetings have commenced. Your child’s class teacher will be in touch with you regarding an appointment.
Dance Lessons: Dance lessons are due to finish on Tuesday 22nd November. We would ask that any outstanding payments for these lessons are paid on or before this date.
Service of Remembrance: Our Service of Remembrance takes place on Wednesday 16th November in the church in Ballyneale at 1pm. All are welcome to attend.
Knitting/Crafts: Miss Whelan, along with her helpers from the school and local community, will provide knitting/craft lessons to children from third to sixth class. Classes start this Wednesday and will continue every Wednesday until 14th December. Classes will be from 3-4pm. If your child is interested in knitting in particular, they will need size 4mm children’s needles and some double knitting wool – any colour.
Afterschool soccer: Ian Sheehan, Miss Whelan, Miss Sheehan and Sandra will begin soccer lessons for pupils from third to sixth class, commencing Thursday 24th November and will continue every Thursday for 4 weeks.
Grangemockler/Ballyneale GAA Club: Owen Dunphy, a past pupil and a member of the local GAA club, is participating in a skydive to raise funds for the local juvenile club. The school will host a jersey/non-uniform day on Friday 25th November to help Owen’s fundraising efforts. A donation of €2 per pupil would be very much appreciated. All money raised will go directly to the club. Best of luck Owen.
GAA training for all pupils will take place on Thursday this week.
Science Week: 5th and 6th class pupils will attend Carrick-on-Suir Library on Thursday 17th November to participate in a workshop entitled “The Stop Motion Animation”. The pupils will travel by bus to the library. The cost per pupil is €5 which must be paid on the day.
Chess: Pupils from third to sixth class are well on their way to learning chess. Thank you to Miss Whelan for guiding the pupils through the game. Thank you also to Vanessa Heresy who has volunteered to come to the school to help out with this activity.
Volleyball: Volleyball lessons will begin for pupils from 3rd to 6th this Friday (during school hours). PE uniform to be worn by all pupils on Friday.
Team Hope Shoe Box Appeal: The school is participating in this event this year. All filled shoeboxes must be returned to the school by Tuesday of next week (22nd Nov). This is voluntary and there is no pressure to fill a box. Apologies for the late notice. Details on how to fill a box are available on Team Hope’s website. There is no need to print a label from the website. The school are expecting a delivery of these in the next couple of days.
Panto: Pupils from 3rd to 6th class will attend the Panto in UL on Thursday 15th December. More details will be given to the pupils next week.
School Twitter Account: The Twitter account (@ballyneale_ns) is now up and running.
Parents Association: The Parents’ Association held their Annual General Meeting recently. The officers are as follows:
Chairperson: Fiona Kennedy
Secretary: Máire Lacey
Treasurer: Sharon Harte.
The Parents Association Christmas Cards fundraising activity – The cost of the cards this year is €10 for the first pack and €6 thereafter. For example, 2 siblings in the school, one pack each, total cost €16.00, It is hoped that sample cards will be delivered to the school in the coming days. Your child’s sample card will be sent home. Please ensure that all details are correct, name, class etc. No alternations can be made to the actual picture. If ordering, please complete the form accompanying the card and enclose payment.
The Annual Christmas Hamper Raffle will take place on Wednesday 21st December. Further details will be given closer to the time.
We are very grateful to the Parents Association Committee for all their hard work. Their commitment and dedication to the school is much appreciated.
Santa Walk: Our annual Santa Walk will take place around Ballyneale on Wednesday 21st December at 9.30am weather permitting. The Parents Association will provide hot chocolate to all pupils on their return to the school. Thank you once again to our very active Parents Association Committee for offering to give such a lovely treat to the children .
School Closures: Reminder that the school will be closed on Monday 5th December. Please note that the school will close at 12.30pm on Wednesday 21st December and reopen on Thursday 5th January at 9.20am.
Kind regards,
Cathal Dooley
Principal
BALLYNEALE NATIONAL SCHOOL
NEWSLETTER MAY 2022
Well, what a busy academic school year it has been in Ballyneale National School!
We bade a fond farewell to our Principal Teacher, Mr McHale. Michael gave nearly 32 years of dedicated service to our school. A beautiful Children’s Mass was celebrated by Father Jimmy and the children sang like angels! They were prepared by Ms Dempsey and they were conducted by Mrs Mary O Hanlon. Readings, prayers and offertory procession were arranged by all of the staff. Ms Sandra Sheehan did a lovely job on the mass booklets and Ms Eileen Holloway had the church beautiful as usual! Ms Jane McLoughlin composed a lovely song which the children sang with gusto. Cormac Lyons ably played his accordion accompanied by Ms Dempsey on violin. The children presented Mr Mc Hale with Waterford Crystal and a beautifully engraved pen.
Our hardworking Board of Management; Father Jimmy Browne, Mr J.J. Crowley, Ms Clare Dempsey, Ms Collette Gleeson, Ms Shirley Griffin, Mr Eugene O Keeffe and Mr James Walsh held a meal in honour of Michael for all his work and dedication to the school
Ms Sharon Harte, Ms Fiona Kennedy and Ms Máire Lacey (Parents Association Representatives) organised a tree planting ceremony with the assistance of Father Jimmy and Mr John Gerard Hahessy. A beautiful plaque in honour of Mr McHale’s outstanding service was erected in the school grounds. They also presented Mr McHale with a bound copy of the Irish Independent published on the date he started in Ballyneale NS and a gift cheque on behalf of the parents. Many thanks also for the beautiful cakes on the day and to Collette Gleeson for the ever so cute cupcakes that the children loved!
On Mr McHale’s final day in the school, Ms Lonergan, Ms Whelan and Ms Jane McLoughlin organised a little concert in the school yard and children from all classes gave their Principal beautiful drawings and artwork. Michael kindly arranged for a chip van to come to school which was a great treat for the children. He also donated two leather chairs for the school foyer for which we are truly grateful.
We also had a farewell evening in the hall with Mr McHale’s family, friends, and the extended school community. Presentations were made on behalf of the school staff and parish. The Parents Association, school staff and members of the community were very generous with their donations of food and a beautiful retirement cake was baked by Ms Siobhán Kelly. Many thanks to Sharon, Fiona, Máire, Mary Crowley and Siobhan Walsh for helping out on the night.
We wish Michael a long, happy and well-deserved retirement.
Congratulations to Ms O Dwyer and her husband Larry on the safe arrival of Baby Ruairí on March 22nd.
We extend a big welcome to Mr Cathal Dooley who begins his Principalship in Ballyneale National School in August. Hopefully Mr. Dooley will have many years of enjoyable teaching and leadership in our school.
Ms Baldwin (Jnr/Snr Infants) and Mr Crotty (3rd/4th classes) have been a wonderful addition to our teaching staff. Ms Sheehan has been covering Covid Learning and Support Scheme (CLASS) hours and her help and support to the children has also been very much appreciated.
Ms Lonergan will be teaching for one day per week in Newcastle Primary School and one day per week in St Peter and Pauls Primary School in Clonmel, starting next September.
In the midst of everything, our students, parents and staff coped excellently with Covid. The children followed all instructions to safeguard themselves, their families (especially grandparents) and our staff. It is no easy task to keep young children apart but they all rowed in with the guidance of their teachers, Mrs Mary Walsh, SNA and our secretary Ms Sandra Sheehan. Parents/guardians responded swiftly in suspected cases and kept their children at home to protect others. Homework was collected and returned and we did our best to keep the children at the same work as their classmates. Well done to the children and hopefully things will return to normal very soon!
The pupils were kept busy with swimming (3rd, 4tth, 5th, 6th), drumming and rugby. Mr John Brunnock’s GAA coaching is really enjoyed by all of the children in the school. Mr Crotty set up Dojo (online rewards system to foster positive classroom behaviour and culture) for his classes which they really appreciate and Ms Baldwin has a group of future world class chefs in her classroom!
Ms Whelan’s class participated in Science Blast (more details can be found on our website) and they did very well indeed. The pupils received wonderful feedback from the organisers.
Sandra, Ian and Luke Sheehan, Miss Whelan and Mr Crotty are busy with after school soccer which is very well attended and much appreciated.
The children also competed in a table quiz in Killurney and they all did very well with a 3rd place in the bag! Our 3rd/4th class pupils on the night were: Alex O’Connor, Rachel Walsh, Fionn Power and Molly Whelan. 5th and 6th class were represented by Emily Marshall, Anna Keating, Sam O’Keeffe and Clodagh Power.
We were delighted to be able to bring all the pupils on the Easter Walk this year, which they thoroughly enjoyed! Thank you to Luke and Aoibheann Sheehan for assisting and doing a great job in the lead car. It was lovely to see Mr. McHale back for the occasion helping out with stewarding alongside Mr. Ian Sheehan. Many thanks again to Sharon, Fiona and Máire for providing the children with an Easter Egg Hunt on their return to the school and for presenting every child with an Easter Egg on behalf of the Parents Association.
Congratulations to our pupils Charlie Skehan, Conor Tobin, Charlie Power, Ryan Crowley and Zac Clery who represented their GAA club Grangemockler/ Ballyneale GAA in the County Final U13 Football recently. Unfortunately, it was not their day, but what a great achievement for this young team. Congratulations to all involved.
Emily Walsh represented the school and her county in the recent Cumann na mBunscoil Primary Games. Emily played as part of the Tipperary team at half time during the Tipperary v Waterford football match which was held in Dungarvan recently. Also, Emily and her sister Rachel competed in an International Dancing Competition. Rachel’s group was highly commended and Emily’s team will now go on to compete in Blackpool, England and we wish her the very best of Irish luck!
Congratulation to Cathal O’Meara, Harry Tobin and Ryan Arrigan who were part of U11 Carrick United AFC team that won the cup competition in the Waterford District.
Congratulations to Sam O’Keeffe, 6th Class, on receiving Player of the Year from Carrick-on-Suir Rugby Club. Well done Sam!
Congratulations to Caroline Smith (swimming), Sarah Bartley (athletics), Alma Hyodo Frandsen (ballet) and Clara Walsh (U11 Grangemockler/Ballyneale GAA Camogie team ) on their recent successes.
School tours: Our 1st and 2nd class very much enjoyed their recent tour to the Kingfisher, Waterford. Junior and Senior Infant will go on their tour on 14th June to Parsons Green. 3rd/4th/5th/6th will be heading to the Watershed in Kilkenny on 8th June.
The Sacrament of Holy Communion took place on April 10th. The Mass was celebrated by Fr. Jimmy. The children were very well prepared by Ms Dempsey and thanks to Mr Crotty for his assistance in the church. Again, thanks to Mrs. Eileen Holloway for having the church so beautiful.
5th/6th class confirmation candidates participated in a retreat in Glencomeragh as part of their Confirmation preparation and they enjoyed same. A Commitment Service took place in St. Mary’s Church, Ballyneale on 10th May. Ms Whelan did a great job with the children! Their little drama was delightful, future actors in the making! Reading and prayers were meticulously delivered and Father Jimmy made the little ceremony child and adult friendly!
The Sacrament of Confirmation will take place on June 3rd at 12.30pm and we thank Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan in advance.
The school’s induction day for our new Junior Infants will be held on June 10th and all our new pupils’ parents and guardians are welcome to attend at 2pm.
Thanks to our behind-the-scenes workers Eileen Holloway, Carmel O Meara, J.J. Crowley and James Walsh who have the school grounds bursting with colourful flowers. Planting has borne fruition as well and there are rhubarb tarts going to be baked in the future!
Thanks also to Michael Holloway who has the grass looking perfect!
The Parents Association will hold a Summer Hamper Draw this year. More details to follow shortly.
Our current 6th class will soon be setting off to pastures new and we will miss each and every one of them.
Sarah Bartley Emily Gleeson Anna Keating
Leah Morton Sam O’Keeffe Emily Marshall
Clodagh Power Emily Walsh Dylan Phelan
Go n-eirí an bóthar libh go léir!
School will close on Friday, June 24th at 12.30pm and re-opens for the children on Tuesday, August 30th. Please find attached School Calendar 2022-2023. Booklists will issue shortly.
I hope that you all have the best summer ever and that the children return happy and healthy for the new term! Thanks to everybody for their support.
Best Wishes,
Gaye Fogarty
Ballyneale National School 
You must be logged in to post a comment.