History
“I caught the flame; we found we had enough in common to embark on an adventure”.
—Mary O’Donovan, Co-Founder of Scoil Mhuire
Brief history of the school
The dream of one day founding a school arose from Kathleen Cahill, a senior lecturer in Sedgley Park Training College in Manchester and Mary O’ Donovan,who had been awarded a travelling studentship in English and French.
At Easter 1947, these two women met for the first time. Their ambition to put into practice the remarkable advances made by Froebel and Montessori in the 20th century of how young children learn.
Secondary education in Ireland at the time was the preserve of the few. On arriving in Cork in 1951, Kathleen Cahill and Mary O’Donovan sought to find suitable premises, equip it, advertise and register pupils.
The name of the school, Scoil Mhuire, was already in the heart of the senior founder. Fra Angelico’s great fresco in San Marco’s in Florence became the school’s special picture and 25th March became and has remained the school’s feast day. This was officially celebrated in March 1952 by 70 pupils.
The crest combines the lilies of the annunciation and the motto of Cork, Statio Bene Fide Carinas (A trustworthy harbour of ships)
From its early years, Scoil Mhuire has been associated with the Fleischmann, Neeson and the Murphy families,who played an important part in the musical and artistic life of Cork, and with Scoil Ite, a seminal national school founded in 1916 by Mary and Annie Mc Swiney. The closure of Scoil Ite saw the transfer of its pupils to Scoil Mhuire’s newly founded Junior School. Both have been fundamental to the flourishing of the Arts and music in the school and to the significant alumni of the modern era.
Miss O’ Donovan, together with her leadership team continued the process of enlarging and modifying the school buildings and developing a wide and interesting curriculum to meet the needs of the modern era.
The pupils and all that is associated with them are what make the school. School days are short but can be formative for life.