Dear parents and friends of St. Clare’s


180 years of staff and pupils ‘working, playing and praying together.’

As we approach the end of our 180th anniversary year we pride ourselves on following on in the footsteps of the St Clare’s nuns who came to Iur Cinn Tra in 1830 determined to serve the families of Newry by offering their children the gift of education. Today we can confidently promise that all who are privileged to work in St Clare’s Convent Primary School strive to guarantee our pupils the best of 21st century education, in spite of our Victorian building.

To mark the anniversary we have:

1. Undertaken an ICT project which is currently being showcased in the “Let’s Celebrate” menu.
Each class explored an aspect of life in St Clare’s illustrious history including:

• The physical features of Victorian life which remain in various classrooms today
• Interviewing past male pupils. St Clare’s was not always a ‘girls only’ school
• Tracing the St Clare’s family trees for each pupil. A primary one pupil has the longest family tree going back 5 generations!!!
• All the symbols associated with our school
• The links we have with Saints Francis and Clare
• The long relationship we have enjoyed with Newry Feis
• What life would have been like for the first St Clare’s pupils during Victorian times, (we linked with Newry museum for this.)
• An overview of the early years in the school’s history
• Interviewing the nuns who had taught in St Clare’s, including Sr Hyacinth and Sr Mercedes.
• Interviewing other past members of staff and past pupils.

The pupils undertook their historical research availing of modern technology and presented their results through a range of digital media, including powerpoints, photo stories and windows movie maker.

2. Opened a community messaging forum on the website urging past pupils and staff to share their memories. As part of this we are trying to locate:
• The oldest past pupil, currently we have is; Mrs Winnie Murtagh aged 100yrs, great, great aunt of a P2 pupil.
• The past pupil residing furthest away; is in Australia.

To conclude our celebrations we had a rededication ceremony led by Bishop
John Mc Areavey on Tuesday 21st June 2011.