Northern Ireland

Funeral of hugely popular former Derry principal Sr Christopher Hegarty

Sister Christopher served as principal of Thornhill Catholic girls' grammar school from 1988 to 2001.
Sister Christopher served as principal of Thornhill Catholic girls' grammar school from 1988 to 2001. Sister Christopher served as principal of Thornhill Catholic girls' grammar school from 1988 to 2001.

THE funeral will take place today of hugely popular former Derry school principal Sr Christopher Hegarty.

A former head of Thornhill College girls’ grammar school, Sr Christopher died aged 74 on Wednesday.

She was a member of the Order of Mercy and had a life-long connection with Thornhill as a pupil, teacher and eventually principal.

Sr Christopher was a member of a well-known Derry business family. Born in 1945, she attended Thornhill from 1956 to 1962 and returned as a teacher in 1969.

She was appointed vice- principal in 1986 and principal two years later, serving until her retirement in 2001.

After leaving Thornhill, Sr Christopher was a member of the Education Authority.

Former Thornhill vice-principal Siobhan McAteer said Sr Christopher was hugely popular with the school community.

“She lived to the Mercy maxim of fitting girls for earth without unfitting them for heaven,” she said.

Sr Christopher’s Requiem Mass will take place at The Immaculate Conception chapel, Thornhill at 1.30pm today. She will be buried in the adjoining cemetery.