THE mother of a schoolgirl who ran the gauntlet of loyalist protestors during the Holy Cross dispute has spoke of her pride that her daughter has graduated with a teaching degree.
Nichola Bradley said her daughter, Shannon Rock, had been inspired to pursue a career in education by the teachers who cared for her during the disorder more than 20 years ago.
Twenty-five-year-old Shannon was initially a nursery pupil at Holy Cross School when the loyalist protest began in June 2001.
Catholic school children were subjected to sectarian harassment which escalated to violent attacks, with bricks, fireworks and blast bombs hurled as them as they walked to school.
It resumed at the start of the school term in September, when local clergy began escorting the pupils and their parents, as loyalists tried to block the main route as they walked to class.
As Shannon began primary one that month, her mother walked her to class through the protestors and heavy police presence.
Speaking to The Irish News yesterday, Nichola said she feared the experience would "affect" her daughter for "the rest of her life".
"When you go to primary school everybody remembers it as your happy time," she said.
"That is the time you meet your friends. You're not even worried about school work. That just wasn't the case for them.
"Shannon did suffer from a lot of anxiety, but there are still children dealing with what happened back them.
"It wasn't like a flash in the pan. It was sustained daily".
Two decades on from the protest, which made headlines around the world, Nichola this week watched her daughter graduate from St Mary's University College as a secondary school teacher specialising in English and Religion.
However, the mother-of-two said that while the Holy Cross dispute negatively affected her daughter, it also inspired her.
"The school stepped up a 110 per cent with them kids," she said.
"There were counsellors brought in. Therapy brought in. There was nothing spared. The teachers basically became like second mummies to them kids. They really did go above and beyond.
"She (Shannon) said the care she got from the teachers and the relationships she built with them is the reason she wanted to become a teacher.
"She said `if I am half the teacher they were, the kids will be alright'."
Nichola said watching Shannon graduate this week had been "emotional".
"I am very proud of Shannon," she said.
"At the time, I just thought this is going to affect her for the rest of her life. This will put her out of school and I don't know what we will be at the end of it.
"I stood and watched her walk across the stage the other day and I thought, `no, she will be ok'."
