Mairead Connolly was a much-loved and respected teacher who will be remembered by generations of children for the wonderful music she brought to St Conor’s Primary School in Omagh.
Staff and pupils fondly recall her helping with the preparations for sacraments, organising music for the various shows, assemblies and concerts that take place throughout the year, and the many rehearsals for Christmas carol services.
However, Mairead’s main claim to fame was composing the St Conor’s school song, which is still being sung to this day to mark its 50th anniversary. It was something she was always proud of – she would say: “When I’m dead and gone, I will be forgotten, but the song will live on – its my legacy.”
She loved meeting old staff members and pupils, reliving stories of times gone past, and her plan was to be with everyone to celebrate the special anniversary – but she would have been delighted with the warm tribute paid to her on the night.
Mairead was born in Carnlough, Co Antrim in April 1945, one of three children to Daniel and Minnie Magill. She attended Harphall PS in the village and boarded at Loreto Coleraine, before studying in Manchester to become a teacher.
Her first job was in London, next door to West Ham United’s football stadium. The club would use the playground for parking on match days and the teachers were offered tickets to the Hammers’ historic European Cup Winners’ Cup final victory over 1860 Munich at Wembley in 1965. Not realising the significance, Mairead turned down the tickets and the chance to make a few pounds.
That same year she was also among spectators on Tower Bridge to see Winston Churchill’s funeral barge sail down the Thames.
Returning to Ireland, she took up a post at Holy Family school on Belfast’s Limestone Road, living just around the corner in Newington Street, nicknamed ‘the doss’.
In 1973 she married Eugene Connolly at Harryville Church in Ballymena – the wedding was due to be in the town’s Crebilly church, but it had been blown up in the weeks before. The couple settled in Fintona, Co Tyrone, and were blessed with a son, Donal.
After working as a substitute teacher in several schools, Mairead joined the staff of St Conor’s on Brookmount Road, where she remained as a P3 and music teacher until her retirement in 1996.
She was blessed with the art of storytelling and loved running into past pupils, parents and retired and current staff members as she made her way around town. She was never happier than chatting about old times over a cup of tea – which she never drank.
Her main claim to fame was composing the St Conor’s school song, which is still being sung to this day to mark its 50th anniversary
She also relished visiting Carnlough any chance she could get to meet old friends, neighbours and relatives.
She has left everyone she encountered with wonderful memories to hold on to. To quote from her St Conor’s school song: “When the years pass by in the blink of an eye, very soon we will move on, but we never forget all the friends we have met.”
Mairead Connolly, who died after a short illness on March 15, is loved and missed every day. May her gentle, generous, kind soul be granted peace and eternal rest.
Her month’s mind Mass will be celebrated in St Lawrence’s Church, Fintona at 6pm today.