22.05.2025
Historic Day as St Saviour’s NS Celebrates 200th Birthday
The children of St Saviour’s NS in Rathdrum made history today (Thursday May 22) as they celebrated the 200th anniversary of their school. Weeks of hard work came to fruition as they drew together the history of their school and their community.
Pupils put on a fantastic display for a large audience which included Archbishop Michael Jackson, chairperson of the board of management Elizabeth Farrar, and former principal and deputy principal Heather Lawson and Helen Binions. They were joined by many past pupils and parents as well as current pupils and their families and friends of the school.
A special school assembly celebrating 200 years of education at St Saviour’s NS took place in the school hall with musical contributions from the pupils and the debut performance of the school’s revived orchestra. The school community and visitors were welcomed by the Revd Suzanne Harris on behalf of the board of management. She said St Saviour’s was a special and unique community full of life and vitality.
Archbishop Michael Jackson took everybody back to their early days of school reminding them of their ABCs. A is for Arrival and he asked the pupils to recall their first day in school and how by returning day after day they became a true part of the school.
B is for Belief and he said there were different types of belief in a school. He spoke about the patronage of the school, which set out belief in God as being at the heart of school life and the school day. Another type of belief, the Archbishop said, was belief in yourself. This could be difficult sometimes but he urged the children to remember the belief that other people had in them if they needed help in this.
C is for Companionship and Archbishop Jackson noted that today’s schools were very companionable. He said today’s assembly was a celebration of companionship with one another, with teachers and staff and with God who is our constant companion and friend. “Companionship builds community and today we celebrate the community of St Saviour’s School on its two hundredth birthday,” he concluded.
St Saviour’s principal Antionette Doyle said 200 years was an incredible achievement and they were so proud of their school. Outlining the history of the school she noted that St Saviour’s was founded in 1825 by the Kildare Place Society. It was set up to educate the children of the Church of Ireland parish of Rathdrum. There were 51 pupils. It became a national school, the No. 2 School, in 1883.
The original school was located off the Main Street of Rathdrum behind what used to be the Central Shop. The new school was built on its current site on Station Road. It opened in 1984. The school has continued to grow and today has nine teaching staff and six support staff who are part of a great team. Mrs Doyle said that she and deputy principal Victoria Spencer work hard to preserve the ethos of St Saviour’s and to grow the school in a positive way. In addition to new classrooms and the Hub for children with autism, they have recently added a garden and most recently Clodagh’s Garden in memory of one of their pupils.
The principal said that traditionally the school served Church of Ireland families but now there were children of different nationalities, faiths and traditions attending St Saviour’s. This diversity greatly enriches the educational experience that the school offers.
“In St Saviour’s we endeavour to provide a community to grow, connect and belong. It is a community, or a family. We look after each other and we give support when needed… Our children are our superstars and they excel in lots of areas,” she stated.
Mrs Doyle paid tribute to the board of management and the parents and families who had supported the school through the ages. Looking to the future she said that their priority was to continue to allow the school community to grow, connect and belong. “Hopefully in another 200 years the school community will reflect on our role in shaping the school’s life and note how positively we all contributed to shape our beloved school,” she said.
After the service the Archbishop unveiled a plaque and planted a tree to mark the occasion. Pupils acted as tour guides to escort visitors in viewing the exhibitions they had put together to celebrate the school’s history. Outside guests enjoyed refreshments including an impressive cake to mark the occasion.
