Muinefliuch National School

1. Muinefliuch National School Welcome to our School Garden Project Powerpoint presentation.

2. Our school history and features • Muinefliuch N. S. is a two teacher school with 54 pupils enrolled at present. • We are located in the townland of Muinefliuch in the parish of Clondrohid, six miles north of Macroom. • We are situated in a beautiful quite rural location, at the foothills of the Mushera mountains. • We are very fortunate to have a poly-tunnel, numerous garden beds, a willow dome, a pond and many native trees growing on our school site as a result of wonderful work carried out in the past by children, parents and a recently departed teacher, ShíleUíCheallaigh.

3. GairdínShíleUíCheallaigh • Our beloved past teacher, ShíleUíCheallaigh, was a wonderful teacher, artist and a great lover of nature. • She passed away unexpectedly in 2009 at the age of 51. She was the instigator of many garden projects during her time as teacher and principal of Muinefliuch N. S. • After our school purchased land adjoining the school in 2011 for the purpose of adding a much needed playing field, it was decided to commemorate Shíle with a memorial garden in recognition of the marvellous work she carried out during her time in the school. • And so, our school community set to work to create a garden that Shíle would have been proud of.

4. Planning and work • After the playing field was levelled and seeded, planning and work commenced for the memorial garden. • It was decided to locate the memorial garden to the rear of an existing road front public grotto, which is located on the western side of the school site. • Pupils, teachers and parents were involved in planning, building and planting the garden.

5. Garden Special Features (1) • Special features such as mosaic tiles and painted stepping stones were created by the school staff and the children from the senior room. • Other features include an insect log-house, a teapot birds nest and a statue of Saint Gobnait alongside a stone plaque to remember Shíle by.

6. Garden Special Features (2) • Other notable features of the garden are the larch timber entrance arch which is now planted with climbing plants, jasmine and honeysuckle and the wonderful and the dry stone walls which were built by parents and other members of the local community. • Two sandstone boulders placed in the center of a gravelled area and the low stone walls act as seats for outdoor lessons.

7. Garden Planting • The garden was created at the field side of an existing ditch, wall and grotto. An existing whitethorn tree was kept along with ivy plants growing on an ESB pole. • The planting scheme gives year round flower and foliage interest and is designed to attract butterflies and birds and other insects.

8. Garden Planting • While our poly-tunnel is mainly used from growing vegetables and flowers, many of the plants in the new garden were started from seed, grown on in the own poly-tunnel and transplanted into the new garden prior to the official opening. • Plants in the memorial garden include bulbous plants such as daffodils, crocus and snowdrops, flowering shrubs (dwarf azalea, aster, lavender, lilac, lemon balm, mint, saxifrages & others), and small trees and climbers such as a Japanese maple, honeysuckle and jasmine.

9. Garden opening (1) • The memorial garden was officially opened and blessed by our school’s chairperson, Fr. Anthony Wickham on a beautiful sunny day. • Even the local television people attended!

10. Garden opening (2) • Members of our school community attending the opening were proud to be part of such a worthwhile and rewarding project which will be enjoyed by our school children and staff for many years to come.

11. Focal Deireanach • Thank you for reading about out memorial garden. • We hope you enjoyed our presentation. • And finally, as ShíleUíCheallaigh was often heard to say, ‘Cuir, ort do chota is amachleatfaoinaer’!