Repost from killarneytoday.com…..

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POPULAR Michael McAuliffe is retiring as principal of Lissivigeen National School after 14 years at the helm.

He has been teaching there since 1995 and was appointed principal in 2007 and there are 280 pupils currently on the roll book.

Prior to that he spent six years on the staff of St Pat’s in Quarryvale, Clondalkin after he graduated from St Pat’s Training College.

“There is a great team spirit throughout the school involving the students, the cleaning team, the lollipop lady, teachers, SNAs our secretary Sheila,” Michael said.

“We are a town school with a country feel. My job was a somewhat easy task in many ways as the staff did not need to be asked and always delivered above and beyond,” he added.

The retiring principal was also rich in his praise for the parents’ association, the school’s board of management and chaplain Fr Kieran O’Brien.

Class act: Michael McAuliffe was principal with a great team spirit throughout the school.
Picture: Marie Carroll-O’Sullivan

Michael – a former Kerry footballer at senior, under 21, junior and minor level – plans to spend more time on the golf course.

A Spa clubman and a very skillful corner forward, he played senior inter county from 1983 to 1989.

He will remain in the post until August to oversee a new extension to the school which will see the addition of two extra classrooms.

Although Lissivigeen National School dates back to 1861, the current building opened in 1968 and Michael spent his schooldays from junior infants to sixth class in Lissivigeen.
Tadhg O’Sullivan was the principal at the time and Michael described him as an exceptional role model. Another principal at Lissivigeen, Bernadette Noonan, was also one of his teachers.