Message to school community on the sudden bereavement of Roisin

It is with the greatest sadness and sense of loss that I wish to make it known to all of our school community and the wider communities of Balbriggan and Educate-Together of the untimely death of Roisin Connolly, our loved teacher and colleague. Roisin lost her young life in a tragic car accident in the early hours of this morning outside Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan which also claimed two other lives. Her husband, Stephen, has been badly injured. Roisin’s and Stephen’ unborn baby, Catherine, perished along with her mother.

I wish to express our community’s sympathy to the Langan (Fanad, Co Donegal) and Connolly ( Portarlington, Co Laois) families at this moment of unfathomable grief.

I welcome those of our school community  and from the wider public, who wish to do so, to express their condolences through the comment facility attached to this message. I will ensure to print out and pass on all the condolences messages to Stephen and the Connolly and Langan families. In response to the huge uptake of this facility we will keep this ‘book of condolences’ open until mid-January. I wish to express my own gratitude to those staff, parents, children, members of the wider Educate-Together community and members of the public who have done so to date.  Your comments will assuredly bring some solace and peace to Catherine (mother), Eileen ( sister) and Stephen ( husband).

Over the coming week the teachers and school management  will draw up and deliver an appropriate response and strategy for when the children return  on Monday 11th. I wish to reassure parents that this response will be appropriate to the age of the children and our religous and cultural diversity.  We have consulted with support agencies and will bring our highest sense of professionalism to the weeks and months ahead. Our ‘guidelines’ to teachers will be made available in the school office to any concerned parent to peruse, and I will be available anytime to discuss any emerging issues; the office door is always open. Similarly, I would ask that all our parents take the time to talk about  Roisin’ s death with your own children in advance of returning to school.