We were delighted to receive a new mural this week, to commemorate 100 years of Northern Ireland. The Schomberg Society very kindly facilitated this via funding from the Northern Ireland Office and The National Heritage Fund, and we are extremely grateful for the help we’ve received from Roberta Heaney and James Donaldson thought the project. We also want to thank Dee Craig for his wonderful work in producing such a great piece of artwork.

On each end of the mural we have two local people - one past and one present - whose achievements and talents we want to celebrate. On the left we have Nurse Margaret Anderson from Ballinran, who was awarded the Royal Red Cross for nursing in WW1 and went on to serve during WW2 including at the evacuation of Dunkirk. On the right we have Bethany Shields, a former pupil of Brackenagh West, who has progressed to a very high level within the field of Highland Dancing, and has performed at major events across the British Isles.

In the middle we have two NI sporting icons, in George Best and Mary Peters, who reached the pinnacle of their respective sports, reminding us what can be achieved with a combination of talent and hard work. Finally, the background shows some of the things for which Mourne is famous, such as the mountains, the Silent Valley and the dry stone walls, plus a tractor which represents the central place farming has within our community.

The quote at the bottom is a reminder to all our pupils to aim high and follow their dreams in life, without ever forgetting where they come from. We are truly delighted with our new mural and it’s a nice reminder of the past 100 years of Northern Ireland as well as being a great addition to our school in this our 50th anniversary year. We were pleased to welcome Bethany, along with her parents, plus Roberta and James, as we unveiled the mural in school yesterday morning.