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Annette Dineen with her daughters Máire and Kate at a ceremony to mark her retirement from Listellick NS on Thursday. Photo by Dermot Crean
IT was an emotional Thursday for all in the Listellick school community as they bade farewell to their much-loved Principal Annette Dineen.
Pupils, staff, members of the board of management and local clergy filled the sports hall at the school for a gathering to honour Annette who has been in Listellick for the past 22 years.
The Timoleague native took a while to get there though, first graduating from Careysfort College in Dublin back in 1983, after which she got her first teaching post in Neilstown, Clondalkin for a year.
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This was followed by four year spell at Brookfield, Tallaght before heading off to London where she taught in two schools over a period of four years.
Home beckoned though and Annette came to Tralee in 1991, subbing in a number of schools in the Tralee area before securing a permanent job at Gaelscoil Mhic Easmainn in 2000. A job at Listellick came up in 2002 and that’s where spent the rest of her career, becoming principal 12 years ago.
Annette Dineen (seated centre) with staff members at a ceremony to mark her retirement from Listellick NS on Thursday. Front from left; Micheál O’Sullivan, Paula Sweeney, Carol Benner, Annette Dineen, Ashley Reynolds, Rena Ruane and Micheál Ó Dubhghaill. Middle from left; Pat Fitzgerald, Siobhan Goodwin, Susan Wrenn, Karen O’Driscoll, Noreen Crowley, Sinead Dwyer, Marie Dineen, Anna Flynn, Caitriona Moore, Rachel Donnellan and Niamh Carmody. At back; Susan Daly and Catherine Sexton. Photo by Dermot Crean
She has seen many changes in her time there, the most significant of which was the building of the new school which opened in early 2023.
At the ceremony, a number of heartfelt tributes were paid to Annette by staff and the board of management, as well as presentations made and a section of the new biodiversity garden named in her honour!
Annette told the gathering how much she has enjoyed her time in the school working with the children and staff and how she will miss them. The ceremony came to an emotional close with the pupils singing ‘Tomorrow’ from Annie.
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Afterwards, we asked Annette what she would remember most about her time at Listellick.
“The community. That’s what really struck me — how they come together. When people came for the 150th anniversary celebrations you heard what the school meant to them, their memories, the positivity and love for this place.
“I’ll really miss the staff and pupils of course. They’ve kept me young, there’s an energy about kids that’s invigorating. Of course it’s tiring, but you learn so much from them too. Over the years I’ve found out about Bebo, WhatsApp, TikTok and so on!” said Annette.
Annette Dineen with her sister Eithne Wilson, daughters Máire and Kate, brother Kevin Collins and sister Kay Poland at a ceremony to mark her retirement from Listellick NS on Thursday. Photo by Dermot Crean
There’s plenty to keep Annette busy in retirement. She’s a beekeeper, cycles regularly, swims and plays golf (“badly” she says), as well as spending time with her daughters Máire and Kate, who were there for her at the farewell ceremony.
Best of luck to Annette in the future and indeed to her successor, who has big shoes to fill!
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