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Anne O’Callaghan (third from left) with husband Michael, Deputy Principal Helen Hayes and Principal of CBS The Green Tralee, Robert Flaherty (right) at a function to mark Anne’s retirement as Principal of CBS The Green in The Ashe Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
IT might be over four months since Anne O’Callaghan handed over the reins and retired from her position as Principal of CBS The Green, but the staff haven’t forgotten her in a hurry!
In fact, over 50 teachers, past and present, gathered at The Ashe Hotel on Friday night for a belated retirement party where she received a plethora of tributes from her colleagues.
Anne was 25 years at the CBS by the time she retired last December, the last ten of which were as Principal, the first female to be appointed to the role in the history of the school.
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Abbeydorney native Anne travelled a lot before returning home to teach in the CBS in 1997. Having attended Presentation Tralee, she went on to complete her degree at UCC and travelled to New York for a year back around 1986.
When she returned, she set up her own business – filming greyhounds running at the track so trainers could study their movements and timing — which was a success.
Staff from CBS The Green join Anne O’Callaghan at a function to mark her retirement as Principal of CBS The Green in The Ashe Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
But the travel bug bit again and off Anne went to Sweden. She was in Stockholm teaching for two years and then went to a school in the London area in 1992. In 1996 she came home and worked in St John of God in Tralee before returning to mainstream teaching in a subbing capacity in the Green in 1997.
A year later she got the nod for a permanent position and in 2011 was appointed Deputy Principal. In September 2012 she got the top job at a time when the major new extension was just completed.
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“I was very fortunate coming in at that time. The groundwork had been done by Brother Whelan, Sean O’Brien and Tony O’Keeffe with the new building opening and everyone was very positive, both teachers and students,” she said.
“The Green is a lovely place to work in — great staff and students. I was just a cog in the wheel there,” she said modestly.
Married to Castleisland man Michael, who is also retired, Anne said she’s enjoying doing nothing and everything, spending time with her husband and her two dogs and keeping busy.
She enjoyed a great night with her former colleagues who made a special presentation to mark her retirement, while current Principal Robert Flaherty gave a glowing tribute to his former boss in his speech. Enjoy retirement Anne! Scroll down for photos…
Sarah Normoyle, Denise Lane and Lauren O’Leary at a function to mark Anne O’Callaghan’s retirement as Principal of CBS The Green in The Ashe Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Emer O’Daly, Sheila Enright, Caroline Dillane and Ger Sheehy at a function to mark Anne O’Callaghan’s retirement as Principal of CBS The Green in The Ashe Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
Maura Shine, Rachel Moynihan and Larry Shine at a function to mark Anne O’Callaghan’s retirement as Principal of CBS The Green in The Ashe Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Nora Scanlon, Helen O’Connell, Bridget Goodwin, Gráinne Rice Flynn, Mairead Cahill, Niamh O’Mahony and Anne Moore at a function to mark Anne O’Callaghan’s retirement as Principal of CBS The Green in The Ashe Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
Niamh Moran, Helen Kelliher, Catriona Kelliher and Sarah Spillane at a function to mark Anne O’Callaghan’s retirement as Principal of CBS The Green in The Ashe Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Marc Ó Sé, Kevin Rolls and John Kennedy at a function to mark Anne O’Callaghan’s retirement as Principal of CBS The Green in The Ashe Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
Ellen McGillicuddy and Helen Hayes at a function to mark Anne O’Callaghan’s retirement as Principal of CBS The Green in The Ashe Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Damien McLoughlin and Tommy O’Donnell at a function to mark Anne O’Callaghan’s retirement as Principal of CBS The Green in The Ashe Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
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