Congratulations and best wishes are extended to Geraldine Finn, Sarsfield Manor, Charlestown, who has retired from her position as secretary in St Attracta’s NS after many years of steadfast and dedicated service. Geraldine worked in her position for over twenty years and carried out her duties with wonderful decorum and diligence and was a great source of support and help to the teachers in their day to day work.
Geraldine immersed herself fully in all activities associated with the school and took an active role in many of the school’s sporting activities as she coached the school’s spikeball team to many notable successes and also had a great sense of patience and calmness about her as she imparted the skills to many and contributed enormously to their social. emotional and sporting development.
Geraldine was above all a team player and always presented a very cheerful and courteous manner and went about her work in a very thorough and professional manner which endeared her to so many within and outside the school community. There were a number of presentations to mark her retirement from the board of the management, the parents association and the staff with principal Brian McDermott leading the tributes to a lady who embraced all aspects of school life and forged terrific relationship with the staff and the children who she developed a special rapport with during her long and dedicated service.
There was hardly a dry eye in the house when Geraldine took her leave on the last day of term with a guard of honour put in place as she cleared out her desk for the last time and made her final walk out the avenue as she prepares to embark on the next chapter of her life. We wish her good health and happiness in all she chooses to do, with the school having lost a pillar as she was always so reliable and dependable and was that friendly familiar face who always had a smile and a cheery face on display in the mornings as she greeted all who came through the doors and made everyone feel at ease and at home in the school domain.
It would be remiss not mention Geraldine’s husband Philly who also retired recently from the civil service after over forty two years of stellar and committed service. Philly served in a number of different departments and was the consummate professional in all he did as he carried out his duties in a very diligent and thorough manner. He spent the best part of twenty years in Dublin before relocating back West in the late 1990’s and spent the latter part of his service in the Department of Gaeltacht and Rural Affairs with Ballina being his base until he hung up his pen just a few short months ago.
Philly is a keen member of the Sarsfields GAA Club and has served a few terms as selector on various senior teams and managements most notably in 2009 when he was part of Ciaran McBrien’s management team that annexed the county title. He is very knowledgeable and informed on all matters GAA and also loved a game of indoor soccer back in the day and was well able to hold his own and compete with men a lot younger than his good self.
He loves his daily walk and this is something he will indulge in a lot more now that he’s released from the daily grind of work with his good wife Geraldine free to join him now that she too is retired. Philly is a very popular and well respected member of the community as indeed is Geraldine and we wish him well in his retirement as he figures out his next move with all manner and range of possibilities available to both.
Here’s wishing Philly and Geraldine many good years of health and happiness in the future as they plan the next stage of their lives.