End of an Era
Taken from St. Columba's Church, Drung Sunday Bulletin

During this week most primary schools in the country will close for the summer holidays. Our own schools here will, of course, be no exception. However, when the pupils leave Clunelly, Drung and Clar this week, and the teachers close the doors, it will be for the last time.

It will be an occasion tinged with sadness and regret. It will be a time of history in the making. The teachers and pupils have been researching the history of other schools in the area that have closed. Future generations will look back to this time and enquire about the type of people we were and how we lived during these years leading into the second millenium. Considering the number of schools there have been in this area since 1931, education has had a firm basis here for many generations. That continues as another generation moves into a new, modern purpose built school in September.

This is an opportunity for this generation to empress its gratitude to the present teaching staffs - to Mrs Maureen Scott, Mrs Maeve McGeoghan and Miss Anna Butler in Clunelly; to Mrs. Betty Bradley, Mrs Kathleen Harte and Mrs Maura McColgan in Drung; to Master Packie McLaughlin and Mrs Sheila McLaughlin in Clar.

We have been blessed with highly professional and dedicated teachers, interested in the welfare of the children, conscientious in their work and exceptionally generous with their time both displayed remarkable patience, and they have achieved exceptional results, considering the primitive conditions in which they have had to work. Inspector's reports have been high in praise of the teachers in all three schools. The various prizes in academic work, in sport and swimming are indicative of their dedication and ability.

All of us are indebted to them. We are fortunate to have all of them employed in the new school.

The old schools have served this area well. But their day is done. Nobody with any sense of pride or concern for the future education of children could, at this time, justify their continued existence. At the moment, this area has the worst school buildings in the diocese. Come September, we will be among the best.

But the building is only part of the school. We already have the best of teachers, and pupils of whom we can be proud. We also need the interest, the co-operation and the support of reasonable parents. Can we depend on that?

Our new school has been the result of a very long and hard fought battle. It provides the area with an opportunity that must not be lost, nor be allowed to be destroyed.

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Clunelly School
Parents, past pupils and anyone else interested are invited to have a last look around Clunelly on Tuesday evening between 7.30 pm to 10 pm. There will be some items of interest on display.

Clar School
Parents, past pupils and anyone else interested are invited to have a last look round Clar on Tuesday evening between 7pm and 9pm. There will be various items of interest on display. At 8.30pm some light refreshments will be served.

Drung School
It was a great evening in Drung on Thursday last. Big numbers of past pupils, parents and other visitors gathered for an evening of memories, reminiscence and chat. There was tremendous interest in the old photographs and old roll books. The old Derry Catechism, price 9d, evoked many memories. All in all, it was a most pleasant evening.

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