Holy Rosary College Mountbellew marked its 60th anniversary last Tuesday with a vibrant celebration attended by students, staff, alumni, and members of the wider community – and a throwback to the school’s very beginning.

Because a special highlight of the event was the presence of representatives from the Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate, the American congregation that first founded the school’s predecessor, Scoil na Coróine Muire, in 1944.

The Sisters, who came from Austin, Texas, had originally settled in Mountbellew in 1934, establishing St Philip’s Convent in Bellewsgrove, a Georgian house that served as both convent and school for over two decades.

During those early years, the small all-girls’ school flourished, with enrolment numbers averaging between 45 and 55, and many of its pupils later joining the congregation in San Antonio, Texas.

In 1965, following a request from Archbishop Walsh and the local community to open the school to boys, the Sisters of the Holy Spirit decided to withdraw from Ireland rather than develop a co-educational institution.

Their legacy, however, endures in a memorial plaque at the college, honouring “the many women who went from here to serve the poor and marginated in the USA, Mexico, and Zambia.”

The same year marked a pivotal transition for Mountbellew, as the property was purchased by the Sisters of the Christian Retreat, a French congregation founded in 1789 by Fr Anthony Receveur.

Dedicated to education and spiritual renewal, the Sisters of the Christian Retreat brought a new vision to the school and ensured its continued growth.

Under their leadership, Holy Rosary College officially became co-educational in September 1965, admitting 27 boys for the first time and bringing total enrolment to 79 students.

Sr. Dympna Stack was appointed Principal, a role she held with distinction for 25 years, guiding the school through a period of remarkable development.

Last Tuesday’s anniversary celebrations began with a special Mass of thanksgiving in St. Mary’s Church, Mountbellew.

Following the service a newly erected commemorative grotto on the school grounds – dedicated to the founders and past members of the Holy Rosary community – was blessed.

Guests then gathered at the college for a celebratory meal, where past and present staff, students, and guests shared memories and renewed old friendships.

The afternoon featured a series of engaging speeches reflecting on the school’s history, its religious roots, and the enduring influence of both founding congregations.

The day concluded in a spirit of gratitude and pride for the generations of faith, learning, and community that have shaped Holy Rosary College over the past 60 years.

Pictured: Members of the organizing committee of the 60th celebration of Holy Rosary College, Mountbellew, (from left) Paddy Boyle, John Fahey, Anne Mannion, Sr. Margaret Buckley, Sr. Assumpta Collins, Maureen Walsh, Alana Carr, Tom Crehan and Matt Quinn, pictured beside the commemorative grotto outside the school.