International Women's Day in OLS

08 Mar 2023

Today we celebrated IWD in style in OLS. We hosted Professor Orla Feely, past pupil and newly announced President of UCD, who spoke to the 6th Years about the role OLS played in the pathways she took through life. She told the students to follow their own successes, to open doors for each other and to learn and grow from interactions with inspirational women! Professor Feely was inducted onto our Wall of Inspiration and she, in turn, inducted two current pupils who are inspirational women in their own right - Alisha Weir (actor) and Joy Ralph (international soccer player). Bhadra Panicker, 6th Year, wrote a beautiful poem to commemorate the occasion (attached below). Musicians Tamzin Hogan, Lauren Duffy and Molly Gorby added immensely to the occasion with their talented performance. Our fourth induction to the Wall of Inspiration today, the Sisters of the Religious of Christian Education - inspirational women who have led the school through changing times and continue to play a central role in school life today. Minister Simon Harris visited the school today with another past pupil, Dr Mary-Liz Trant, Director of the National Apprenticeship Office, to launch an exciting initiative promoting apprenticeships for women. The Minister addressed TY students who put him through his paces with a fabulous Q&A led by Saibh Gormley! It was a true day of celebration in OLS today. We asked the community for nominations for the occasion recently and were thrilled with the response. We are sharing three of these with you today in acknowledgement of the inspirational successes of these past pupils (attached below). Wishing the entire OLS community a happy International Women's Day. We are immeasurably proud of our inspirational women, those who have left the school and those still with us!