It was with deep sadness we learned yesterday evening of the passing of Mr.Paddy Merriman who was the Principal Teacher of our school from 1964-1993.

Mr. Merriman gave a lifetime of commitment and service to our school community and ensured our school always moved forward throughout his tenure.

Mr.Merriman, an archetypal schoolmaster, took great pride in his profession. He had a huge interest in education. He placed great importance in ensuring all his students’ learning needs were met. A great legacy to his vision and foresight was that St.Attracta’s was one of the first schools in Mayo to offer learning support to their students from 1982. He also took great pride in his pupils’ academic achievements as they progressed through Secondary School and those who went onto Third Level.

Mr.Merriman believed wholeheartedly in extra curricular activities, be it through the legendary school leagues through to the many exciting school tours which were often the highlight of a school year. He realised and identified the importance of the holistic development of each child. Many of his past pupils can attest to this.

We, the members of the present St. Attracta’s NS Charlestown school community wish to acknowledge and pay tribute to Mr.Merriman. We extend our sincere sympathy to his wife Carmel and the Merriman family on this sad occasion.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.