Molly Molloy takes the parting of mothers and small children very seriously - so much so that when the time came for her to return to work after having her daughter in London 11 years ago, she could not find anywhere that she would feel happy about leaving her baby.
Her response was to set up a nursery school offering what she was looking for - a gentle, loving atmosphere that nurtured the whole child, physically, spiritually, intellectually and emotionally where the trauma of parting was minimised. Now Molly has returned to her native Co Galway, and has opened her nursery school for two- to five-year-olds. Called "Little People", it is just outside the village of Barna and features the same holistic approach which proved so successful in London.
Books, paints and a most wonderful array of tactile discovery toys are neatly stacked on shelves awaiting eager little hands. Soothing dolphin sounds resound through the different rooms where a child may choose to tackle the most challenging Montessori equipment or just loll on a beanbag.
Molly has created an atmosphere full of nourishing sensations, of colour, music and softness. She believes in nourishing the body too, and provides healthy, home-cooked vegetarian and fish meals for the children.
Originally from an island in Connemara, Molly is delighted to be back near such a good source of wonderful fish. The eldest of 10 children, she left to train as a nurse in London when she was 18 years old. She believes that "what happens to children in their first five years colours their whole lives". Molly chooses staff who, in addition to having specialist skills such as music and pre-reading and pre-writing or Montessori, share her positive approach to children.