Réiltín Ní Bhroin:Réiltín Ní Bhroin, who has died aged 83, was a former principal and manager of the co-educational, lay Catholic school Árdscoil Éanna in Crumlin.
The school, founded by her father in 1939, was originally located on St Agnes Park and later moved to Franshaw House, Crumlin Road. Although not an all-Irish school, it had, and continues to have, a strong Irish-Ireland ethos.
Before the school was founded her family lived in Churchtown, and she was educated by the Sisters of Mercy, Milltown, and at St Louis Convent, Rathmines. She became a teacher in 1948 and was appointed principal in 1957.
Born in 1924, she was the daughter of James J O'Byrne and his wife Esther (nee Bates). Her father, a former teacher at St Enda's, founded by Patrick Pearse, was a prominent member of Sinn Féin and later of Fianna Fáil.
Crumlin in 1939 was a new working-class suburb where access to secondary education was limited. Árdscoil Éanna, modelled on St Enda's, enrolled 99 pupils when it opened as an all-boys' school; girls were enrolled the following year, in response to representations from parents. The majority of the children came from Crumlin, Kimmage and Walkinstown. The O'Byrne family lived on the premises.
The religious dimension of the school reflected the O'Byrnes' deep Catholic faith. Margaret Pearse taught religion for a time, and, as at St Enda's, the rosary was recited every morning; indeed, rosary beads were regarded as part of the uniform. First Friday masses were attended by staff and pupils. Nevertheless, non-Catholic pupils were always welcome at the school.
Fees were charged as in other secondary schools, but because the majority of pupils were unable to pay the fees in full a reduced weekly payment was accepted and Árdscoil Éanna became locally known as the "shilling a week school". Unlike other secondary schools, the fee charged covered the cost of the school uniform and school books.
The school's distinctive uniform was red and black, the colours inspired by the flag of Nazi Germany, which was benignly viewed in some quarters during the 1930s and with which a section of Irish nationalists identified.
Notwithstanding his membership of Fianna Fáil, James O'Byrne was sympathetic to the republican movement of the 1940s and 1950s. Na Fianna Éireann, the movement's youth wing, held meetings at the school, as did Conradh na Gaeilge, Fianna Fáil and St Enda's GAA club.
Réiltín Ní Bhroin graduated from University College Dublin in 1947 with a BComm, and later completed the HDip Ed.
A keen camóige player, she maintained her link with the sport as a club and county board official.
In 1948 she joined the teaching staff at Árdscoil Éanna, where many members of the extended O'Byrne family taught down through the years. In 1957 she succeeded her father as principal. She retired in 1988. Her niece Etáin O'Moore is the current principal, while another niece, Máire McCall, is school secretary. Réiltín Ní Bhroin remained faithful to her father's philosophy of education throughout her career. Passionate about teaching, she believed in education based on values. Education, for her, was what remained when facts were forgotten.
She had tremendous energy and was a member of many professional bodies and voluntary organisations. She was a lifelong member of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association. Of a generous nature, she had a great sense of humour and a sharp wit.
An active member of Fianna Fáil, she was a member of the officer board of Cumann na bPiarsach, Crumlin, and in 1967 stood for election to Dublin City Council, as in later years did her sister and a niece. She was engaged to the late Seán Walsh TD but when it came to deciding where they would live after marrying, he would not move into the school and she would not move out. Neither ever married.
She is survived by her sisters, Eithne, Margaret, Máirín, Eibhlín and Dolores, 38 nieces and nephews and Niall, reared from childhood with the family.
Réiltín Ní Bhroin: born March 7th, 1924; died November 17th, 2007