Class act as principal dons his onesie to work
A school principal in Cork led by example and wore his favourite onesie to work after parents backed a novel fundraiser.
The students of Gaelscoil Uí Riordáin in Ballincollig were encouraged to wear onesies to school as part of a €100,000 fundraising drive to help pay for their new all-weather pitch.
But principal Gabriel Ó Cathasaigh threw down the gauntlet in a bid to boost the fundraising effort.
He promised he’d also wear a onesie to school if parents coughed up enough sponsorship.
And inspired by the thoughts of their ‘príomhoide’ patrolling the corridors in his bedtime attire, they responded, in their droves.
Donations poured in and the €500 target was reached in just a few hours.
And true to his word, Mr Ó Cathasaigh greeted students first thing yesterday morning wearing his favourite Winnie the Pooh onesie. Some of his teaching and support staff also got in on the act.
Mr Ó Cathasaigh said he was delighted with the response.
“We badly need the money so I asked parents if I could get 100 sponsors to give €5 each,” he said.
“And donations poured in. I’m just sorry now I didn’t ask for twice that. I think we would have made it. The parents are just fabulous to support us.”
Work on the school’s new juvenile GAA-sized all-weather pitch was completed in recent weeks.
It is the first time in the school’s 30-year history that it has had its own sports pitch.
The school, which was founded in 1983 in a room above a supermarket in Coolroe, relocated to a purpose-built state-of-the-art school in Carriganarra just over two years ago.
The all-weather pitch has been developed on a lower site behind the school building.
Measuring 106-metres by 50-metres, Mr Ó Cathasaigh said it will be more than adequate for their needs.
“We will be able to do all our training there — hurling football, soccer, rugby and athletics,” he said.
A range of other fundraising activities are planned to help pay for the pitch.
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