Tradition continued on as Mount Lourdes Grammar School recently hosted their first prizegiving event after an extraordinary break due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Mount Lourdes Prize Day was hosted on November 24, with guest speaker Bridget Walsh (known as Una), a native of Garrison and a former student of Mount Lourdes.

Una now lives in London where she is a Senior Partner at the global accountancy firm, Ernst & Young, where she leads the Global Private Equity team for the company, which has more than 20,000 employees globally.

After leaving Mount Lourdes, Una completed an Economics degree at Queen’s University, Belfast, and a Masters in International Business and Finance from the University of Southampton.

Una reflected on her time at Mount Lourdes in her speech and how it compared to other school environments.

She said: "I had seven extremely happy years here. We had such a variety of girls in my year group, and I made lifelong friendships that I am still close to today.

"My time at Mount Lourdes set me up socially as well as academically – an education is not just about the grades but the confidence and self-belief to walk into a boardroom and feel at ease.

"I remember sitting next to a colleague, who had attended a well-known private school – Cheltenham Ladies College – which has annual school fees in excess of £20k.

"When we compared notes on our school life – the house shoes, the rules, the rigour – there were many similarities, which is quite amazing, given a Mount Lourdes education was free."

Reflecting on the time passed and exam results, school principal Sinead Cullen said: "Since our last prize event, and particularly during the past year, our students have achieved excellent academic results and have engaged in a wide range of extracurricular opportunities, which has enabled them to develop the knowledge and skills to make a valuable contribution to our school community and, most importantly, develop a skill base they will carry forward on whatever career pathway they choose."

Mrs. Cullen broke down some of the grade achievements in the last round of formal examinations.

GCSE results showed that 68 per cent of the grades achieved were A* or A grades; 99.5 per cent of grades were A*-C, and 100 per cent of students achieved A*-C in at least seven subjects.

She added: "Your GCSE results were an impressive nine per cent above the Northern Ireland average for grammar schools."

Focusing on A-Level results, Mrs. Cullen broke down the results: 97 per cent of grades achieved were A*-C, and 40 students achieved an A grade or better in all three subjects.

Mrs. Cullen added: "Mount Lourdes results are almost 2 per cent above the NI average for students achieving 3A*-C grades."

One exciting part of the prize day was the launch of the school's alumni network.

Mrs Cullen said: "Today we are also launching our past student ‘alumni’, where we will be asking former students such as Bridget Walsh, our guest speaker, to be part of a school network to support work experience opportunities, share careers advice and support our subject departments and other school initiatives.

"We are proud of our former students and believe they can play a significant role in supporting and guiding our current students."

Praising those who are involved in school life, Mrs. Cullen said: "Our students' achievement is also due to a skilled, dedicated teaching staff who also work outside the classroom, providing a range of activities and experiences to develop the whole person and prepare our students for the workplace.

"Credit is also due to the students who work with us to achieve of their best in all aspects of school life."

She added: "And you, the parents – your ongoing support reinforces the partnership between home and school with the shared aim of preparing our young people for a life of purpose and fulfilment.

"I would also like to thank all those who support us in our work – Monsignor O’Reilly and the Board of Governors."