In a recent speech, Holly, our Head Girl, described what a Loreto College, St. Stephen’s Green Education has given her and her fellow pupils. Holly is an inspirational student, her ability to articulate so well what many of us feel but have struggled to put into words moved everybody when she spoke at the opening of our new Sports Hall and Canteen. Read Holly's speech below:

Good afternoon everyone,

My name is Holly and it is a pleasure to stand before you today as headgirl. On behalf of the student body I would like to thank everyone who made this incredible day possible. I would like to especially thank Ms. Dempsey, the board of management, the planners and builders who brought these projects to life and the donors. I would also like to thank the entire school community, in particular the PE department for their continued patience and support.

Today as students past and present, we know Loreto on the Green isn’t a specific building or place, but a group of remarkable young women who demonstrate resilience, leadership and community every single day. For me, Loreto has a particular feeling that is difficult to define, and ever harder to name. Not quite pride or love, although I feel both. It is something else, something quieter, deeper. Maybe it’s the comfort of putting up your hand without fear. Maybe it’s how we’re unafraid to be us, dancing ferociously, singing loudly. Just maybe, it’s how we move through the school together, forming bonds so strong, they feel like family. Together we are also connected by this inexplicable feeling. When we leave through the red door for the final time, we may still not be able to explain it. A kind of quiet strength born from sisterhood, a feeling of being forged in a community that believed in us, before we knew how to believe in ourselves.

As Mary Ward once said “Do good and do it well”. I'm delighted to say, these words bear fruit through our incredible new facilities. I hope long after today, we will carry on living in the footsteps of Mary Ward and making her core value of joy a reality every day in the school community. 

These facilities are so much more than bricks and mortar, they are places to build confidence, discover strengths and create memories that will stay with us long after we leave. Whether we are playing music, sport or chatting with friends, we are encouraged to be bold, to be brave and to keep going together.

Again I would like to thank Ms Dempsey, a woman who is following in the footsteps of Mary Ward, ensuring that “Women in time will come to do much”.

Thank you!