Ballyellis National School is a very progressive school with a wonderful Board of Management and Parents Association. Over the past few years the school has almost doubled in size so they have bought more ground for the children to play in. The children love hurling, camogie and football. They have also put up a safety fence right around the school to provide extra safety for the children. They have 116 students, seven teachers, three SNA’s and Noeleen their school Secretary.
On Monday 18th June, Aoife Kinsella, Kate Butler and Karen Tomkins, three past pupils of the school, had just come back from a week in Galway where they played for the winning Kilrush camogie team in the All Ireland. The three girls went out on Aoife’s little brothers go-cart. The girls had a very bad accident. Aoife was not able to walk from the scene, but managed to crawl on her hands and knees up to the main road for help. Aoife’s mam was called for. She got a shock when she saw Aoife and then wanted to find Kate and Karen as quickly as possible. When she found them, they were very sick. She was going to bring them to their local doctor, but suddenly realised this was becoming more serious that she first thought.
She pulled into Ballyellis school. Noeleen Deegan the school secretary quickly brought the girls into the school. All the teachers rallied around them.
The girls were in deep distress. It was Enda Morris, the school principal who made the call to phone the ambulance. As time progressed, the girls health begin to fail and Kate was losing a lot of blood.
They were then brought to Wexford hospital where their injuries were treated. As time went by, they all made a fantastic recovery.
Karen looks back now and says it is all just a blur. Her hand was in a cast for 6 weeks and she had lots of cuts and bruises. Kate had a head injury. She can remember nothing that happened on the day, just that it was such a scary experience. Aoife had an infection in her arm due to a stone being lodged there and she fractured both her wrists.
Enda was awarded the September Outstanding Achievement winner because of his wonderful quick thinking and kindness towards these three girls.
He said he was honoured to receive the September South East Radio, Talbot Hotel Outstanding Achievement Award, but that he was just one little small cog in a large wheel that day. He was so delighted that the girls made a fantastic recovery and said for them to keep up the camogie and bring the O’ Duffy cup back to Ballyellis in a few years time.
A special thanks also to Fr. Joe Power who was wonderful to the three families. To the guards, Mick and Mairead Dee, who were a tremendous support to the school and to Beaumount and Wexford Hospital for all their help.
It is a day the school will always remember and thank God the three girls have made a full recovery.