A fond farewell to popular caretaker

David Kane has been caretaker at the school for the past 18 years, but said goodbye to his job on October 12 but staff left it until last Friday before formally paying their respects.

Addressing pupils, staff and parents in the assembly hall, headmaster, Mr. Jack Gault, told children:

“When you came here in the morning the school was nice and warm, clean and everthing in place.

“This was because Mr. Kane made sure everything was alright. He is now going to enjoy a life of leisure and we wish him all the best.”

Mr. Kane was presented with a watch and also received a couple of gift vouchers. Responding, Mr. Kane, who lives in Bushmills, thanked everyone for their generosity and said he was sorry to be leaving.

“I would like to especially thank all the teachers and classroom assistants for their help down the years,” he said.

An indication of how popular Mr. Kane is was when the principal asked for three cheers.

Afterwards, Mr. Kane admitted he was looking forward to more time to himself.

“The job was rewarding but hard. I started around 8 a.m. and finished after 5. There was a lot of work to do, but that’s what you come to expect at a busy school,” he said.

The response was an ear-splitting roar from all present - a sure sign that everyone liked and respected Mr. Kane. His successor is Portrush man, James Campbell, who is looking forward following in his predecessor’s footsteps.