Principals' honoured for their dedication

Last week councillors unanimously voted in favour of holding the special celebration for both Limavady High School principal Glen Riley and Limavady Central Primary School's Wilson Manning.

Councillor Leslie Cubitt made the proposal which was supported by every councillor during last Tuesday night's Support Services meeting. The headmasters are set to retire from their longstanding posts in the summer after a combined period of 48 years working in the Limavady schools. Councillor Cubitt said that both Mr Manning and Mr Riley should be honoured for their dedication to the local education system and the excellent community relations each held with schools throughout the area.

Mr Cubitt said: "The reason I made this proposal was because of the length of service these men have served as principals in the borough as well as the dedication and development they have put into education in the area. The community relations fostered by Mr Riley and Mr Manning with other schools throughout Limavady has been outstanding."

Speaking to the Sentinel Mr Riley, who has worked in his post as Limavady High School principal for the last 12 years, says he will miss the staff and children when he leaves in August.

"I am very proud of Limavady High School and proud of its development as a specialist school. I will certainly miss the place when I leave as well as the staff and the children, I am proud of each and everyone of them."

"I have been a member of staff at Limavady High School in two stages. Firstly in 1974 as a teacher right up until 1988 when I was appointed Vice Principal. In 1988 I left Limavady High School and became the principal of Faughan Valley High School in Londonderry and in 1998 I returned to the school I loved so much as principal and been here ever since."

Mr Riley revealed that he will be leaving the school in the summer on "a career high" and is relishing the opportunity to take early retirement to visit family abroad.

Mr Riley added: "Myself and my wife, who is also a teacher here at the school, have both decided to venture a bit early, using this as freedom to visit family abroad. This is the biggest driver of my decision to leave when we are both well fit and able."

"Limavady High School is a very special place to work and I am pleased that I am to go on such a high. I will certainly never lose touch."

Limavady Central principal Wilson Manning, who has been head at the primary school for 22 years, says he has many special memories of his time at the school.

"I do have mixed feelings about leaving, there have been a lot of changes in the education system since I first started but there is no doubt that I will miss the children.

"Memories are hard to pick because there are so many good ones. I am heavily involved in football in the school so it was nice when our boys brought home the Ravenhill Cup a couple of years back and more recently when Jade Murray became the Northern Ireland winner of the environmental speech competition hosted by Magherafelt council."

The 62 year-old adds the primary school has come a long way in the years since he first began his post as principal including the introduction of a state-of-the-art computer suite for pupils. Mr Manning says he hopes to focus on a few foreign trips as well as his love gardening when he leaves his headmaster's hat behind at the end of June.

"June is a very busy month for us here at the school as it is, so the last day will be here before I know it," concluded Mr Manning.

A spokeswoman for Limavady Borough Council confirmed that the reception would take place for the two highly regarded teachers but added a date is still to be confirmed.