TWO best friends who appeared on the front page of the Donegal News on their first day of school have struck a pose once again.
Sixth-class pupils Hollie Sweeney and Keeva Kerr from Scoil Mhuire National School in Ramelton are preparing to close the book on primary school later this month.
They have been buddies ever since they sat next to each other on their first day in August 2018, with a smiling Hollie and frowning Keeva capturing photographer Declan Doherty’s attention to make their paper debut.
Hollie Sweeney and Keeva Kerr pictured as they finish up at Scoil Mhuire National School in Ramelton. This first featured on the from of our paper 8 years ago on their feet day at school, over the years that have remained as the best of friends. Photo Brian McDaid.
A letter to our former staff photographer Declan Doherty asking him to recreate a photo which he captured of the two friends starting school in Scoil Mhuire, Ramelton.
The girls put their heads together recently and wrote to the Donegal News asking for a new photo to mark the end of an era at Scoil Mhuire.
Deputy Principal and Senior Infants teacher, Mrs Joan Naughton, explained that the girls came to her with the idea.
“I said, ‘Oh God, that’s lovely, absolutely, sure we’ll try’,” she said. “They’re delighted because they’ve had a great eight years at Scoil Mhuire and they just thought,’”Oh, this would be a lovely thing to have, a lovely keepsake.’”
Mrs Naughton said the school had kept a cut out of the original page, which is something they do with all student achievements.
“That picture has been up on the wall for eight years, so they’re very fond of it,” she said.
The front page of the Donegal News from August 2018.
Despite Keeva’s less-than-happy expression in the original photo, Mrs Naughton said both girls have been delightful students.
“Hollie has smiled the whole way through, every time I see Hollie she’s always smiling,” she said. “And Keeva, it’s not a reflection of her mood at all, she’s always so happy but it was just that particular day, I would say she’s just like, ‘Oh, the thoughts of starting school!’”
The girls are both set to start secondary school at Loreto Community School in Milford in the autumn, and Mrs Naughton said she has “no doubt” they’ll continue to be friends.