Scoil Chroí Naofa the new name for Carndonagh girls’ national school

It has been known by many names throughout its long history, but this month the former St Patrick’s Girls National School in Carndonagh changed its name to Scoil Chroí Naofa.

Translating as ‘Sacred Heart’, Scoil Chroí Naofa shares its name with the local church, underlining its cultural and spiritual ties to the community.

“Our new name is the same as a church and has that local and historical significance,” school principal Ailish Tully said.

The rebrand follows a period of wide consultation and engagement, with voices from every corner of the community helping determine the school’s new name.

The new name reflects the school’s redesignation from a girls only institution to a co-educational one, and was sanctioned by the Department of Education earlier this month following the initial backing of the school’s patron, the Catholic Bishop of Derry.

“We shortlisted a few names and then polled staff, parents and the board of management, but the initial engagement was with the whole community,” Mrs Tully said.

Officially named Clochar Phádraig Naofa, the school has been referred to by various names over the years, including the Convent School, the Girls School, and St Patrick’s Girls School. With its latest change, the school hopes to build on its legacy while embracing a more inclusive future.

A new chapter opens this September when the school becomes fully co-educational for the first time, welcoming its first group of boys.

“We’re taking in our first group of boys in September and that’s why we needed to change the name to reflect our new co-educational status,” Mrs Tully said. “We’re 40 years in our current building this September too, and we’ll probably do the official launch of the new logo as part of those celebrations,” principal Tully said. “A new name for our fifth decade there.”

The school has once again invited the community to take part in shaping the new logo and crest.

“We were very keen to get the community involved in that, and we’re inviting suggestions from the whole community on how our new re-designed logo should look,” the school added.

“Anyone with ideas, can get in touch with the school. Our door is always open, so let us know your ideas.”

Public consultation is now very much de rigueur. The school, and its counterpart the former St Patrick’s Boys school in the town, carried out extensive consultations within the parish on making the switch from single sex to co-education for girls and boys, and the while consultations on the new name for Scoil Chroí Naofa took the best part of the school year to complete, everyone is pleased with the outcome.

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“The school doesn’t belong to the board of management, the staff or even the families whose children are currently in it,” Mrs Tully emphasised. “It belongs to the whole community and we are very aware of that.

“So many people have attended the school or worked there over the years, and the school has tremendous significance for them as well.

“We’ve consulted extensively on the new name, and we’ll continue to do that.”

For more information about enrolment or to share suggestions for the new crest, the public is encouraged to contact the school directly.