The Nazareth House school community had been given a temporary home at St Anne’s
Primary School for a period of five weeks at the start of 2026.
Sharing accommodation marked the start of a strong working relationship for the two school
leaders who faced a challenge together that neither had anticipated. In a fitting tribute to the
strong leadership of both Principals, Roisin marked International Women’s Day by inviting Eilis
for a tour of Nazareth House.
Eilis was met with enthusiasm and excitement by the children who remember their time at St
Anne’s fondly.
Eilis McGuinness commented: “When I was first approached and asked if we could
accommodate our neighbours, I did not hesitate. The Catholic Maintained school ethos is one
of love and support and I knew immediately that we would do all that we could to help our
colleagues in the Catholic Maintained family in Derry.”
However, welcoming guests in such large numbers was not straight forward and both Principals
worked through the Christmas holiday to address the numerous logistical challenges of
accommodating two schools under one roof. Both Eilis and Roisin were clear that they wanted
to run their schools independently of each other, while sharing a building. Finding the required
space wasn’t always easy and Eilis moved out of her office so that it could be used as
additional space for a P1 class.
As an educator with some 35 years’ experience, Eilis continues: “We simply got on with the
task at hand. I have a deeply held belief in the transformative power of education and a
commitment to ensuring high quality teaching and learning for all pupils. I know that these
values are shared by Roisin. I hope that we both set an example of women in leadership roles.
When girls see women leading, making decisions, showing empathy and influencing change, it
normalises the idea that they can do it too. I hope that this example can empower and inspire
our future female leaders.”
Roisin commented: “It’s great to be able to invite Eilis here today to host her at Nazareth House
Primary School and to thank her for offering us sanctuary when we needed it. Through this
shared experience I have gained a new strong female colleague. I do think women have unique strengths to bring to the table; we tend to be very connection-focused and value a collaborative approach. We support each other, encourage each other and hold space for each other. I lead an incredible group of women, and I am inspired by each of them. I am also aware that everything I do in my leadership role is highly visible, and because
of that I always try to be the women that we want our girls to become.”