Holy Angels' wish comes true with the gift of a new bus

HOLY Angels Day Care Centre, Carlow has been left ‘blown away’ by the generosity of the Presentation Sisters, who recently donated a bus to the school.

The fully-adapted minibus can accommodate up to nine children and a wheelchair, a vital asset that ensures children from around the county get the transport they need in order to avail of the wonderful services available at Holy Angels.

“Sr Mary Hanrahan came to visit us back in February and asked me to send them a wish list and to include everything we would like, from the dearest to the cheapest item,” explained Geraldine Connell, manager of Holy Angels. “A few weeks later, they contacted us to say that they were going to donate €60,000 for a minibus … their kindness just blew us away, because transport is always a worry. It’s not something that is covered by the HSE, so it’s always a concern for us that a bus could break down or become unusable,” said Geraldine.

“We have two fully functional buses on the road now, which is great and such a relief. It means that children from all over the county can avail of transport, because we have children travelling from Hacketstown, Rathvilly, Tullow, Borris, all over the county, and a lot of children would not be able to come to us without the bus service,” she said. The bus was purchased through Dooley Motors and has been a welcome sight every morning and afternoon for many Co Carlow families since September. The bus was recently officially presented to the school by the Presentation Sisters and blessed by Fr John McEvoy. 

Holy Angels is a designated, specialised preschool for children aged 18 months to six years with a range of disabilities. The centre was founded by Sr Columba Flavin, a member of the Presentation Sisters, who saw a need for such a day care service in the area. That connection with the religious order had remained strong over the decades, with Sr Maureen currently working at Holy Angels.