‘Shock and pride’ for Holy Family students Stage Award nomination

“OUR immediate reaction was honestly a mix of shock, excitement, and huge pride,” share Ms Brona Redmond and Ms Megan Ring of the Holy Family Community School in Rathcoole.

This is in regard to the nominations the school’s musical team picked up in this year’s Best of Ireland Secondary School Stage Awards for their production of ‘Mary Poppins’ that was performed in 2025.

For the cast and crew, this production has been months of hard work, long rehearsals after school, learning lines, choreography, and harmonies, and supporting each other through nerves and challenges.

So to see that effort recognised at this level feels “incredibly special”, with Ms Redmond and Ms Ring being “absolutely over the moon to hear we had been successfully chosen as nominees for this year’s awards”.

Being nominated is a “wonderful achievement” in itself, and it is a “real celebration of their teamwork and creativity.”

The production of ‘Mary Poppins’ was an “incredible” success for the school community. From early on there was a “buzz” round the corridors and classrooms about the show.

In the weeks leading up to the show, the excitement, not just among the cast but also among the students and staff, could “really be felt”.

They elaborate, “if you turned any corner, students were singing lyrics from the various songs from the show,” and the students “really rose to the challenge of such an iconic show.”

The ‘Mary Poppins’ performances were a resounding success, as they had full houses of over 500 in total, standing ovations, and many kind comments about the talent and professionalism of the cast.

But beyond ticket sales and applause, the real success was in the “growth we saw in our students, their confidence, teamwork, and resilience.”

For many of them, it was their first time taking on roles of this scale, and they excelled. “That, for us, is the greatest measure of success,” according to Ms Redmond and Ms Ring.

This week Holy Family Community School is welcoming the cast of the 2026 show ‘Take A Chance’. Ms Redmond and Ring would like to take this opportunity to wish their cast and crew the very best of luck for their run.

“It is so lovely to see that sixth-class pupils who came to see last year’s show, Mary Poppins, have now joined this year’s cast.”

They are already in the early planning stages for next year’s musical. While they are keeping some details under wraps for now, audiences can “definitely expect another ambitious and high-quality production.”

Both Ms Redmond and Ms Ring would like to personally thank all the students who worked so “tirelessly” all year as a team to make the production of Mary Poppins the “spectacular” show it was.

Something which was “particularly nice to see” was the mentoring, kindness and inclusion shown by our older, more experienced cast members to the newer members of the cast.

“We are all so appreciative of those special friendships.”

They would also like to thank all the teachers, particularly in the art department, who gave their time and skills making sets, and the caretaking team, in particular Mr Tony Rooney, who were all instrumental in supporting the “seamless” running of the show.

They would also like to thank Principal Ms Ingrid Fallon for supporting us throughout the year and allowing us the opportunity to develop musicals to the high standard they are today in Holy Family Community School.

“This nomination is truly a shared achievement.”

The Best of Ireland Secondary School Stage Awards will be held at the Bonnington Hotel in Whitehall on March 3.