Loreto students have perfect 20/20 vision
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A student in the class, Kathryn de Bruin (nee McDermott) and the then Transition Year Co-ordinator, Mags Amond and the College Principal, Angela McGarvey with all the letters and others items that had been placed in the capsule.Image 2 of 5
The Transition Class in Loreto College 1995–1996. Back (from left): Paula Curry, Meave Rehill, Natasha Duffy and Leona McEntee; third row, Paula McCabe, Maria Dolan, Lorraine McArdle, Siobhan Harten, Taragh Donohoe, Pamela Sexton and Sinead Leonard; second row, Kathryn McDermott, Gail Empey, Aideen Duffy, Ciara O’Hanlon and Lynn Empey; front, Caroline Mullavey, Susan Hough, Kathriona Murray, Johanne Donohoe and Nuala Donohoe.Image 3 of 5
Mags Amond who was the Transiation Year co-ordinator back then with some items from the capsule including the old ten shilling note being compared to the 50p piece in 1995.Image 4 of 5
A student in the class, Kathryn de Bruin receiving the capsule from the Manager of the AIB in Cavan, Aisling Vaughan.Image 5 of 5
A student in the class, Kathryn de Bruin (nee McDermott) after opening her letter from the capsule.When the Transition Year students at Loreto College placed a time capsule in the vault of the AIB in Cavan on February 1, 1995, as part of a 20/20 vision project, nobody could have foreseen the global pandemic the now 40-something adults would be guiding their families through but the teenagers were proved right about many things.
The young ladies had written letters to their future selves, and along with their teachers and the sisters of the Loreto Community, placed predictions for the future into the sealed time capsule.
Their predictions described a vision of the school environment in 2020, the county of Cavan, Ireland, Europe and what the rest of the world would be like over the next 25 years.
On behalf of the students of 1995, student Kathryn de Bruin (née McDermott) and the school's current TY co-ordinator Mags Amond met with AIB branch manager, Aisling O’Reilly, to retrieve the time capsule from the vault of the bank on August 20, 2020. It was then taken to the school where principal Angela McGarvey opened it for the first time in 25 years.
While Coronavirus did not feature in the enclosed document of predictions, Gayle Empey and Paula McCabe predicted more deadly diseases. Some other forecasts also proved fairly accurate. Sr Christine Crinion (RIP), champion of the environment all her life, saw the rise of China as "a country to be reckoned with". She also predicted a growing change to alternative energy sources with windmills in County Cavan, and peace and reconciliation on the island of Ireland.
Increased pollution, the climate crisis, deforestation and global warming were all predicted by Marcella Cullivan, Emma Johnston, Leona McEntee and Paula Curry; Sinéad Leonard foresaw the trend for recycling and Katríona Murray and Caroline Mullavey wrote of alternative energy and cars without petrol.
Widespread use of computers were predicted by Ciara O’Neill, Maria Dolan and Maeve Rehill, and electronic music by Orlaith Fitzpatrick. Lynn Empey and Nuala Donohoe expected a single currency for the EU and Kathryn McDermott looked forward to easier travel abroad.
Peace on our island was a dream for Pamela Sexton, Aideen Duffy, Ciara O’Hanlon, Susan Hough and Caroline Morgan, while Natasha Duffy, Johanne Donohoe, and Taragh Donohoe had high hopes for cures for diseases such as AIDS and cancer.
Mags Amond told the Celt that one of the items in the capsule was a crisp ten shilling note from 1975 and a 50p piece from 1995.
"Being teenage girls, they wrote very honest letters to themselves and to each other and, when they read them now, it will evoke many emotions," said Mags.
Kathryn de Bruin (née McDermott) who was a student back then said reading her letter was emotional. "Reading the letter brings you right back to being 16 again and how you were feeling at the time and how far you have come in life. Computers had just arrived in the college and it was a more simple time." She still fondly remembers their Transition Year trip to Galway and "we all had so much fun and there was a great atmosphere".
Principal Angela McGarvey said that "it was very interesting to note that many predictions made back then by both students and staff have come true".
The personal private letters from each student predicting what the future held in store for them, will be returned to them. So if you were a Transition Year student in Loreto College 1995-1996, watch out for a surprise in the post.