Language award for St Mary’s School for Deaf Girls hero

Dublin People 17 Oct 2015
Angel Kinihan and Alexia Liao from St Mary’s School for Deaf Girls with Choir conductor Shirley Higgins at Farmleigh for the European Language Label prize giving ceremony. PHOTO: DARREN KINSELLA.

A REAL local hero has been presented with a European Language Award for her outstanding work at St Mary’s School for Deaf Girls.

Shirley Higgins set up a choir at the school five years ago and from small beginnings it’s gone from strength to strength. The girls have even sang to hundreds of thousands of RTE viewers on Brendan O’Connor’s Saturday Night show.

“I was asked to set up the choir and the girls just loved it,” says Shirley. “They kept asking me could they do it again so we started with just 11 girls and now all the girls are doing it.”

The girls in the choir get to choose the songs they want to do and Shirley says it gives them a great insight into music.

“They themselves have said they look at music in a whole new light,” she continued. “They don’t look at it as just a song, it’s a completely different mode of communication for them. it’s also great way for young people who are hearing to learn sign language.” 

Shirley has been working at St Mary’s for almost two decades, mainly teaching home economics and science as well as Irish Sign Language, and the choir has become a real benefit to the school.

It’s helped students become more confident and independent. They’ve also had opportunities to perform in amazing places such as Bonn in Germany at the Beethoven Fest and at the Titanic Experience in Belfast.

Last month the choir earned St Mary’s and Shirley a prestigious European Language Label award, which she was presented with at a special ceremony at Farmleigh.

Related News