Eurolink News

Dubliners who made it in Brussels revisit their old schools (27th August 20)

August 27, 2009 at 3:27 pm Leave a comment

It’s a long way from Mount Anville’s to Brussels, but that’s exactly where Ireland’s top EU official is headed next week to visit her old secondary school. Catherine Day, Secretary-General of the European Commission, is dropping into her alma mater tomorrow week to tell the students what it’s like working for the union. It’s part of an EU-wide ‘Back to School’ initiative which will see almost 100 Irish officials in Brussels return to their old schools as past pupils to talk about their job.
‘I’m delighted to be going back to Mount Anville’s,’ said Catherine Day, ‘Returning to your roots is a great way to connect with young people and find out what they want and expect from Europe’.
Plenty of other bigwigs in Brussels will be also be paying a visit to the capital – David O’Sullivan, the EU’s Director General for Trade, will make an appearance at St Mary’s College in Rathmines. Dubliner John Bell, who works in the private office of the EU Commissioner for Consumer Affairs, is heading to St Killian’s in Clonskeagh, while Ruth Deasy, Irish press officer for the European Commission, is taking a trip down memory lane to Our Lady’s in Templeogue.
Ruth has been in charge of coordinating all the past pupils for their visits home, and says she’s pleased so many Irish people working for the EU have taken up the invitation to go back to their old schools. ‘I know many of them feel passionately that Ireland’s place is at the heart of Europe and they’re really keen to talk about their experience at the coal face in Brussels. And lots of them have really interesting jobs. It just goes to show that Irish people do well wherever you put them,’ she said.

Entry filed under: Uncategorized. Tags: .