Name: Alan Robinson pays tribute to Marshall Kilgore and Nicola Madden.mp4
Uploaded: 2026-06-30T12:14:42.000Z
Duration: 3 min 24 s
Description: Tributes have been paid to two long-standing Limavady educators Marshall Kilgore and Nicola Madden, upon their retirement as school leaders.

Tributes have been paid to two long-standing Limavady educators Marshall Kilgore and Nicola Madden, upon their retirement as school leaders.

DUP MLA Alan Robinson said both had ‘given many valuable years of service to the education system’ locally.

Mr. Kilgore, who is originally from Derry and famously enjoyed a dual career as a Six Nations television match official, is set to retire at the end of this school term.

Paying tribute at Stormont on Monday Mr. Robinson said: “Marshall Kilgore MBE, principal of Drumachose Primary School in Limavady, will walk out the door for the last time having given over a quarter of a century of service as a principal and spent over 35 years working in primary education.

On left, Nicola Madden, retiring Limavady Grammar School principal, and Marshall Kilgore, who is standing down as Drumachose Primary School headmaster.

placeholder image — On left, Nicola Madden, retiring Limavady Grammar School principal, and Marshall Kilgore, who is standing down as Drumachose Primary School headmaster.

"He started his teaching career in 1989 at Londonderry Model Primary School and had been a teaching principal at Donemana Primary School in Strabane before becoming principal of Drumachose.

"Mr. Kilgore is fondly known as the beating heart of the school. He is a man who openly talks about how sport has influenced his life from an early age to the present day. His love of sport has inspired so many others. He has been an incredibly popular head of school and has the respect of many across the education system in the Province. I wish him well and trust that he will enjoy having more time for the sports that he is so deeply fond of, including rugby.”

Ms. Madden is set to step down as head of Limavady Grammar School after a decade, Mr. Robinson said.

"Her educational role began in Dunluce School in Bushmills as head of geography. She then joined Dalriada School in 1998 as a teacher of geography. As an educator, she was deeply involved in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme and coached various junior hockey teams. In her role, she led in high-quality teaching and learning that led to impressive pupil achievements,” said the East Derry MLA.

Both, MLAs were told, had been ‘a steady, reassuring presence for generations of children and trusted colleagues to their staff’.

"They leave an enduring legacy: countless pupils began their educational journey under their care. They have guided their schools with distinction, maintaining high academic standards while ensuring that pastoral care remained at the heart of everything that they did,” Mr. Robinson declared.