Teachers of the late schoolboy Noah Donohoe have given evidence at his inquest which continued in Belfast this afternoon.
On the first day of evidence, Laganside Court heard from Noah’s schoolfriend, as well as the now-principal of St Malachy’s College, and teachers who taught Noah.
Teachers today said that Noah possessed a “light that shone brightly from within,” however it was noted that his mother, Fiona, had become concerned about her son in the weeks leading up to his death, and had asked to be put in touch with the school’s pastoral care team.
Noah’s cello teacher told the inquest that he believed Noah “wasn’t his usual animated self” shortly before he went missing.
The teenager went missing in Belfast on June 21, 2020, and was last seen cycling from his home in South Belfast to the Shore Road area on the North of the city. His body was discovered six days later in a storm drain.
The inquest heard that in the weeks leading up to his death, Noah’s mother Fiona Donohoe expressed concern that his motivation to complete his schoolwork had lessened, and that his mood had declined. However, it was noted that this was not a particularly unusual situation for a teenage boy in the middle of lockdown.
FIONA DONOHOE “VERY WORRIED” ABOUT HER SON
Fiona Donohoe had contacted St. Malachy’s College where Noah was a year 10 pupil to express her concern that Noah was behind with some work. The inquest heard that the school offered support for Noah to come into school for supervised study, or to see a counsellor if he wished. The 14-year-old’s form teacher had not identified any issues regarding Noah’s work, however his mother was “very worried” about her son.
Fiona had said that Noah may have been crying, however she had spoken to him and he later seemed fine. Ms Deirdre McCusker, who is principal at St. Malachy’s College, an all-boys Catholic Grammar School on the Antrim Road in Belfast, gave evidence at Monday’s hearing.
A the time Noah was a pupil in 2020, Ms McCusker was vice-principal. She said she had called with Ms Donohoe to offer her support as she was worried about her son.
The court heard that Noah was very academic, and that his teachers were not aware of any issues with Noah, who was very interested in extracurricular activities and sports. Ms McCusker told the Royal Courts of Justice that she never taught Noah personally, however she was aware that he was one of the top academic achievers in his yeargroup.
“He was a really lovely, engaging child,” said Ms McCusker, who recalled how Noah had played at school concerts and was known to be very sporty. She described the schoolboy as a “ bit of an all-rounder,” and the type of child the school would have expected to be one of the top GCSE and A-level achievers on down the line.
“He was a model pupil,” she said during evidence, adding that: “Noah epitomised the ethos of the College – Gloria ab Intus (Glory from within).”
“That really was Noah. He was a really lovely child,” she added.
The now school principal said that Fiona Donohoe expressed concern to her that her son’s mood was “different from normal;” during a telephone conversation on 16 June, and that she had asked to speak to someone from pastoral care.
She was worried that her son was not doing his work as diligently as he usually would have, however it was noted by Ms McCusker that since it was lockdown, the work would have been different from that done in the classroom. Furthermore, she noted that by mid-June of the academic year, and with there being no exams, the work of the boys wouldn’t have been typical.
She recalled how she would have spoken to Noah on the school corridors, and that he cycled to school a lot, always with his cello. However, she’d had no in person contact with Noah since mid-March, when lockdown began.
At the inquest, it was mentioned that Fiona Donohoe had raised the fact that one of Noah’s school books had the word “gay” written on it. However, Ms McCusker said that the boys at the school would have “teased each other quite a bit” and that was not something particularly unusual. She said Noah had never come to her attention as someone where there were concerns, answering: “No, not at all. He really was the exemplary student.”
Noah’s friend Jay said in a statement to the PSNI, which was read at the inquest, that “Noah was definitely straight,” and asked specifically if he thought Noah may have been struggling with his sexuality, he replied: “Not at all.”
CELLO TEACHER SAID NOAH’S VOICE CHANGED DURING LOCKDOWN
Noah’s cello teacher, Mr Nesbitt, remembered him as a pleasant student who was very interested in learning. He recalled how he had never taught a student who had advanced at playing the instrument so well or in such a short time, and that Noah had achieved a distinction in Grade one, and had quickly advanced from there to working on his Grade five exam.
However, the cello teacher said he believed that the tone of Noah’s voice changed during lockdown, and that he “wasn’t his usual, animated self”.
Due to the Covid lockdown, music lessons, which Noah had once a week for 25 minutes, began on Google Classroom where teachers could upload material for students to read or watch, and in return, students could upload their homeworks and ask questions.
Noah’s cello teacher recalled how Noah submitted every piece of work on time during the three months of lockdown. He had to submit an audio recording each Thursday by 9pm, which he did faithfully from April 3rd to June 11th. However, in the week before he went missing, Noah did not submit his cello homework (June 11th).
His teacher noted that he had gotten in touch with Noah’s mother on the morning of Friday June 12th via text message to ask Noah to submit his homework. In response, Ms Donohoe, who responded a few moments later, said that Noah had been having a “tough time” that week, and so she had allowed Noah to have time away from studying.
Mr Nesbitt, who had also not had any in-person contact with Noah, remarked that Noah’s voice sounded “not quite as cheerful” as it had been in school, however this may have simply been because he had to record himself. He noted that Noah always appeared to take everything in his stride, and that he was a pleasure to teach.
He had no concerns about Noah’s presentation in the four weeks leading up to Noah’s disappearance, and while he was “not his usual animated self,” all of his students were less animated during lockdown, emphasising that it was not just Noah.
Mr Nesbitt said he had no more concern for Noah’s presentation than he did for his other students, and that he was not struck by any sign of deterioration, with his voice and style of questions being the same.
NOAH ‘WOULD HAVE BEEN DISAPPOINTED’ MUSIC TRIP WAS CANCELLED
Mr David Strange, who was and remains Head of the Music Department at St. Malachy’s, said in a statement read to the court that Noah has a bright, enthusiastic student. He was very pleased that Noah had chosen to study GCSE music from September, and that Noah always demonstrated “an inquisitive nature in class, and wasn’t afraid to ask questions.
“He was witty. At many times he would have had the class in a fit of giggles,” said Mr Strange, referring to Noah’s love for “light banter,” and how he was always one of the last boys to leave the class.
“One of his lovely quirks was that he had such an expressive face with a bright beaming smile,” said Mr Strange, who noted that Noah struggled to keep his frowning at bay when he made a mistake whilst playing the cello.
Over his last year as a pupil, he had made significant progress at playing the instrument, and had taken part in his first public soloist performance at Ballymena Music Festival.
The teacher said that Noah was very proud of his performance and so were his teachers, with Noah, as a 14-year-old, able to overcome his nerves and play with confidence. He had subsequently been invited to play at an international tour in Philadelphia with an Irish band, and the school had been arranging the trip. However, it had been cancelled due to lockdown.
“I would have imagined he would have been disappointed that the trip was cancelled,” said Mr Strange.
‘MY FRIEND NOAH DONOHOE WAS ONE IN A MILLION’
Noah was also a member of the college orchestra, where “he always gave it his all,” and had led the cellos in the junior string orchestra as well as singing in the choir.
Noah was also involved in modern languages at the school as well as in sport events, and while he sometimes had activities clash because of his many undertakings, “he took great pride in fulfilling his obligations.”
“He lived life in the college to the full and he pursued excellence in a plethora of extracurricular activities,” said Mr Strange, who added that Noah really lived out the school’s ethos of “Glory from Within.”
“He has left an indelible mark on all the staff and students who made music with him,” added Noah’s teacher. “He had a light that shone brightly from within.”
Meanwhile, Noah’s best friend told the inquest today that “my friend Noah Donohoe was one in a million.”
Jay Tierney, who was called to give evidence, said that Noah was “very popular and caring” and was “very happy with the life he had.”
Another friend from St Malachy’s told the court that Noah had been “very happy and excited” to meet his friends at Cavehill before he went missing.
Mr Justice Rooney, presiding as Coroner, said the jury of nine men and two women must listen only to the evidence heard in court, and that they should not rely on anything read on social media.
The inquest continues tomorrow.