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A History of the Old Schools

Up to the opening of Our Lady of Lourdes National School there were three primary schools in Bunclody, two - a Boy's and a Girls - catering for Catholic pupils and one - a mixed school, catering for Protestant children. In the early years of the last century there were five schools in the town itself, with a school-going population of about three hundred, together with at least three others in the immediate environs catering for about two hundred pupils. It is interesting to note that all these schools had both Protestant and Catholic pupils enrolled and Irish was widely spoken in the area at this time. In recent years the schools in some outlying areas have been forced to close due to depletion of numbers.

Prior to the setting up of the "National School" system certain philanthropic societies and individuals had interested themselves in promoting the education of the common people, both in England and Ireland. Two of the organisations, which played a part in subsidising education in Bunclody, were the "Erasmus Smith Foundation" and the "Kildare Place Society". The only one of these schools which remains to the present day is the Erasmus Smith school in Ryland Road, at present St. Mary's National School - now a tourist hostel. The Kildare Place Society school is now a private house in Irish Street.

The former Girls and Boys Schools have a strong link with the past, in that they both stemmed from the one school, established and maintained by the then parish priest, and it was situated almost on the site of the former Girl's National School. It was a two-storey building, the lower storey for Boys and the upper for Girls. Schoolboys of the present day may be amused to learn that their counterparts of a century and a half ago went to school in "skirts and sailor blouses" and those who had any footwear wore heavy boots. This school, called the Chapel School, continued under the direction of lay teachers until 1861, when the girl's section was placed in the charge of the Sisters of the Faithful Companions of Jesus.

It was not until 1883 that a separate school for boys was built at the top of Irish Street where the original two-roomed building remains. This building was renovated in 1952 when a cloakroom and toilets were added and a water supply installed. Because of increasing attendance a third room was added in 1960 and in 1968 a prefabricated structure was erected to house a fourth teacher and a further increase in the number of pupils. The building now houses a section of the Bunclody Vocational College.

The first Principal teacher of the original two-roomed building was Mr. Martin Cowman, who had begun his career as a monitor in the Chapel School. His son Patrick Cowman succeeded him in 1899. On his retirement Mr. Walter Ford, BA became principal and continued in this position until he retired in 1957. He was succeeded by Mr. Thomas P. Dempsey, BA, and H.D.E., who retired and was replaced by Mr. Michael Dee, B.A, H.D.E., the first principal of the new school who retired in 1997. The present principal is Mr. James Roberts B.Ed.

Over the past ninety years the Boys National School has given their initial education to a large number of boys who have distinguished themselves in various walks of life, in the church and lay professions and can view with satisfaction the very fine community that has remained at home, most of whom have passed through it's classrooms.

When the Boy's School was built in 1883, the older school was completely renovated as a Girl's School. The roof of the building was raised by about three feet, the windows were enlarged and a porch erected. This latter was demolished about 1948 and a new stairway and an entrance from the roadway was built. Two pre-fabricated classrooms were constructed some years later to house two further teachers.

The girl's school has progressed step by step with that of the boy's school since 1883 and both have amalgamated in 1975 into one large and efficient unit to continue to provide the basic education of the children of the area for many, many years to come. This school is situated on Hospital Hill. It currently has a staff of 14 teachers and a very successful Parents Council. The Chairperson BOM is Very Rev A.G. Jones P.P.

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