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Clone School
Early Days
Clone School was built in the year 1831. Henry Nixon of Clone gave ground for the school.
The school was 60 feet long and 26 feet wide. It was built with a bequest of £25 from Rev. Michael Butler and £24 from scholars. There was a Boys’ School and a Girls’ School.
The furniture consisted of 8 forums and 8 desks for 96 males. 6 forums and 6 desks for 72 females. 50 males and 46 females attended on average each week in 1831.
School hours were 8 o’clock to 4 o’clock for 5 days. Religious Instruction was from 8 o’clock to 12 o’clock on Saturdays and parents could withhold children if they did not approve.
John Doran was the first teacher in the boys’ school. Ellen Glennon was the first teacher in the girls’ school. John Doran was educated at the model school at Thurles. Ellen Glennon was educated at the model school at Ballinakill.
The names on the application for approval for the school were:
The aid granted for fitting out the school was £17.15.0. The local contribution was £15.5.0. A teacher’s salary was £8 per year. In 1839 Rev. John Fielding succeeded Rev. Power as Manager. In 1840 the school was granted £6 towards privies and £3 towards a mortar floor.The estimated cost of the privies was £20. The grant was later cancelled as it was never claimed!!
Famine
In 1840 Catherine Read was appointed teacher to the girls' school. In 1841 the number of pupils had gone up to 214. The teacher, John Doran, died of fever in June 1847 (during the Famine). Catherine Read resigned from the girls school. Both schools were closed until October.
Girls' School Closed
Pat Cawley and Bridget Mahony were appointed as new teachers. Bridget Mahony lived, with her sister Ellen, in the residence attached to the school. Michael Phelan replaced Pat Cawley in 1849. Michael Phelan married Ellen Mahony and they lived in the residence until his death in 1859, at the home of his parents, in Rathbeagh.
By 1856 the average attendance in the girls’ school had dropped to 16. The following note records the closing of the girls’ school in 1858: “Girls School: Strike off Roll No. 803 and cancel grants from 31.12.’58. Average attendance too small, school not wanted and being in itself as conducted, worthless.”
The boys’ school remained open and the girls' school was amalgamated into it, with Mr. Thomas Grace as principal. He was succeeded in 1864 by Mr. Doran. Neither of these teachers lived in the residence. Mr Patrick Cuddihy was appointed in 1869.
The parish priest, Fr. John Quaney, gave permission to the Costigan family to occupy the dwelling house, which was then vacant. However, when Miss Sarah Stapleton was appointed in 1874, she occupied the dwelling house and the Costigans moved to the vacant girls' school. Miss Stapleton resigned in 1884 and emigrated to New York that year. In April 1884 Kate Emerson was appointed teacher. In 1897 the school was recognized as an Ordinary National School.
Boys' School Closed
In 1901the salary of Miss Emerson was reduced to £44 because of the low average
attendance. The following note was dated July 30th 1902:
“Grants will be suspended from 30.9.1902 unless necessary repairs and improvements
are effected before that date.”
These notes from 1903 show that the Department intended to close the school:
Aug. 21st 1903:
“Manager informed that school floor, which is earthen, is cold and uncomfortable,
and that schoolroom is badly lighted.” “Manager asked whether the small number
of pupils in attendance could not become pupils of some of the surrounding schools.(Average
under 7).”
The end of the school is recorded as follows:
“Note: As to withdrawal of Grants wait until 31.12.1904.” Clone School finally
closed its doors at the end of 1904.
In 1925 there was a dispute over the ownership of the site, the buildings and a plantation on the site. In the course of the dispute, the parish priest, Fr. Brennan, stated that the site might be used in the future for a school. The dispute was later settled amicably but the no school was ever built on the site. However, only five years later Clontubrid school was built. Some people have told us that some of the stone used to build Clontubrid school came from Clone School.
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