History
of our school.
History
of our school.
On 29th June 1829, the
Presentation Sisters first came to the Parish of Castlecomer. It was the year of
Catholic Emancipation. Catholics were now free to practice their religion and
their children could attend schools.
Three Sisters from the
Presentation Convent Kilkenny, volunteered for the foundation-Mother Lewis
Aylward, Mother Angela Feehan and Sr. Catherine Aylward (aunt of Mother Lewis).
At first the nuns occupied a
four-bedroomed thatched cottage, situated opposite the present convent.
The nuns taught their first pupils in the sacristy attached to the parish
chapel, which was situated in the churchyard and afterwards became The Boys’
School. For over 50 years the nuns had much to suffer from lack of
accommodation. In 1879, Mr. Charles
Wandesford gave an old hospital in Kilkenny Street to the nuns and part of the
present building was erected on the site of that hospital.
In 1885 St. Mary's school was built and the remaining school buildings in
1898.
In 1937, a Secondary Top under the
Primary School Board was begun. With
the introduction of the free Education Scheme in 1967 student numbers increased
and co-education began. The
Secondary Top ceased in 1968 and became a Secondary School.
In 1959, an application was made to the
Department of Education for a new Primary School.
After a year or two, permission was granted. The site was vegetable garden, purchased by the nuns in 1936.
The old Primary School was used as a Secondary School until Minister Mary
O’Rourke officially opened the new Community School on 23rd October 1990.
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The school building of 1898 was
purchased by Kilkenny County Council in 1996 and has been converted into a
beautiful Public Library for Castlecomer. In
1997 St. Mary's (our first Primary School) was sold to George Mealy and is now
used to store furniture.
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