Colmcille Naofa, Rathcormack, Co. Sligo
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Colmcille Naofa, Rathcormack, Co. Sligo |
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The original school at Rathcormack was located south of the present Catholic Church and was built as a two teacher school. In 1870 it had an enrolment of 222 and an average daily attendance of 69. The Girl's "Observation Book" for the school gives an interesting insight into school life during that period. On 13rth February 1871 teachers were not in attendance at 10.00am not had they presented themselves half an hour later. Mr. E.Woods, the District Inspector, recorded that the assistant teacher arrived at 10.35 am and Mr. Woods was of the opinion that such neglect of duty must entail punishment! On 24th February 1871 proficiency in writing was deemed unsatisfactory while arithmetic was tolerable. by 1921 great improvements seem to have occurred as the District Inspector records that teachers attend punctually and plan their work. No trace of the original building remains. Stones from the building were used in the construction of the grotto in the church grounds. Staff recorded were Principal Staff Mary Sheridan 1902-1921 Mary Cunningham 1902-1921 Margaret Feeney 1921-1935 Margaret Meehan 1921-1934 Colmcille Naofa
In 1935 the second Rathcormack school was built as a two teacher school. When the school closed in 1975 Brid Regan was theprincipal and Kathleen Kearns the assistant teacher. Since its closure the school has had various uses. It reopened in 1979 when the new Rathcormack school began to expand. Two classes were accommodated there (later reducing to one) until 1993 when all classrooms in the new school were completed. It is now used as a community school and a pre-school. Staff recorded were Principal Staff Margaret Feeney 1935-1960 Margaret Meehan 1935-1956 Eileen Gannon 1960-1973 Eileen Gannon 1957-1960 Brid Regan 1973-1976 Brid Regan 1963-1973 Kathleen Kearns 1973-1976
Lugnagall N.S. Glencar, Co. Sligo.
Prior to the building of Lugnagall School in 1907 children from the area west of Glencar lake had to make their way to St. Colmcille's N.S. at Rathcormack, a distance of three or four miles or to Diffreen School in Upper Glencar which was not only 4 miles distant but was situated in a different county and in a different diocese. School transport was, of course, in the far distant future. Lugnagall was built as a two- teacher school. Staff recorded at Lugnagall were Principal Staff Thomas Moran 1909-1949 Mary Mc Gloin ?-1962 Jim Campbell Eileen Branley Maura McTighe 1961-1976 Kathleen McGuinness 1971-1975 In 1976 Lugnagall, together with St. Finian's Carney and St. Colmcille's N.S., was replaced by a new central school at Rathcormack, where Maura McTighe joined her husband on the staff. The Lugnagall building has been totally refurbished and is now a very attractive dwelling house. St. Finian's, Carney, Co. Sligo
Carney Hall now derelict St. Finian's closed in 1976 In 1870 the school in Carney had an enrolment of 196 and an average daily attendance of only 57. It is not certain if this is the same school as the building now known as Carney hall, in the townland of Carney Jones. This latter school was in operaton until 1941 when it was replaced by a new two teacher school. At the time of closing Padraic Tansey was principal and the assistant teacher was Maura McMorrow. Both teachers moved to the new school St. Finian's. When this school closed in 1976 Michael McTighe was the principal and Margaret Prior was the assistant teacher. Staff recorded were as follows Princial Staff Padraic Tansey 1941-1953 Maura McMorrow 1941-1945 Leon McCafferty 1953-1959 Bridget McHugh 1946-1947 Michael McTighe Una Gilmartin 1947-1967 Patsy Currid 1970-1973 Margaret Prior 1974-1976
St. Colmcille's N.S. Today St. Colmcille's N.S. is a 12 teacher school situated about 3 miles north of Sligo town on the main Bundoran road. It was built as a 4 teacher school with as general purpose room in the centre typical of the buildings of the seventies. However when it opened in 1975 it had to accommodate 5 teachers and so the general purpose room was used as a classroom. This expansion continued through the eighties when enrolments reached 320 and the number of teachers grew to 13. In order to cater for this huge growth the "old school" was brought into use again. for a number of years it accommodated 2 classrooms and thenone classroom until it was finally closed in 1993. During that time five new classrooms were added on and the general purpose room was divided. A parish hall was built adjacent to the school under the direction of the present manager Rev.Fr. Donnolly and this provides excellent P.E. facilities for the children of the school. Falling enrollments resulted in the loss of a teacher a few years ago. Department of Education policy of amalgamation in the sixties and seventies, which recommended the building of larger schools resulted in the construction of this school. This idea was first mooted in 1964. The new building replaced three existing school in the parish of Drumcliffe. They were Colmcille Naofa, St. Finian's Carney and Lugnagall N.S.
The above information is contained in the book National Schools of County Sligo which was published in November 1999 by the County Sligo INTO Millennium Committee. This book is available from the school price £7.00 p.p. extra.
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