History of Peterswell National School
Peterswell First School
In 1845 the Parish Priest Father O’Connor applied to commissioners for a building grant. At that time there was about 550 families in the parish and almost 200 children of school going age. The National School in Peterswell village was opened in 1848.
The school was a single storey building with a small porch in front. It had 2 classrooms, 1 small room at the east end known as the “Missuses room” where infants and first class were taught. The other room was twice the size and a teacher taught at both ends, needless to say this caused a great distraction. There was a small room at the back where fuel was stored and it also gave access to the girls and boys dry toilet. There was a small walled yard out the front where the pupils played. In fine weather they went to Hayes’ field to play hurling.
Mr.Patrick Moylan became principal in1902.His wife taught with him until his retirement in1934.Other teachers who taught with him were Mr. Anthony Monaghan ,Mr. Tom Russell, Mr. Moynihan and Mr. Gaffney.After Patrick Moynihans retirement Mr.Paddy Murray became principal. Mr. Martin Dolan and Imelda O’Halloran who taught with both left in 1944.
New School
The location of the new school on the main Gort-Loughrea road was probably chosen because of the availability of the property. There was a lot of discussion at the time the new school was built about the fact that it was an extra mile to walk for the students from the “side above” of the parish. It was a mile closer for the “side-below”.
The three roomed school was opened on the 4th March 1946. It was formally opened and blessed by His Lordship, the Most Rev. Dr.Browne, Bishop of Galway. Also at the opening were:Mr. O. Smith, Board of Works, Rev. Fr. Hehir P.P.,
Rev. Larkin C.C. and Mr. J. Burke, contractor. It is built on one acre and nine perches. Mr. Paddy Murray was principal. The newness of the building in comparison to the old school is still commented on by past pupils .It wasn’t long before a certain boy made an attempt to knock part of it. After a disagreement between Mr. Murray and a certain boy ( J.P.) he kicked the wall with “Hobnail” boots and this gap may still be seen today, at the back of the school.
The state funded eight ninths (8/9) of the cost and the other ninth(1/9) was paid by local contribution. An amalgamation took place in 1967 between Peterswell N.S. (2 teacher) and Ré Ramhar N.S. (1 teacher). Mrs. Mernie Gleeson joined the staff of St. Thomas’s N.S.: Mrs. Mary Healy and Mr. Tom McGarry.
The outer toilets were demolished and buried underground in the late 80’s. The existing basketball court was built in the late 80’s on this site. The school was extended to include two toilets, two cubicles for the boys and two for the girls. The urinal was replaced by toilets in the early 90’s. The school wall was also moved in the late 70’s.
A portacabin was acquired in 2002 to facilitate pupils who attend the Resource Teacher. These pupils who have special needs have two S.N.A’s, one full time Mrs Mary Burke (2002) and one part time Mrs Bernie Caulfield (2003) to cater for their needs. A shared Learning Support teacher Mr. Gerard Mooney spends 4 weeks out of every eight dealing with children who require learning support.
Education in Peterswell before 1850
The hedge schools were an illegal network of mainly Catholic schools that had their own origin in the 16th century but really only took root in the 18th century, following the passing of the Penal Laws of 1695. Their laws proscribed Catholic education and prohibited parents from sending their children abroad to be educated. Teachers were now forced under ground to engage in what PJ Dowling in his pioneering work The Hedge Schools of Ireland (1932), called “a kind of guerrilla war in education”. For the next 87 years teaching was done surreptitiously, in makeshift schools, hidden away from the public gaze. The safest area was considered to be on the sunny side of a hedge and it was from this location that they derived their name. So popular was the name that the masters retained it, even after the Penal Laws had repealed in 1782.
The earliest record of a hedge school in Peterswell was in the latter half of the 1700s. It was situated in Gortnagowan in the Slieve AughtyMountains. The teacher was Laurence Duffy of Gardenblake. Mr Duffy intended to become a priest and at that time those who intended to join the priesthood had to go abroad to study, but he missed the boat. Later, 3 of his sons, John, Michael and James became priests. On the 17th of September 1775 James was the first student from the diocese to enter the newly founded college of Maynooth. Bernard Hynes had a school at Gorteenkirkie and his pay was about £5 per annum, a description of his school says it was built with stone and lime. The second report of the Commissioners of Irish Education Enquiry, 1826-7, recorded that Euguene Kearns held a school in the chapel and his pay was £7 -15s per annum. The second report of Public Instruction (Ireland) 1835 states that a school in Kiltomas was kept by Edward Diviney in a chapel, it also records that support of 1/- to 2/- per quarter was paid. A school run in Ballylaha by Bryan Hynes is also recorded at this time with similar support , amounting to £4 per annum. Both of these schools taught reading, writing, arithmetic and catechism.
Six Decades of St. Thomas’ National School Peterswell
Have a read of the “Six Decades of St. Thomas’ National School Peterswell” to learn about the history of our school through the years.