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School History
The History of Scoil Mhuire
2023- Minister Norma Foley offically opens new extensions
On the 20th of January, the Minister of Education visited Scoil Mhuire and officially opened the new extensions. It was a very special day in our school.
A total of 7 TDs in all including the 3 Ministers as well as Noel Grealish TD, Éamon Ó Cuív TD, Catherine Connolly TD and Ciarán Cannon TD attended the school opening.
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Students, teachers, parents and members of the local community gathered together in our school hall. Students showcased their work from various school initiatives (Lego Robotics, Junior Entrepreneur and local History projects). Our school music group played music. Minister Norma Foley spoke to the school community and received gifts from our pupils. Before leaving, Minister Norma Foley officially cut ribbon at the school entrance.
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2018 -Completion of School Extensions
Today, we have a co-educational, inclusive school which has expanded rapidly this century and caters for 278 pupils. In 2015 we completed a major new extension adding on many new rooms including new classrooms, learning support rooms, kitchen and a beautiful, modern Sports Hall that allows us play right through the wet winters.
We added a further extension in 2018. We also have an astroturf area, a special garden-area and newly reseeded pitches with new goals and ball-stop nets.
We are fortunate to have such extensive play areas.
1959- New Primary School
The Sisters decided that a new Primary School was needed and after much fund-raising schemes including Sales of Work, Silver Circle, Egg Sales, etc., the school was opened in 1959.
The cost of the school then (mainly the part of today's building to the right of the front entrance) was £14,080. The Department paid £12,520 and the local contribution which was fundraised amounted to £1 5600.
The old Patrician Brothers' monastery was given to the Sisters of Charity. Repairs were carried out and the roof was raised while school rooms and offices were added. The design was furnished by George Papworth, a renowned Irish architect of the time. The cost involved was approximately £691 . On 16th July 1844, Clarinbridge convent was consecrated and named "Our Lady of Mercy".
The first Rectress was Sister Baptist Griffin and before the end of July 1844, the school was opened. The demand for education surprised them and they opened a second school shortly afterwards. 80 - 90 girls were attending.
2018- The Religious Sisters of Charity relocate to Dublin
We are no longer a Sisters of Charity school but we are a Galway Diocesan school. We said goodbye to the last three Religious Sisters of Charity as they left Clarinbridge on the 18th of January 2018. This marked the end of their 174 years presence in Clarinbridge since 1844.
Pictured (L-R) are Sr Anne Tyrrell, Sr Muriel Larkin, Seán Holian (Past Principal), Sr Majella Cummins and Rev Fr Éamonn Dermody Clarinbridge Parish.
1991 - Amalgamation
Then in 1991, the Boys' School was amalgamated with Scoil Mhuire. It was the first time in the history of Scoil Mhuire that boys stayed in the school all the way to 6th Class. So the School’s Hurling Team still has a short history and the camogie team of 2002 also broke new ground, being the first to represent the school. Crucially, the Sisters have been extraordinarily generous in providing enough green space for all the children of the school to play sports. In recent years we have added an astroturf playing area and a large extension including a new Sports Hall. Our Boys were the 2015 \ 16 County Galway Primary Schools' 7 a-side Hurling Champions and we have also won a National Runners-Up Prize with the 1916 Project on the Galway Rising. The School received a beautiful trophy and a cheque for 600 euros in the Cumann na mBunscoil competition.
1984 - New Extension
Even though the school taught boys only as far as Holy Communion, which was then 1st Class, increasing numbers led to the addition of new rooms in 1984, which we can identify today as being the part of the building to the left of the front entrance. This included the Staff Room, Office, Kitchenette, School Hall, extra toilets and an additional classroom. Canon D. Higgins officially opened this extension in February 1984.
This time the costs were:
Total Cost £161,000 made up of £133,000 from the Department and an incredible local contribution of £28,000 (€35,552).
The Sisters were forced to limit the number of students and decided to give priority to the older girls. But we're told that the local parents tried to outwit them by getting their daughters to pretend to be much older than they were. A story goes that one girl aged 6, even decided to pull out her front teeth to make herself look older. Thankfully, such drastic measures are not necessary today to get into Scoil Mhuire.
The Redingtons helped establish a sewing school at the convent and arranged to have plain work and knitting executed by the girls and disposed of at a Depot for Irish Work in London. Later the children were taught lace-work and a Library was started.
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The Free Secondary Education announcement in 1966 spelled the end of the Secondary education provided for at Clarinbridge. It could no longer provide the range of subjects for the new system and so the girls were offered free transport to Secondary Schools in Oranmore and Kinvara. The primary school in 1967 had 70 pupils on roll. The Convent’s financial position improved when the Knitting Industry was transferred from the convent in Benada, Co. Sligo. This was a sign of the rationalisation programme that the Sisters of Charity were undergoing. Today Clarinbridge is unique in that it is the last Convent and school run by the Sisters of Charity in the West of Ireland. The convents in Ballaghaderreen and Foxford in addition to Benada were closed.
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1886- The Sisters of Charity
The first Inspector's report stated that the Sisters were admirably fitted for their duties. It recorded, "It is really a good school, well deserving of public support". Our own Inspectors report of 2002, we're proud to say, and more recently the Whole School Evaluation of June 2012 emphasised very similar sentiments.
By 1886, despite the fact that the teaching of Irish and Irish history was banned by the Government, there were 120 children on roll. There was a dip due to emigration around 1900 but numbers were back up to 120 by 1927. At this stage, the Sisters became involved in visiting the Boys' School on Wednesdays and every First Friday in order to provide Religious instruction. During the first part of the 1900's, in what of course is the building formerly housing the Oyster Manor Hotel, the girls received Secondary education also. This included a Two-Year Course in Cookery, Needlework and Housewifery under the Secondary Top system. A Domestic Science Room was provided for this purpose by the Minister for Education, Mr Richard Mulcahy in 1954.
1844 - Mother Mary Aikenhead & the Girls School
In 1831, Mrs Frances Redington invited Mother Mary Aikenhead to set up a Sisters of Charity Convent in the village and opened a school for the daughters of the tenants. It was not until the 24th June 1844 however, that Mother Mc Carthy and two Sisters arrived from their Dublin mother-house by Bianconi coach to Kilcornan House.
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The Famine took a great toll on the the Redington family and Lady Frances Redington continued to pay the lace-makers salaries and provide turf for the school in addition to catering for special occasions such as the First Holy Communion Breakfast. She died in 1872. Eventually the Redingtons were forced to withdraw the annual endowment as they ran into debt. The Sisters continued however, to receive much financial help from Mother Aikenhead until she died in 1858. The Sisters became more self-supporting though and they were paid by the Government from 1881, when the school came under the National Board of Education.
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1842- Christan Brothers School
The school, like the village, is inextricably linked with the local landlords, the Redington Family who were based in Kilcornan. In fact, the Redingtons first invited the Patrician Brothers to Clarinbridge. A monastery called “Our Lady’s Priory” (now the Clarinbridge Crystal Showrooms) was built by the Redingtons and the Brothers arrived in 1823 to provide education for the young boys of the village. When they left in 1838, they were replaced shortly thereafter in 1840 by the Christian Brothers, who were known as “the Monks”. The Brothers resided in what is today the local Antique Dealer’s residence. The school for boys became a Church and is now the Parish Hall. The Christian Brothers were in Clarinbridge until June 1889.
