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Our School

The first mention of a school in Coolanarney is related in a story to the Folklore Commission.The children had gathered information from elderly locals and one of their stories mentioned a school which operated in Bunnakeeran in the 1860’s and 1870’s. The teacher’s name was John Gildea and school was carried on in people’s houses. The children brought two pence each to pay the teacher for the day’s work.This information was confirmed for us by a grand-daughter of Mr. Gildea’s; a Mrs.Rita O’Byrne from Canada who called to see us in our school in 1998 and who has since been in contact by e-mail.

 

There was a temporary school founded in Cully in the 1870’s also and eventually a permanent school was founded in the area in July 1886. It was a stone and mortar school-house with a slated roof and outdoor toilets. A Mrs. Mary Kennedy was appointed as Coolanarney N.S.’s first teacher and she was paid £27 per year. Local aid for the teacher was to be at least £12 per year including £2 towards a free residence for her and £1 for a garden.

The school in which we are at present was built in 1964 and stones from the walls of the old school could be seen in our football pitch up to 2 years ago, when they were removed as they would be dangerous if someone fell on them.

Our school has two classrooms in the main building and a two prefabs to the rear.The first prefab was erected in 1998 when we reached three-teacher status for the first time. It is a full sized classroom. The second prefab was erected in April 2003and is a small room for learning support / Resource teaching.

 

The Mass Rock
Long ago there were Penal Laws in Ireland. These laws ordered priests and bishops to leave the country so there could be no Mass for the Catholics.
But, many priests stayed in the country and hid in the woods. All the Catholics would come to a hollow place and priests said Mass, usually at a big rock that was used as an altar. This was called a Mass Rock.
There is a Mass Rock near our school.
It is in Chapel Hollow in Coolanarney Lane. The Mass Rock became a very important site in the religious life of the parish during penal times when people attended Mass there in the open air. In 1960 the head of a statue known as the "Cully Angel" was taken from the ruins of the Friary at Church Hill and placed beneath the altar stone at the Mass Rock. We like to visit our Mass Rock. It reminds us of the the sacrifices our ancestors made in keeping their faith in God.

 
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