Shrone NS
Shrone
Rathmore
Co.Kerry
ph: 064 7758687
shronens
Shrone National School
1863 -2013
National Schools:
Professor Coolahan (2011) writes: “When the national state-aided school system was set up in 1831, just 180 years ago, the people grasped at the opportunity provided. The system proved to be far more successful and more inclusive than had been originally envisaged. Within thirty years there were 5,632 national schools, with 804,000 pupils on roll. This hunger for education has continued to be a hallmark of our people.
The national schools grew up very close to their communities, and this nurtured another phenomenon of the system. That is, the great sense of loyalty, community ownership, local identification with the national school. Attending the local school during their formative years and then, as adults, witnessing successive generations following suit, the school became embedded in the life of the community. People establish emotional attachments to institutions such as schools which are intimately bound up with the life of a community. Furthermore, local activities and meetings often took place in the schools, and many national teachers tended to become leaders in community affairs.
In 1863 Rev. E. Walsh established a National School in Shrone. The Bishop of Kerry was Patron and Canon Walsh was manager. It was a two roomed building, each room being 22 feet by 20 feet. The school was built mostly by local contributions. The Boys’ School opened on Feb 2nd 1863 and the Girls’ School opened one month later.
Under British Rule: 1863-1922:
The teachers in the Boys’ School were: Terence Dennehy was principal 1863 – 1896 at a salary of £18 a year. When he retired he went to live in Bradford Mass. USA. There were 105 male pupils on roll in this first year (all in one room) so an assistant teacher was appointed. He was Michael O’Donoghue, 18 years old at the time. He was an uncle to the Dinneens and Pádraig S. Ó Duinnín (Irish Dictionary) and siblings were pupils in Shrone at this time. He taught from September 1863 to 1871, when he became principal of Meentogues. Patrick Cronin replaced him until his job was lost in 1874 due to falling averages when Pat went to Gneeveguilla. Monitors are recorded from time to time. A monitor was an older pupil who taught under the supervision of the teacher. The monitors were Scannell 1873 – 78, Michael Mahony 1887 – 92 and Timothy Crowley 1892 – 95. John Herlihy was appointed principal in January 1897. He had been teaching in Gneeveguilla. He lived and died in a house near the school. John T. Scannell was monitor in 1898 and his salary was £5 a year. Probably because he was suffering from failing eyesight John Herlihy retired in 1916. Thomas O’Connor was then appointed principal and Katie Cahill from Kilquane was appointed as assistant. She married O’Sullivan and unfortunately died an untimely death in 1926.
In the Girls’ School Margaret Moynihan was appointed principal at a salary of £14. Margaret married T. Scannell about 1870. Meanwhile Hannah Moynihan became assistant teacher in 1864. Hannah married O’Mahony but her job was lost in Sept 1877. Margaret Scannell retired in Jan 1902. Her replacement was Bridget Cronin. She was known as Bridgie Batt and she married T. Ryan, a local shopkeeper, and settled locally. In 1907 Julia Scannell joined as assistant. Subsequently she married Patie Dugan of Shrone.
The school curriculum:
As we were under British rule at this time all subjects were taught through English even though at that time most households were probably Irish speaking. There was a strict division between religious and secular education. A teacher had to declare that religious education was beginning and all religious symbols and objects had to be removed from sight at the end of the lesson. The Revised curriculum in 1900 had the following subjects Kindergarten, Manual Instruction, Drawing, Elementary Science, Singing, Cookery, Physical Drill, English and Arithmetic. Ten minutes were allowed in every hour for rest and play. The teachers were paid by the results of their pupils. Payment by results came into force in 1872 and ended in 1900. Education became free and compulsory from 1892 for children between the ages of 6 and 14. However lots of children left school early especially if they had made their Confirmation. Confirmation was on a three year cycle. By 1900 school attendance was only 63% in Ireland. The Nation school system succeeded in wiping out the Irish language. By the 1901 census all the children in Doocarrig spoke English even if their parent were bilingual.
New Beginnings 1922 – 2013:
The patron and manger didn’t change with a change to the Irish Free State and Republic. In April 1922 the new Department of Education set about restoring the Irish language which was then in decline. They introduced a new curriculum in which the Irish Language, Irish history and culture were introduced. Drawing, Physical Drill, manual instruction, cookery, laundry and elementary science were omitted. Irish was to be the sole medium of instruction for infants most of whom had no Irish at home. All teachers were expected to brush up on their Irish language skills with courses and/or trips to the gaeltacht. In 1925 the preparatory colleges were opened and half the places in the Training Colleges were held for native Irish speakers or those who attained over 85% in an Oral Irish examination. The Primary Certificate examination was introduced as an optional examination in 1929 to the displeasure of the INTO. It covered Irish, English, Mathematics, History and Geography and Needlework for girls. The examination included written, oral and practical elements. De Valera as Minister for Education made the primary certificate compulsory for all Sixth Class pupils in 1943 with written exams only in Irish, English and Arithmetic. In1948 Infants were allowed 30 minutes English per day. 1971 brought in a new curriculum. I was in the Training College when it was introduced and there was great excitement when we were given the two heavy brown hard covered tomes that encapsulated all we needed to teach! There was art and crafts for all instead of needlework for girls. Environment studies were back and singing became music.
Today the newest curriculum has been in use since 1999. Eleven subjects are now taught in Shrone National School.
Primary School Curriculum | |
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The teachers 1922 – 2013:
In the Boys’ School were Thomas O’Connor and Katie O’Sullivan. Julia McCarthy, Stagmount, replaced Mrs. O’Sullivan in 1926 but left to be principal of Hollymount N.S. in 1927.She later married Denis Sheehan of Tureencahill. She was replaced by Miss Catherine Hickey of Hollymount. In the Girls’ school were Mrs. Bridget Ryan and Mrs. Julia Duggan. However around the end of the 1920’s the two schools amalgamated. When Mr. O’Connor died in 1931 Pat McCarthy took over as principal. In 1934 Catherine Hickey moved to Hollymount. Subsequently she married Patie Fleming and lived in Tureencahill. Mrs. Ryan retired in 1938. The school was now a two teacher school and so it remains until this day. Bill Sharpe became principal in 1944 when Mr. McCarthy went to Meentogues as principal. The present school building was opened in 1951. There was still no plumbing or electric lights. These came in the 70’s. Mrs. Duggan retired in July 1952. Her place was filled by Miss M. McCarthy who stayed until Christmas and from January to July 1953 by Mary O’Connell, Bealnadeega. Ann Murphy (Ballydesmond) was assistant 1953/54. Then Mrs. Mary Sharpe joined her husband on staff. Mr. Sharpe died in Feb 1974 and Mrs. Sharpe retired with ill health in 1976. They were replaced by Daniel V. O’Connor principal and Colette Courtney. Colette now Mrs. Carmody became principal in 2003 when Mrs. Michelle Murphy joined the staff. At this time there was an attempt to amalgamate the school but parents and friends rallied to support the cause and Shrone N.S. was saved. The summer works scheme gave the place a major boost adding indoor toilets, a store room and a kitchen as well as insulating the walls and roof and putting in new windows. IRD. helped with the painting inside and out. A pond and a garden completed the makeover. Mrs. Carmody retired in 2011, Mrs. Murphy is now principal and Elaine Drumm is the second staff member with Carina O’Mahony as SNA.
Acknowledgements to: Cumann Luachra for kind permission to use the article in Sliabh Luachra 6 by Pádraig O Duinnín entitled Shrone Schools.
Copyright 2013 Shrone N.S. All rights reserved.
Shrone
Rathmore
Co.Kerry
ph: 064 7758687
shronens