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Notices
Education past and present
The boundaries of an Cheathrú Rua stretch from Casla bridge in the east to Béal an Daingin in the west, north to Muiceanach idir Dhá Sháile, down as far as the seashore in the south. But the catchment area of the only local secondary school is much larger, Scoil Chuimsitheach Chiaráin on Bóthar an Chillín in an Cheathrú Rua, also welcomes students from the islands to the west and as far as Indreabhán to the east.
Secondary Education in the past:
Providing the same education as every vocational school in the country, Gairmscoil na Ceathrún Rua did have one special programme. Each year twelve young women were trained in office work and administration, for the most part in preparation for jobs in Gaeltarra Éireann (Gaeltacht development company) factories around the country. The course lasted for two years, and entry to it was by competitive exam. Young women from all Gaeltacht areas were represented on the course, in the same way that young men from all Gaeltacht areas took part in the apprenticeship course in Gairmscoil Cholmcille in na hAille, Indreabhán, and who then went on to get positions in the same (mostly design and textile) factories.
School picture taken in 1924
Gairmscoil na Ceathrún Rua was originally located in Áras Mháirtín Uí Cadhain, which is currently one of the buildings making up the Conamara campus of Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge; up until 1959 it was the only post-primary educational institution in the area, when a secondary school was established in the town at the request of the Minister for the Gaeltacht, Mícheál Ó Móráin, T.D., and Tuam Archbishop Dr. Seosamh Breathnach. The Order of Mercy founded Coláiste Nanó Nógla on the site of the old primary school; Sister Rita Ní Thuathail was in charge, with two others from her order also teaching in the school.
Scoil Chuimsitheach Chiaráin
In 1966 Scoil Chuimsitheach Chiaráin was opened when the vocational school and the secondary school were merged, and Piaras Ó Conaire was named principal. There were 268 students and twelve teachers during its first academic year. There are currently 295 students in the school, with 28 teachers. This year a Transition Year programme is being introduced, which means that the Leaving Certificate class only has 13 students who are repeating their exams.
Scoil Chuimsitheach Chiaráin in an Cheathrú Rua was one of the first three schools of its kind built in the country. The others were located in Shannon, Co. Clare, and Cootehill, Co. Cavan. Prior to this, schools were focused on vocational education, including woodwork and metalwork for boys and cooking for girls, while secondary schools focused on university entry. The two types of school were merged for the first time in the Scoileanna Chuimsitheacha, comprehensive schools.
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An Cheathrú Rua school photograph taken in 1940
Primary Schools
Sa mbliain 1879, rinneadh scoil náisiúnta ar an Tuairín agus is uirthi sin a thugtaí Scoil Náisiúnta na Ceathrún Rua (Cáit Ní Dhomhnaill,1983). [In 1879, a primary school was built in an Tuairín and was called an Cheathrú Rua national school.] This was the first school in the area; in 1893 a new primary school was opened, which included three primary schools under one roof. Patrick Turbidy, presenter Ryan Turbidy’s grandfather, was principal of the Boys’ school in 1900; with his assistant Patrick Cahalane there were 132 boys under their charge, according to the school roll.
Mary Glynn was principal of the Girls’ school, with Mary Kelly as her assistant and 120 girls under their charge; also there was one pupil in 6th class at the time who was 18 years old. There was also a third school, Scoil na Naíonán, with 26 kindergartners attending. At the moment there are 191 students and twelve teachers in Scoil Náisiúnta Mhic Dara in an Cheathrú Rua, but they will be losing one teacher in September. In 1900 there were 73 students, 40 girls and 33 boys on the school roll in Scoil an Tuairín. Today seven teachers are working with 76 children in Scoil Mhuire in an Tuairín.
Léiríonn rollaí na scoile gur feirmeoirí agus bádóirí a bhí sa chuid is mó de na tuismitheoirí. Ar na gairmeacha eile atá luaite tá fíodóirí, siúinéirí, siopadóirí agus múinteoirí. [The school roll shows that most parents were farmers or worked on the boats. Other professions included weavers, carpenters, shopkeepers and teachers.] This was how Maedhbh M. Nic Dhonnchadha described the family background of children attending local primary schools at the start of the 20th century in an article she wrote on the area.
There are now two primary schools in the an Cheathrú Rua area, one in an Tuairín and the other in an Cheathrú Rua. Scoil Náisiúnta Mhic Dara was opened in September 1956 in an Cheathrú Rua, and an Tuairín’s new school – Scoil Mhuire – opened in 1965.
Mícheál Ó Nualláin taught in the primary school in an Cheathrú Rua for 48 years, from 1923 until 1971, which means that he taught in the old primary school building, where Coláiste Cholumba is now based, a site which has been taken over by Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, and also in the new school building, or Scoil Náisiúnta Mhic Dara as it is known. The official opening of the school was attended by Risteárd Ó Maolchatha, the then Minister for Education, and the then leader of the opposition, Éamonn de Valera. Scoil Náisiúnta Mhic Dara was one of the most modern schools of its era in 1956, and is used by the local theatre group, among others, to stage plays and for other community activities.
Scoil Mhic Dara today: Schoolteacher Catherine Uí Cheallaigh presenting a cheque to Pheigí Ní Uiginn, Merlin Park Hospital, Galway. Money was raised from singing Christmas carols.
The information on primary schools in the past is drawn from an article written by Maedhbh M Nic Dhonnchadha on this, her native area, and I thank librarian Máiréad Uí Chatháin for directing me towards relevant sources in the library in An Cheathrú Rua.
