End of an era as national school closes its doors

MRS. Maura Coady, principal at Ballyglisheen National School, Borris, Co. Carlow, closed the school doors for the summer holidays on Wednesday of last week.

But come the new school year in September the doors at Ballyglisheen NS will remain firmly closed as it has dipped for two consecutive years below the Department of Education's minimum pupil number criterion of eight students.

For the past two school years, Ballyglisheen has had seven pupils - all male - and, not having achieved the departmental threshold on pupil numbers, the school is now sadly closed for good.

The magnificent seven will now be dispersed to three other local national schools --Ballymurphy, Borris and Newtown.

In what must be the smallest class numbers in Ireland there was one first-class student, three students in fourth class and three in fifth class. The students ranged in age from seven to 12.

Maura Coady, who will now take up a teaching appointment at Scoil Bríd National School, Goresbridge, says that rather than put a gloomy spin on the closure they have organised a thanksgiving night for Friday July 12 with Mass at 7pm to be celebrated at the school by Fr. Tony Cronin, CC, Borris, who was chairman of the board of management at Ballyglisheen NS. The Mass will be followed by light refreshments.

Pupils, past pupils, parents, local people, indeed anyone who so desires, is invited to come along on the night.

Ballyglisheen National School was a dedicated rural school. It opened in 1965 to replace the old school at Inch, which schooled several generations of local people and dated from the early years of the 20th. century.

The old and new schools were only some 200 yards apart.

The late Mrs. Breda Brady, retired principal at Ballyglisheen NS, provided a link between the two schools --giving her entire 40 years teaching service to the schools in Ballyglisheen and Inch.

Mrs. Anna Hennessy taught at Ballyglisheen for 17 years, until numbers dictated in 1990 that it became a one-teacher school.

Three sets of brothers were on the final roll at Ballyglisheen - Noel and Anthony Murphy, Ballyglisheen, Borris; Marty and Liam Grennan, Inch, Borris and Mark and Niall Moloney, Tinnecarrig, Borris; with Martin Cummins, Inch being the other pupil.

In 1965 there were some 40 boys and girls on the school roll but since those days the downward trend in numbers has led to the final situation of closure.

Maura Coady paid a sincere tribute to the parents of the pupils who had been outstanding in terms of back-up support to her over the past six years she has taught there. She also noted that the two other local national schools in the parish - the Sacred Heart NS, Borris and Ballymurphy NS had also been very supportive of Ballyglisheen in terms of involving the school in various functions and events these schools staged over the years.

In this regard she had special thanks for Mrs. Bríd Ui Laoghaire and Mr. Peter Hennessy, the principals of these respective schools.

Maura (nee Cremin) a native of north Cork spent five years teaching in a primary school of huge pupil numbers in Ballyfermot before teaching for three years in Ballinabranna NS and then being appointed principal in Ballyglisheen.

The mother of three said there could hardly be more polarised teaching experiences than Ballyfermot and Ballyglisheen.

On Wednesday the pupils helped Maura Coady with some cleaning and then made their way to the playing pitch in front of the school for a game of football, where the referee was Mr.. Eamonn Byrne, learning support teacher.

Eamonn, a native of Punchestown, Co. Kildare --looks after Ballymurphy, Glynn, Drummond, Newtown and Ballyglisheen National School.

Then Maura turned the key in the door, bringing to an end an almost century-long educational era in this scenic area of South Carlow at the foothills of The Blackstairs.