Old Tollymore Schoolhouse Being
Demolished
{Source:
The Mourne Observer 21st February 1964, page 6}
What one could describe
as an interesting link with the Newcastle of a century ago, in the form of an
old building, situated on the corner of the Tollymore road, where it joins the
Bryansford road, is at present [February 1964] in the course of demolition.
From enquiries we were
able to ascertain that the building served as a schoolhouse for the greater part
of one hundred years. It was built and supported Mrs Keown, wife of Mr J. Keown,
who founded the school (now in ruins) at Maghera Old Church. Mr Keown’s seat
was at Cillan Fort.
For this information we
are indebted Miss Bridie O’Hare,
Tollymore, whose parents first “took up house” in the school building over
forty years ago, some time after it had ceased to serve the purpose for which it
was built.
Miss O’Hare showed us
a newspaper cutting, copied from an 1837 directory. This refered to the Parish
of Maghera, and the following is an extract:
“About 40 children are
educated in the parochial school, which was founded in 1826 by J Keown, Esq.,
who built the schoolhouse on the glebe, and endowed it with £5 per annum, and
at Tollymore is a neat schoolhouse, built and supported by Mrs Keown, in which
about 50 children are gratuitously instructed and some of the females
clothed.”
We would be interested
to learn if there is anyone still alive [in 1964] who was a pupil at the old
school at Tollymore.
Note: this
article also holds a photograph of what remained of the schoolhouse, the gable
and chimneys in 1964, looking towards Bryansford.
