About our School
Our school has a long and very interesting past. This record was gathered at the school centenary and the handover of the school by the Mercy Sisters. We would welcome any further information or edits.1901 Some years before the death of Mother Gonzaga, Loughrea, Fr. Martin Leahy, Parish Priest of Eyrecourt had requested Sisters for his parish. On September 15th 5 Sisters were sent to Eyrecourt by Mother Brigid Kelly. These were: Sr. Raphael Darcy, Sr. M. Machtilde Mullaly, Sr. M. Genevieve Hanrahan, Sr. M. Kostka Dignan (Bishop Dignan’s sister) and Sr. M. Stephen Hayes.
Fr. Leahy and a great crowd of parishioners, led by the Ballinasloe Band, met the Sisters some miles outside the town. They took the horses from under their carriage and drew the carriage themselves to the Convent door. The Convent was dedicated to St. Brendan. The Sisters started a school in the house at the corner of the square opposite the church. This house was the property of Fr. Leahy and was afterwards occupied by his grand- niece Mrs J. Hoary and family.
Two sisters took charge of the Parish Church and looked after the church linen, altar etc. One sister took charge of the choir and trained the children in church music.
1910 On May 9th a new school was built on the Convent grounds. Sr M. Kostka was Principal.
1944 In July 1944 Fr. Leahy died. He was succeeded by Fr. James Cogavin, who had been President of Garbally College, Ballinasloe. He took a great interest in education and built three new schools in the Parish.
1958 A new secondary school was started in Eyrecourt on the Convent grounds, classes were begun in the primary school in September 1958 and continued to be held there until after Easter 1959, when the new prefabricated building was opened. Sr. Aidan Killian was Principal.
1960 Fr. Cogavin obtained a grant from the Department of Education for the reconstruction of the Convent Primary school, then in use for 50 years. New floors were put in, central heating and water from the town water scheme (which was new) were installed. New windows were also put in and the turrets removed. The work took one year to complete. The sisters taught their classes in the Town Hall (Houghs warehouse in River St.) from Sept. 1960 to Sept 1961. Sr M Pauline was principal. She took great interest in the reconstruction and helped by the “Children of Mary Sodality” collected funds for the project.
1961 Cookery classes started in the primary school.
1967 Two extra classrooms added to the primary school.
1972 Because of Department of Education policy the secondary school was closed.
1976 On October 1st the Convent Girls school and the Boys National School were amalgamated. All the children were accommodated in the Convent Primary School and in the two rooms of the former secondary school. The teachers from the boys’ school – Padraic Rooney and Mrs Teresa Brennan joined Sr. Consilio, Principal, Sr. Pauline O’Connor and Sr. Agnes Curran to form the staff of the amalgamated school. Part of the Convent garden was given by the Sisters as extra playground space for the children. There were 158 pupils on roll then as a result of the amalgamation.
1977 Sr. Consilio continued on as principal of the school. In September of that year Sr. Gemma Fallon replaced Sr Agnes on the staff and taught the junior and senior infant classes.
1982 Sr. Noreen Lyons replaced Sr. Consilio as principal of the school. She saw the need for an extension to the school. Meetings were held by the Board of Management to inform the parents. However, other projects in the parish got priority and the extension didn’t materialise. During this time Gerardine Moran Barrett and Marion Larkin joined the staff.
1985 Sr. Gemma became Principal when Sr. Noreen was transferred to Portumna. Sr. Bridie Flynn joined the staff and taught the 5th and 6th classes. As time progressed conditions in the school deteriorated particularly in the prefab building.
1988 At this time the need for extra space became more obvious and with the help of the Inspector and many visits to the Department of Education, the extension was finally sanctioned. Construction work began shortly thereafter. While building was in progress, Sr. Gemma taught her classes in the Parish/Community Hall. Gerardine Moran Barrett and Marion Larkin shared the prefab building and Padraic Rooney and Sr. Bridie taught in the former secondary school.
1989/90 The extension was completed by Christmas and classes commenced in the new classrooms when the school re-opened in January. Most of the Christmas holidays were spent organising the classrooms, arranging the furniture etc. Great credit is due to a very dedicated staff who, without a word of complaint, worked diligently for the full week after Christmas to ensure that everything was in readiness for the re-opening of the school on January 7th. The school now had five spacious classrooms, a staff-room and Principal’s office. It was a very welcome change. The brightly painted large classrooms, new furniture, wet areas with sinks and toilets and carpeted floors made such a difference. What the staff valued most was being under the one roof! The Boys’ N.S. playing pitch and part of the Convent gardens donated by the Sisters of Mercy was now officially part of the school property.
1991 Sr. Gemma, seeing the need for Learning Support teaching, particularly in the rural areas where it wasn’t available, did a diploma in Special Education. Meantime Gerardine Moran Barrett became acting principal.
1992 John Dillon was appointed principal. He was the first lay principal in the school and replaced Sr. Gemma who was transferred to St. Ita’s N.S. Loughrea.
1994 The Department of Education sanctioned what was then known as a Remedial teacher. Sr. Bridie Flynn was appointed to a cluster of five schools (Eyrecourt No.2, Clonfert, Tiernascragh and Raheen) with Eyrecourt N.S. as the base school.
1998 John Dillon took a career break and Marion Larkin was acting principal.
1999 Ms Marie McDonnell was appointed principal of the school. Resource teacher appointed based in Eyrecourt and shared with Clonfert and Raheen.
2002 Ms Bernadette Dunne became the new principal after Marie McDonnell became principal of Scoil an Chroi Naofa, Ballinasloe.
2009 Iomar Burke became principal after Bernadette Dunne retired.
2010 Éilis Treacy was appointed principal.
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