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History
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The site on which the school now stands was generously donated in 1877 by Mr. Edward Rooney to the then parish priest, Fr. Lynch, with the intention of building a parish church. That vision came to fruition in 1904, when the church—named in honour of St. Andrew—was completed and formally dedicated by Bishop Gaffney.
The present building that houses St. Andrew’s National School was constructed in 1952. At the time of its opening, the school consisted of just two classrooms. Over the decades, several extensions and additional classrooms have been built to accommodate the growing number of pupils, yet the original structure still forms the heart of the school.
Before the current building existed, there had been another school in the parish, located at the crossroads. In the 1950s and 1960s, the school’s headmistress lived in a small cottage there, known locally as the headmistress’s cottage. A treasured photograph still survives of Ms. Peg Lennon, the headmistress of that era, standing proudly outside the cottage during her time in residence.
Today, St. Andrew’s N.S. holds a deep sense of continuity with its past. Many of our pupils are the children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren—and in some cases, even great-great-grandchildren—of those who once sat in the same classrooms. The school remains not only a place of learning, but also a living link between generations in our community. Below is a piece of work by a schoolchild from the 1930s, providing details about the parish of Curraha. It forms part of The Schools’ Collection (Volume 0686, Page 060), with both the image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD.
The present building that houses St. Andrew’s National School was constructed in 1952. At the time of its opening, the school consisted of just two classrooms. Over the decades, several extensions and additional classrooms have been built to accommodate the growing number of pupils, yet the original structure still forms the heart of the school.
Before the current building existed, there had been another school in the parish, located at the crossroads. In the 1950s and 1960s, the school’s headmistress lived in a small cottage there, known locally as the headmistress’s cottage. A treasured photograph still survives of Ms. Peg Lennon, the headmistress of that era, standing proudly outside the cottage during her time in residence.
Today, St. Andrew’s N.S. holds a deep sense of continuity with its past. Many of our pupils are the children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren—and in some cases, even great-great-grandchildren—of those who once sat in the same classrooms. The school remains not only a place of learning, but also a living link between generations in our community. Below is a piece of work by a schoolchild from the 1930s, providing details about the parish of Curraha. It forms part of The Schools’ Collection (Volume 0686, Page 060), with both the image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD.
