Schools in Claregalway

[Notinpastyet]

Can anyone tell me where children in Waterdale,Gortcloonmore,Gortadooey would have gone to school? Would they have had to travel far?I am looking to know where children would have been educated in these villages between 1800-1930.Hope someone can help me please.

[aghadowey]

Not sure about that area but usually children would only had to go a few miles to school in later 1800s. Have found Ordnance Survey Memoirs for Co. Londonderry very helpful as they list the local schools, starting date, number of children, etc. (1830s) and PRONI has many school registers and ED1 forms relating to individual schools. Perhaps there are similar sources for Galway that others can suggest.

[Notinpastyet]

Thank you Aghadowey,I though they would only travel a few miles as they would have had to walk but as these places are very near each other I wondered where the school may have been.I truly hope I find the name of the school,then I can hopefully track down the registers.I will do as you say & have a look to see if I can find schools marked on a map for this area.

[Notinpastyet]

I am going (or have gone in the brain) I meant to say I will google Claregalway ordnance survey memoirs +I was thinking about looking on a map to  see if a school maybe marked.bet this sounds so confusing.

[aghadowey]

Children sometimes moved about different school and didn't always go to nearest school. Have heard about children changing school because parents unhappy with teacher, etc. just like today. My husband's grandfather lived just around the corner from the nearest school where all the older siblings had attended but he and twin brother walked about 3 miles across the fields to another school because their uncle was teaching there. More recently (1930s) a friend didn't go to the school very close to his home but another 3 miles away where his aunt was the teacher. Best source is school registers (if they exist for the period you need) as they should give name of child, townland, age (or later exact birthdate), date of entrance, religion, occupation of father, and as a bonus often you get name of schools they moved to or from (usually boys and girls entered separately and also often infants and upper classes separate).

[Notinpastyet]

Hi Aghadowey,I am interested in Claregalway area, but what a great idea you have gave me to look up other  schools for people I am trying to track down.These registers give a lot of info,Thank you  for sharing your knowledge with me.

[Notinpastyet]

I have been searching around looking for schools in the area mentioned above & still have not really found much more.I did see-6/10/2005 marked 75th Anniversary of the day which pupils moved into the "New" school in Claregalway & there was a dairy which gives accounts of the stages of planning for the school from 1925.I am assuming that Claregalway its self was where children where educated from the villages of Waterdale,gortcloonmore & gortadooey.Hopefully someone with local knowledge may read this quest & put me right. Cheers

[Brian1]

Hi,
The villages you describe are not villages at all but townlands which surround Claregalway. In 1841 Waterdale population was 70 males and 69 females, Gortcloonmore 54 & 43 respectively and gortadooey 50 and 53. The earliest written record of education in Claregalway dates for 1808 when children were taught in the chapel which is marked on the O.S. map of 1840 as  Old RC chapel and schoolhouse. This document was the complaints of the parishioners  as their parish priest had closed the school room and they were without  " an eligible person to superintend their children's education" A second report of 1826 refers to education being held in  the chapel. It was described as a pay school with 50 boys and 30 girls and was run by William Loftus. In the same report two other school are mentioned in Claregalway area at Carnmore and Brannamore.
Examination rolls for Claregalway and Carnmore exist with students names from 1895 for results and 1909 for attendance.
If you have any specific question please ask.
These details are fromClaregalway parish history (750 years )
Brian

[Notinpastyet]

Gosh Brian,thank you for that great info,it sounds really helpfull & gives me something to get going on.Cheers