Clanvaraghan Primary School

According to local folklore old Clanvaraghan School was in existence around the mid 1850's. Official records and school registers located at the National Archives of Ireland in Dublin now confirm that there was a school actually in existence in Clanvaraghan from 1841.

Clanvaraghan old school was situated in the old graveyard grounds, and consisted of a two storey building of two classrooms, one above the other, upstairs for the senior classes and downstairs for the junior or infant classes. Rev. Gerard Park refers in his book 'Drumaroad and Clanvaraghan' that there was a door from the upstairs classroom which opened out through the wall onto a lane at ground level, because the gradient of the lane was so steep as it passed between English's public house and the old cemetery.

The following is an extract taken from Clanvaraghan School Register, which is stored in the National Archives of Ireland:

Roll No. 2932.
District No. 17.
Barony, Upper Iveagh
Do. No. 27 and square in County Index Map, 36
Parish, Kilmegan
Townland, Clanvaraghan
Post Town of School, Castlewellan
How situated in respect of Religious Houses, on chapel ground. One of the gables is raised on the chapel wall
Date of local establishment of School: January 7th 1841
When taken into connection by the Board: 31 day March 1841
Particulars of Leased, if a Vested School: Non-Vested.
Patron or Patrons in Lease (Blank)
Names of original Clerical Applicants, John O'Neill R.C.
And number of Lay
With their Religious Denominations.
If under a Committee, how elected, No Committee
Number and Dimensions of School Rooms Two 30x17½

The following are short extracts taken from Clanvaraghan School Registers between 1855 to 1905.

6th June 1855. Withdraw salary from Henry Milligan from 1st August 1855. Too young to conduct a school.

16th February 1859. Teacher admonished on carelessness in accounts, and on neglect of arithmetic and writing.

11th June 1859. School to be re-opened under competent teacher.

5th November 1861. Teacher to improve his classes, especially the junior ones, who are not making due progress.

15th May 1863. One penny gratuity to Bernard McGlare for training monitor Chas McGlare.

18th December 1863. Three pounds gratuity to Bernard McGlare for training monitor Chas. McGlare during 1863.

17th November 1868. £20 to C. Maginnis as asst from 1st Oct'68.

23rd April 1869. Rev. J O'Boyle recognised as manager .

23rd May 1869. Rev. Jas. McAleenan resumes management having been removed to Belfast by the Bishop.

21st April 1876. Teacher P McGlare reprimanded for grave negligence in recording the ages of the pupils in the lower class. Attention called to deficiencies of pupils in Arithmetic, Grammar, and Geography.

1st June 1877. Rev. John McCourt recognised as Manager in succession to Rev. J McAleenan deceased.

5th March 1880. Commissioners do not sanction use of Irish class book series or Egans Agr. Series. More attention to be given to industrial work. 14 October 1884.

26th January 1881. RR All satisfactory-save proficiency which is middling.

13th April 1881. L. from Manager. Stating that E McGleve asst. would resign - Infd. That the attendance will not warrant the appointment of a successor.

17th January 1882. Profy. Of seniors low-repair of house middling inaccuracies as to ages of pupils.

10th October 1883. Rev. B Mc Kenna recognised as Manager, being clerical successor to Rev. J Mc Court.

4th November 1883. (1) Mr. P McGlave ineligible as candidate for promotion to 1st Class, (2) P McGlave reprimanded severely for marking as present pupils who had not been in attendance at all.

13th October 1885. Grants to Ed. Department cancelled from 31.3.84 as school has ceased to be operative from that date.

5th August 1892. Manager informed that he named Daniel Lenaghan for position of monitor in the absence of the result marks. That inspector nominated Patk. Morgan he having better marks and having also passed in vocal music. Manager did not object and accordingly Inspector recommended Morgan.

30th November 1892. Manager so desire Commrs. Will cancel the appt. of Patk Morgan as monitor. Shld this be done, no other candidate can be apptd. This year.

17th December 1892. Mgr. Infd. That the appt. of Patrick Morgan as Monitor is cancelled as he does not consider him suitable for the position; not that, as already advd. No other candidate can be apprd. To the school this year.

26th July 1893. Inspector confirmed that Mgr, who states that there is no site available or obtainable for the erection of the out offices, the mere site of the schoolroom being all the ground available. Inspector referred to Education Act 1892 Sec 17 Amending Act to simplify procedure in compulsory requisition of sites is passing through Parliament.


8th February 1896. Rev. John McAlister P.P. recognised as Mgr in succession to the late Rev. B McKenna (deceased).

28th February 1896. Inspector states at Query 18 that he drew Mgrs. Attention to want of offices, premises, etc. Mgr. Agreed as to the unsatisfactory state of things, but is not long in the parish, has other work in hands, & is trying to get another school improved, also he has no ground here.

25th May 1896. Teachers, P McGlave & NA McShane cautioned on matters referred to by Inspector ("The infants have no exercises, object lesions… "I found the Asst. (Fem) teaching Agric. To 4th Class boys & girls from a catechism not on the Board's list" (Mulhollands Catechism of Agriculture) - Mgr. Informed that the use of this book must be at once discontinued.

13th July 1896. Patk. McGlave cautioned to duly record on all school days (Inspr. Reports that rolls had not been marked nor report book entered for the day. - "Tr. stated that he meant to exclude the day entirely on a/c of the low attendance.

29th August 1898. Rev. P. McCambridge P.P. recognised, on the usual conditions, as Patron & Manager (combined) in succession to Rev. J McAlister.

1899 to date. Inspecr. States that the manager is anxious to meet wishes of Commrs. As to increased accommodation - but he is dealing first with Drumarrow building case.

29th April 1902. If it is impracticable to obtain a site of suitable area for erection of new vested school, this Dept. must urge necessity for putting existing building into proper state of repair, so as to warrant continuance of Board's Grant.

7th April 1903. Manager's attention called to very unsuitable character of present house and furniture and requested to state what steps he proposes to take towards the erection of a suitable building in the near future.

May 1905. Inspr. Recommended that action as to unsuitable character of building be postponded as Manager is reluctant and has had new vested school in Drumaroad NS erected.

29th December 1905. House is bad; no offices or playground; the necessity for a new schoolhouse has been repeatedly brought under the Manager's notice.

Following the appointment of Mr. Patrick Morgan as Monitor of Clanvaraghan Primary School on 29th June 1892 by the Inspector of the District, the Parish Priest of Drumaroad & Clanvaraghan, Rev. Bernard McKenna, wrote a number of letters to the Secretaries of the Education Office in Dublin objecting to Mr. Patrick Morgan's appointment as Monitor of Clanvaraghan School. It is not clearly known whether Rev. Bernard McKenna had a personal objection to Mr. Patrick Morgan becoming Monitor of Clanvaraghan School, but his personal authority and intervention as Manager of Clanvaraghan School and Parish Priest was clearly evident to overturn Mr. Patrick Morgan's appointment, which was subsequently cancelled on 17th December 1892, as the following extracts from documents will detail.

Drumaroad

1st July 1892

Dear Sirs,

I beg to inform you that Patrick Morgan has not been selected by me for the position of Monitor. The Inspector of the District, has been given by me the name of another boy whose pass marks are equally satisfactory with those of Morgan.

I remain yours very truly.

Rev. B. McKenna P.P.

Following Rev. Bernard McKenna's first letter of objection, a report was then forwarded by the Inspector of the District in Downpatrick to the Secretaries of the Education Office in Dublin on 23rd July 1892, in which he referred to a number of matters relating to Rev. Bernard McKenna's letter of 1st July 1892.

In reference to Manager's statement I have to observe:-

1. By Rules 181 and 182 it is not the Manager (Rev. Bernard McKenna) who selects Monitors, but the Inspector. Manager can only object.

2. Manager named the other boy Daniel Lenaghan, in the absence of the results marks.

3. I wrote to Manager pointing out that Patrick Morgan had better marks, and had also passed in vocal music, adding that I should recommend him unless Manager objected.

4. Manager did not raise any objection, and I accordingly recommended Morgan, who answered most and best at results, and did better papers than Lenaghan.

Mr. Skeffington

23/7/1892"

A minute form document was then forwarded to the Manager (Rev. Bernard McKenna) of Clanvaraghan School on 21st October 1892 from the Secretaries of the Office of National Education in Dublin stating:

"Please say did Patrick Morgan give no service as Monitor during past quarter. His name does not appear on the Quarterly Return and neither claims nor certificate has been received in his case. In minutes of 13th inst., calling for outstanding certificates of health and age of the name of Teresa Ward, was inserted in error for that of Patrick Morgan.

J. C Taylor

W. R. Molloy

Secretaries

21/10/1892"

In a reply to the Secretaries of the Office of National Education in Dublin dated 23rd October 1892, Rev. Bernard McKenna stated the following:

Patrick Morgan has rendered no service as Monitor during past quarter as I did not consider him a fit and proper person for the position. Either Daniel Lenaghan or William Flanagan would be more suitable. William Flanagan marks are higher, but either would do.

Rev. Bernard McKenna P.P

23rd Oct 1892."

On 10th November 1892 an incidental visit was then conducted by the District Inspector Mr. Skeffington of Clanvaraghan School. The visited occurred between 11.40am and 12.55pm. The District Inspector then submitted a report on 12th November 1892 outlining that the last appointed Monitor, Mr. Patrick Morgan, had not given any service, not being apprised of appointment. The Inspector of National Schools, for the District of Downpatrick, then wrote to the Secretaries of the Education Office in Dublin on 12th November 1892 and advised the following:

Gentlemen,

In reply to your enquiry of the 27th Oct, I have to state that I advised the Manager (Rev. Bernard McKenna) that Patrick Morgan was the best candidate, and asked if he had any objection to him as Monitor, but Manager then (before the appointment) raised no objection.

I have in fact good grounds for believing that Morgan is a "fit and proper person" for the position of Monitor, and is also a smart and suitable boy; while another boy named by the Manager is slow and dull, and one I could not recommend.

I find Morgan has not given any service as Monitor, not having been apprised of his appointment by the Manager; nor have given any intimation of the fact to either teacher or monitor.

Mr. Skeffington

Inspector

12/11/1892

The Secretaries at the Education Office in Dublin then advised the Inspector of National Schools for the District of Downpatrick on 24th November 1892 to inform the Manager (Bernard McKenna) of the following facts:

Quote passage marked from the Inspector's report for the information of Manager. Say that should he so desire the Commissioners will cancel the appointment of Patrick Morgan as Monitor, but that, should this be done, no other candidate can be appointed this year.

Rev. Bernard McKenna subsequently replied to the Inspector of National Schools for the District of Downpatrick on 10th December 1892 stating:

Drumaroad
Castlewellan
Co. Down

10thDecemeber 1892

Dear Sirs,

In reference to your communication of 30th November, I beg to say I have no recollection of having received from District Inspector any advice regarding the appointment of Patrick Morgan. It may have come in my absence and perhaps my curate approved the appointment of Patrick Morgan. The first intimation I received in connection with the matter was notice from your office that the appointment was made. To that notice I promptly replied stating that he was not, in my estimation, an eligible person for the position. I beg to say further that as regards efficiency the boy Flanagan had the highest marks at his examination.

I remain dear sir yours truly.

Rev. Bernard McKenna P.P."

Following this letter Rev. Bernard McKenna was advised on 17th December 1892 that the appointment of Patrick Morgan as Monitor of Clanvaraghan School was cancelled, as he was not considered by Rev. Bernard McKenna suitable for the position, but as already advised to Rev. Bernard McKenna on 30th November, no other candidate could be appointed to Clanvaraghan School that year.

References:

National Archives Dublin E.D. 2/80/ Folio 48
National Archives Dublin ED9 7404