St Patrick's Girls National School

1915 saw a new stone, 5 teacher school built on the Dublin Road to replace the old St. Patrick’s Boys’ and Girls’ school which had been behind St. Patrick’s Church. The children marched up the road from the old to the new school in 1915 but it was officially opened on February 1st, 1916. The school was built with a Treasury Grant, local contributions and voluntary labour by local men. In the school, the rooms were heated by fires in raised grates used for teaching cookery. It was customary to heat the children’s bottles of milk around the fires and on top of the range. The teachers in the Girl’s School in 1916 were Mrs. Seoirse Clancy (Principal), Miss McCarthy O’Sullivan, and Mrs. Sheehan and in the Boys’ School were Mr. McMahon (Principal) and Mr. Coleman.

The development of new houses in Garryowen gave a large influx of pupils to the school, so in 1954, two extra classrooms, two cloakrooms and two teachers toilets were added to the building. The outdoor toilets at the back wall were replaced. Prior to 1966, both boys and girls schools were bursting at the seams. Classes were being held in both cloakrooms and even in the Scout hall up the hill. A new boys’ school was built across the road in 1966 and boys’ classes transferred to their new school as each new room was ready.

New housing developments  in Corbally and Rhebogue from the 1980’s to the present day has led to increased pupil enrolment  in our school.  This necessitated ongoing structural change. In 2006, both of the old concrete split level school yards were replaced with one single yard. In 2007  it was necessary to install  a double prefab (3rd and 4th classes)  and one small prefab  (language support class) to the rear of the building to cater for the growing needs of our school.