125 Years of Education in Blessington
© St. Mary’s
Full title: A History of St. Mary’s National School Blessington: 125th anniversary 1882 – 2007.
Creator / Author: St. Mary’s National School
Item Type / Page count: Book / 159p
When Published: 2007
Publisher / Place of Publication: St. Mary’s National School/ Blessington, Co. Wicklow.
About: A book that is a commemoration of 125 years of teaching at the local primary school. It celebrates the history of the community as told through a compendium of short pieces brought to life by past and present pupils.
ID number(s):None
Contents: Chairman’s address – Principal’s address — Introduction – Forewords – Hedge schools / Larry McCorristine – The National School System / Larry McCorristine – Towards a new school: Blessington 1882 – Blessington Catholic Schools – A Lament for Allen View National School [ballad] / Pat ‘Phildy’ McGowan – An Interview with Mr. Frank Murphy – probably the oldest surviving pupil of St. Mary’s – “I learned nothing” / Frank Murphy – Pat Hanlon (aged 93 years), The Rundle, Knockieran – Bridie and Jane Tyrrell – “Worse than Purgatory” / Evelyn Hudson – “Never missed a day” / Tom Tyrell – The Blessington Tram [ballad] / Peter C. Grattan – Sheila Walsh, née Boylan, aged 82 years – Billy Crowley – an interview – The Teaching of Religion in the National School – Parish Priests of Blessington Parish – The Church of Our Mother of Mercy / Beth Halligan — The Church of Our Lady of the Most Holy Sacrament / Beth Halligan – Seamus Dowling: the man from Mill House – School in the 1940’s – From Blessington to Baghdad / Joe Halligan – Hampden Bomber Crash Site Blackhill 1941 – Annie Byrne née Geoghegan, Burgage – “The Good Old Days” / Pete Nolan – The Primary Certificate – My Memories of St. Mary’s N.S. 1948-1949 / Ron Charles née Veronica Bohan — Knitting and Sewing – She Taught Them All / Vincent Byrne – Mrs. Elizabeth O’Donnell / Manus O’Donnell – Sean Davin, Principal of St. Mary’s N.S. from 1968-1996 – Memories of St. Mary’s National School, Blessington / Theresa Torsney née Creighton — Memoirs of St. Mary’s / Rena Hennessy – Willie Sargent Remembers – Blessington National School Parents Association – Darren McHugh – Schooldays in the 1980’s / Larissa Nolan – Gemma Ashe (R.I.P.) – Comórtas / Ciaran Duffy – Christy Casey – New Principal – Christy Casey (R.I.P.) – an appreciation – Lisa Frederick-Dunne (R.I.P) – Gerry Brown, Principal of St. Mary’s N.S., Blessington 1999-2007 – German in St. Mary’s 1995-2003 / Iris Rouse – Remembering St. Mary’s National School, Blessington 1995 to 2003 / Ellen Bytyqi, Naseem Nolan & Macha O’Donnell – Sport in St. Mary’s National School, Blessington / Lisa Smith – Turning the Sod / Gerry Brown – 125th Anniversary Mass and Unveiling of Commemorative Stone — St. Mary’s National School, Blessington, Co. Wicklow – List of teachers – Epilogue.
Extra #1: Check Libraries Ireland for this publication.
Extra #2: Contains dozens of black and white photographs, mainly of local people.
West Wicklow Bookshelf 