Réamhrá an Chathaoirligh

Is cúis mhór athais domh réamhrá a scríobh don leabhrán seo a ghabhann leis an taispeántas sealadach de chuid Iarsmalann an Iúir agus Mhúrn, “Oideachas san Iúr agus Múrna: Dearcadh Stairiúil”.

Ag baint leas as cáipéisí, grianghrafanna agus ábhair, cíorann an taispeántas seo soláthar oideachais sa cheantar. Scrúdaíonn sé ról na scoileanna príobháideacha sa 19ú haois, tús agus éifeacht na scoileanna náisiúnta, tionchar na n-aicmí creideamh in oideachais na háite and athruithe a tugadh isteach faoin reachtaíocht.

Pléitear forbairtí i modhanna teagaisc agus ábhar na gceachtanna thar na blianta. Tugann réimse leathan deantán roinnt athchuimhní do na seandaoine chomh maith le léargas ar shaol na scoile sna laethanta fadó do pháistí agus do dhaoine óga.

Tugann an taispeántas seo léargas dúinn ar ghné staire áitiúla agus oidhreachta agus díríonn sé aird ar ról ríthábhachtach an oideachais i bhforbairt an tsochaí i gceantar an Iúir agus Mhúrn.

Thar ceann na hIarsmalainne ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil le achan uile duine a ghéill d’iarratas na hIarsmalainne i dtaca le deantáin, doiciméid agus eolas. Is mór againn a gcuid flaithiúlachta.

An Comhairleoir Gillian Mhic Giolla Phádraig

Cathaoirleach Chomhairle Ceantair an Iúir, Mhúrn agus an Dúin

Chairperson’s Foreword

I am delighted to write the foreword to this booklet which accompanies “Education in Newry and Mourne: an Historical Perspective”, a temporary exhibition at Newry and Mourne Museum.

Drawing on documents, photographs and objects, this exhibition explores the provision of education in the area. It examines the role of private schools in the 19th century, the introduction and impact of National Schools, the influence of religious denominations in local education and changes introduced by legislation.

Developments in teaching methods and the content of lessons over the decades are also considered. The range of artefacts on display provide this exhibition with a strong reminiscence element for older people while giving children and young people an insight into school life in by-gone days.

The exhibition will help us gain an insight into this aspect of local history and heritage and highlight the vital role education has made in the development of society in the Newry and Mourne area.

On behalf of the Museum, I would like to thank all those who responded to the Museum’s appeal for artefacts, documents and information. Their generosity is much appreciated.

Councillor Gillian Fitzpatrick Chair of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council

Introduction

Prior to the 1830s most education provision was private, either funded through churches, landowners or charitable organisations.

In south Armagh, for example, a schoolhouse was built in Ballymoyer by the Kildare Place Society in the early 19th century. This was subsequently endowed by Marcus Synnot, the local landlord. Hedge schools, mainly for the education of rural Catholic children, were also found throughout the district.

During the course of the 19th century there was an increasing awareness of the lack of intermediate (secondary) education in Ireland. Secondary education was provided by Protestant endowed schools and by Catholic religious orders including the Christian Brothers, who came to Newry in 1851, and Loreto Sisters.

The Agricultural and Technical Instruction Act (1899) provided for training in technical skills to support the economy, and technical schools were opened locally in Newry, Kilkeel and Warrenpoint.

funding, could go to a fee paying grammar school. In Newry, in 1948, the Intermediate School became Newry Grammar School. The post war years also saw changes in secondary school qualifications, with the introduction of national qualifications.

The provision of education in Northern Ireland remains a contentious issue. Although integrated education is expanding, it is still a highly segregated education system at primary and secondary school level. Debate still continues with regard to academic selection at the age of eleven.

A new education system was introduced in Ireland with the Education Act (1831) which established the Board of National Education. This provided nondenominational education and National Schools began to be built throughout Ireland. This included the monitorial method of teaching which was first put into practice in 1845. This gave talented pupils the opportunity to become monitors and go on to teacher training college.

A nationwide campaign for the introduction of intermediate education resulted in the passing of the Intermediate Education (Ireland) Bill (1878). This established a Board which oversaw the setting of courses, use of textbooks and the standard of examinations. Intermediate schools began to be built in various towns throughout Ireland and one was established in Corry Square in Newry.

In 1892 education became compulsory for all children between 6 and 14. The Belmore Commission was set up in 1897 and concluded that the curriculum was out of date and too narrow. A number of recommendations were made to include practical skills such as drawing, elementary science, physical education and manual instruction.

With the partition of Ireland in 1921, the Ministry of Education was set up in Northern Ireland. National Schools became primary or public elementary schools. Attempts to introduce a non-denominational structure did not succeed and publicly funded schools became Protestant whilst a separate Catholic school system developed simultaneously.

The 1947 Education Act raised the school leaving age to fifteen and created a new secondary school system which pupils would transfer into at the age of eleven. Children could go to an intermediate secondary school, which was free and non-academic, or a technical school at the age of thirteen. For those who passed the the eleven plus exam, and thus receive government

Hedge Schools Noreen Cunningham

Before the 1830s, the provision of education was sporadic. Religious oppression under the penal laws meant that Catholics were forbidden to establish schools or educate their children abroad. These laws also affected Nonconformist Protestants, particularly Presbyterians.

In A Report on the State of Popery in Ireland, 1731, ‘Popish Schools’ were recorded in the parishes of Clonduff and Kilbroney, which were most likely hedge schools.

Children of all ages were educated in hedge schools, which were often located in secret places. These were informal schools with rudimentary accommodation in a barn or house in winter, or outdoors, sheltered under a hedgerow or tree in summer. The qualifications of the teachers varied widely, from well educated scholars to former hedge school pupils. In rural areas, the agricultural calendar dictated attendance at the hedge school and the teachers were often itinerant.

Teaching methods varied; as with the older bardic school tradition, repetition was often an important part of the learning process. The curriculum concentrated on reading, writing and arithmetic. Teaching was mainly in English, and in some areas, Irish. Other subjects such as classical and modern languages were sometimes taught. The schools were usually financed by parents.

With the end of the penal laws in 1782, constraints on Catholic education were removed, and many of the hedge schools relocated to larger premises and continued as private schools.

Hedge schools were prevalent throughout the Newry and Mourne area and some continued onwards after the 1830s. Various sources indicate that nearly every townland had at least one hedge school.

Samuel Lewis recorded in 1837 that in the parish of Belleek in south Armagh, “ …Two schools afford instruction to about 160 boys and 100 girls; and there are also two hedge schools in which there are about 50 children, and 3 Sunday schools.”

In 1950, Padraic Keenan in his book, Saval in Ancient and Modern Times commented; “… Long before the days of Emancipation, ‘illegal’ schools flourished in the district, the Grant family – with a teaching tradition of over two hundred years, being prominent in this field.

As late as 1843 Hugh Grant, aged 20 years, conducted a hedge school in Croreagh. Another old master who, with thirty pupils, met “feloniously to learn” in a rude cabin built by the subscriptions of people in Carnacally, was Edward Cassidy, who was alive in 1824. His salary, subscribed by the pupils amounted to £10 annually.”

The introduction of the National Schools System in 1831 heralded the decline of hedge schools in Ireland.

Boys at Dromintee National School, south Armagh, 1923

The Education Act of 1831 provided for nondenominational education and National Schools began to be built throughout Ireland. Pictured second row, second from right, is Michael J Murphy, who left school at 14 to work as a labourer with local farmers. He developed an interest in storytelling and documented the folklore of south Armagh Newry and Mourne Museum

Memories of St. Clare’s Convent, High Street, Newry

Kathleen Harrington

St. Clare’s Convent School was established in 1830 in High Street, Newry, following a request in 1829 by Dr. Kelly, Bishop of Dromore, to the Sisters of St. Clare to found a home with a focus on teaching the “poor females” of Newry.

My mother, all her sisters and my grandmother went to St. Clare’s and I went there as a pupil, and then taught there for thirty-nine years.

My earliest memory of the school was going into nursery class, which was the building that overlooked High Street. It was a long, low classroom, one end of it had a rocking horse and the other, a doll’s house that you could walk into. There was also a fireplace at either end, as there was no central heating.

The highlights of school life were at Feis time, the whole place was a buzz of activity with children practicing poems and choir singing. A Scottish nun, Sister Bernadette, was the fore-runner of the choral speaking, then Sister Aquinas, and after she left Ethel Fitzpatrick took over.

Pupils of St. Clare’s Convent Primary School pictured displaying trophies won at Newry Musical Feis in 1942. Kathleen Harrington is pictured front row, centre, wearing her Irish Dancing costume Courtesy of Kathleen Harrington

As a pupil, I conducted a choral speaking junior choir and brought them to the Feis. I remember running back up High Street and shouting up to the nuns’ dormitories, “Sister Aquinas we won the cup!” That’s how she knew we had won, as nuns could not leave the convent at that stage.

After leaving St. Clare’s, I went to the Sacred Heart School and it was like going from home to home, as we only had to go down a flight of steps. We did choir singing with Mons. Delafaille who was the organist in Newry Cathedral at the time, but there were less activities and a lot of work.

My teacher training was at St. Mary’s College in Belfast. We did teaching practice in Belfast in first and second year, and then back home in Newry, in St. Clare’s.

I got a teaching post in St. Clare’s Convent in 1956; a child came down to our house in Mary Street and she said “Mother Basilica said you’re to come up now, she has a class for you”.

School life went on during the Troubles, but children arrived late because of something that happened or were not sent to school at all for fear of trouble breaking out on the way home.

The best bit about teaching was seeing a child who didn’t show very much promise at the beginning, coming on at the end of Primary 7, being confident and able to speak for herself, and stand on her own two feet.