Our School Past and Present

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Seeing the need for education among the children of his

tenant farmers, Lord Gough of Lough Cutra, in November

1865 submitted plans for a school to the Commissioners

of National Education. Lord Gough had previously erected

a Protestant church in Lough Cutra, hoping to get some of

his tenants to change their religion. However, there were

no jumpers and in 1866 Lord Gough decided to refurbish

the fine stone cut, slated building, erected at his own

expenses and turned it into a school. On New Year’s Day

1867, Lord Gough opened the school for the first time and

appointed Michael Cusack, who would later go on to found

the G.A.A., as the first headmaster.

The school was opened as non-denominational with Lord

Gough as its patron, manager and correspondent.

Michael Cusack was appointed principal of Lough Cutra on the last day of 1866. .

The best known teachers in Lough Cutra after Cusack were Mr. and Mrs. Clandillon. Mr. William Clandillon of Athy, Co. Kildare was appointed principal in 1885. In 1886 a new boys school was erected and two new teachers, Johanna and Brigid Little from Bodyke arrived to teach in the newly formed girls school. Mr. Clandillon later married Johanna and they lived in the school residence. The three teachers had trained in Tyrone House in Dublin. Mr. Clandillon had a keen interest in Botany and horticulture and in 1884 the school was recognised as a Garden National School. Lord Gough, himself a distinguished authority on botany and palaeontology wished to have the school placed with the Department of Agriculture but nevertheless gave Clandillon his support. The same year, Miss Brigid Little was appointed principal of the girl’s school.

Mr. William Clandillon died in the flu epidemic 1918 and was succeeded as school principal by his son Michael who remained at the helm until his retirement in 1948. His marriage to Margaret Hanratty, the assistant teacher in the national school forged closed the bonds between the Clandillons and Lough Cutra.

In the 1940’s Fr. Quinn decided to apply to have a new school built. It was completed and officially opened in 1946. The old boys’ school was knocked to make way for the new school and while the school was being built the children only went to school for half the day, the boys in the morning and the girls in the evening. Mr. Michael Burns took over as principal in 1948 and he remained in the position for 34 years until his retirement in 1982. He was a keen Irish language enthusiast and worked faithfully at restoring the use of the Irish language. His pupils won County Council Scholarship and the Dr. Martyn scholarship to St. Mary’s College. He retired after a long and distinguished career in 1982. He was succeeded by Mrs. Ita Clandillon.

She was replaced as principal in 1989 by Mr. Joe Killeen. Ms. Annette Lally was appointed in 1982 and Ms. Caroline Rock, (now Mrs. Kelly) in 1989. The roof of the school was replaced in 1987 and other facilities were improved between 1987 and 1992. A fourth teacher Ms. Carmel Connolly was appointed in 1984.

Subsequently Ms. Maurette Purcell was appointed Learning Support Teacher with Ms. Áine O’ Regan as Resource Teacher. 

Recently, additional construction work has been carried out in the school by Custy Construction which included extra accommodation for a new A.S.D. Unit which was opened in September 2017 having previously been in a classroom.

Ms. Annette Lally retired as Deputy Principal in December 2017 after 35 years’ service.

At Present, we have 91 pupils on roll and Mrs. Power is the current principal. We have four mainstream class teachers; Ms. Purcell teaches Junior and Senior Infants; Ms. Finn teaches 1st and 2nd class; Mrs. Forde teaches 3rd and 4th class; Ms. Gill teaches 5th and 6th class. She is on maternity leave at the moment and Ms. D Diviney is taking her place. We also have an ASD unit where Ms. M Diviney is at the helm.

The Department of Education has granted an extension to the current building and we have also been awarded €11900.00 from the Sports Capital Grant Scheme. Plans for a new playing pitch and extended carpark are currently underfoot.