- PAROCHIAL SCHOOL RETURNS 1824
- (From Schools of Kildare and Leigh/in 1 775-
1835
- by Monsignor M. Brenan, M.A., B.D. D.Ph. P.P.
V.F., Edenderry)
- By kind permission
On 14 June 1824 the English Government
appointed a Royal Commission consisting of tour Protestants, Thomas F.
Lewis, John L. Foster, William Grant, James Glassford and one Catholic,
Anthony Richard Blake to enquire into the nature and extent education in
Ireland as maintained in whole or in part from public funds, and to report
on how education can be extended to all the people of Ireland. The
Commission sat until June 1827 and cost toe country £40,000. Dr. Doyle’s
caustic comments on the First Report of the Commission leave no doubt as
to its biased and prejudiced character. A Second Report was issued in due
time by the Commission. Returns consisting of 1 5 queries were sent to
every parish priest or non-Catholic minister. These were sent back, but
were published only in summary and partial form. The returns themselves
were probably destroyed. The setting up of the Royal Commission only made
Dr. Doyle more cautious and vigilant. He advised his parish priests to
forward duplicate returns to himself. Over three-fourths of these
duplicate parochial returns are preserved in the Bishop’s archives. These
were published by Monsignor Martin Brenan, P.P., DPh., V.F., Gill, Dublin
1935. Where the parochial returns are-not available, Blue Book Summaries
are supplied. These parochial returns seem to be unique for Kildare and
Leighlin diocese.
PARISH: KILLESHIN
(Michael Rafter, P.P. 1823—1840)
Killeshin Classical School. James
McAliffe. Roman Catholic.
1. GRAIGUE (Blue Book Summary, p. 764).
James Haughey. Roman Catholic. Pay School. Income
about £10 8s. School-house built with lime and stone. Average attendance:
Summer 1824 - Males 16, Females 10; Roman Catholics 26. Not connected with
any Society. Scriptures not read.
2. GRAIGUE (Blue Book Summary, p. 764).
Mary Kinsela. Roman Catholic. Pay School. Income
about £20. School-house built of lime and stone. Average attendance:
Summer Males 12, Females 25; Roman Catholics 37. Not connected with any
Society. Scriptures not read.
3. EVATON (Blue Book Summary, p. 764).
George Alexander Lynch. Roman Catholic. Pay School. A
Private Boarding School. Income £1,280. School-house a spacious mansion:
cost £3,000. Average attendance: Summer 1824 - Males 32: Roman Catholics
32. Not connected with any Society. Scriptures not read.
4. ARDATAGLE (Blue Book Summary, p. 764).
John Gallagher. Roman Catholic. Pay School. Income
about £20: opened but half the year. School-house built with stone and
clay mortar. Average attendance: Summer 1824 - Males 75; Females 25;
Established Church I , Roman Catholics 99. Not connected with any Society.
Scriptures read, D. Version, 1 copy.
5. ARDTAGLE (Blue Book Summary, p. 764).
Thomas Brennan. Roman Catholic. Pay School. Income
about £8. School-house built with stone and lime. Average attendance:
Summer 1824 - Males 16, Females 7; Roman Catholics 23. Not connected with
any Society. Not stated re reading Scriptures.
6. KREEKAWN (Blue Book Summary, p. 764);
Michael Phelan. Roman Catholic. Pay School. Income
about £12. School-house built with lime and stone. Average attendance:
Summer 1824 - Males 32, Females 8; Established Church I, Roman Catholics
39. Not connected with any Society. Scriptures not read.
7. GRAIGUE (Blue Book Summary, p. 764).
James Mulhall. Roman Catholic. Pay School. Income
about £13. School-house built with lime and stone. Average attendance:
Summet 1824 - Males 18, Females 12; Roman Catholics 30. Not connected with
any Society. Scriptures not read.
8. SLATY (Blue Book Summary, p. 766).
Matthew Haughey. Roman Catholic. Pay School. Income
£13. School, an outhouse attached to his dwelling. Average attendance
Summer 1824 - Males 12, Females 4; Roman Catholics 16. Not connected with
any Society. Scriptures not read.
PROTESTANT SCHOOLS
1. GRAIGUE (Blue Book Summary, p. 7b4)
William Pitman and wife. Protestants. Parish School.
Pay School. Income £35, including his salary as parish clerk: £14 raised
by subscription. School-house built with stone and lime. Average
attendance: Summer 1824 - Males 13, Females 24: Established Church 30,
Roman Catholics 7. In connection with Kildare Place Society. Scriptures
read, A. Version.
2. GRAIGUE (Blue Book Summary, p. 764).
James H. Lysaght. Protestant. Pay School. Income
about £20. School-house built with stone and lime. Average attendance:
Summer 1824 - Males 10, Females 6; Established Church 12, Roman Catholics
4. Not connected with any Society. Scriptures not read.
3. SPAW FARM (Blue Book Summary, p. 764).
Hannah Kerr. Protestant. Pay School. Income about
£10. School-house built with stone and lime. Average attendance: Summer
1824 - according to Protestant return Males 10, Females 14; Roman
Catholics 24. Not connected with any Society. Scriptures not read.
Arles Parish. Co Laois