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Schools in Drumreilly circa 1820

LeitrimDrumreilly (Leitrim)

Greetings.
Rather than ask specific questions about my family I'd like to get the lay of the land so to speak around the first half of the 19th century.

It is my understanding that my family leased farmland in (the area of)Parish Drumreilly from around 1815 to 1830. I have recently learned that the eldest son attended "the abbey school at Carrigallan".

Would it make sense that a child from the age 11 to 14 would attend a school in a different parish?
Or is the relationship betweenDrumreilly andCarrigallan not so distinct, especially considering the time? It seems thatCarrigallan is a village, a parish and a barony, so any assistance in helping me understand is greatly appreciated. Web links to descriptions of parishes, churches, schools and graveyards may be more helpful than direct answers but I'll gladly take any information that can be provided.

I found this example to be enlightening:
http://www.stbrigidspastoralarea.ie/parish-churches/st-marys-carrigalle

Kind regards,
Terry

IrelandXO member

1 reply

Dear Terry

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

You can see from the link below that both Carrigallen and Drunreilly are civil parishes in Co. Leitrim. They look quite a distance apart but in actual fact they are about 8 miles apart and so manageable on a bicycle, though I personally wouldn't like to have to cycle a round trip of 16 miles a day!

http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/fuses/civilparish/index.cfm?fuseacti…

I checked the 1826 Report on Education Enquiry and there were many pay or hedge school buildings operating in both parishes so it is strange to me that he would have to travel that distance when there was a school available in the parish he lived in. Schools in both areas were free to those who needed them. The official National School system did not begin in Ireland until 1831 so before that children were sent to pay school or hedge schools which eere supplemented by parents who could pay or societies and charitable institutions like the Kildare Place Society who paid the masters in these schools. Many were small cabins but some were held in the local chapel.

In the parish of Carrigallen there were two schools in (1) the townland of Carrogalen Kivey ('a house not described') and in (2) Carrigallen ('a small mud cabin'). The former was Protestant and the latter Roman Catholic.

In Drumreilly there were two Protestant schools in the townland of Drumreilly ('one a stone and line thatched cabin' and the other 'a small room' but subscription from the Kildare Place Society was leading to a new venue for the latter).

It would be interesting to find out more about that Abbey School, if only as you say, to find out the general context of your ancestors' lives. You can buy a copy of the 1826 Report mentioned above at Archive CD Books (link below), it's a great read if you are interested in this area of local history:

http://www.archivecdbooks.ie/

Hope this helps somewhat!

Clare Doyle

Genealogy Support 

IrelandXO member

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