In 1990
there were 20,000 people living in Athlone and its environs but the children
of Athlone had no access to Gaelscolaíocht. The nearest Gaelscoileanna to Athlone
were situated in Galway to the West and Kilcock towards the East.
Young parents
in Athlone had an interest in the Irish language and culture. A naíonra "playschool
through Irish" had been founded in Coosan in January 1988 and it was operating
very successfully. It was in November 1989 that a group interested in providing
an all - Irish Education for the people of Athlone met. They formed a committee
and they made the founding of a Gaelscoil in Athlone their priority. The committee
consisted of parents, Glór na nGael and Conradh na Gaeilge members and other
people interested in the Irish language. Éilís Ní Dhálaigh was the chairperson
of the committee and Cáit Ui Shuibhne was appointed secretary. The other members
of the committee were Antóin Mac Shuibhne, Nóirín Ui Mhuireagáin, Máire Ui Stíobhairt,
Máiréad Ui Mhaoilmhicil, Máire Ní Fháith, Tomás Ó Duinn, Séamús Mac Aogáin,
Séan Ó Cuana, Brian Ó Coigligh, Pádraig Ó Cléirigh, Seán Ó Gallachóir, Rita
Ui Chathail, Fionntán Ó Garbháin.
By March
1990 it was decided by the founding committee that an enrolment and open day
for the proposed new gaelscoil should be organized. It was planned for Saturday
24th March 1990 between 11.00a.m. and 3.00p.m. Accomodation for the
new school had been agreed on - Our Lady`s Hermitage, Retreat Road , Athlone.
This was a building owned by the Marist Brothers with plenty of rooms which
could be converted into classrooms. It also had a yard. On Friday, March 16th.
1990 a full page advertisement was placed in the Westmeath Independent
advertising the enrolment for the new school. Parents were told that if they
were favourably disposed towards the Irish language and culture and wished their
children to be bilingual this was their opportunity.
Following
a very successful enrolment day a letter was written by the founding committee
on the 28th March 1990 to the Principal Officier of the Primary Education
Branch requesting recognition for the new school. Dr. Colm O`Reilly, bishop
of the diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois had agreed to become the patron of
the Gaelscoil. Thirty children had enrolled for the gaelscoil for September
1990 with four children enrolling for September 1991 and four children enrolling
for September 1992. After some time recognition was granted for the new school
and the post of principal teacher was advertised on the national newspapers.
Parents were well-informed of all developments at all times. During this time
much support was given by the organization Gaelscoileanna and also by established
Gaelscoileanna- Scoil Dara, Galway, Scoil Ui Riada, Kilcock and Scoil Mhichíl
Ui Chíosóg, Ennis.
By July
1990 Brian Mac Giolla Phádraig was appointed as principal of the Gaelscoil.
He was a native of Athlone and had spent two years teaching in England. To ensure
that prospective parents were kept involved in the establishment of the new
school a special meeting was held for them on Monday 30th July in
the Royal Hotel at 9p.m. to allow them to meet the newly appointed principal.
Much work
had to be accomplished before the Gaelscoil could be opened in September 1990.
During the summer months of 1990 there was endless hours of meetings, discussions,
and hard physical work to prepare the Hermitage for forty children. The guiding
motto of the founding committee as they worked was " if a job is worth
doing it is worth doing well." Two classrooms and an office were decorated,
painted and furnished to a very high standard. Various fundraising events were
organized and parents were asked to help with resources and equipment.
At
the beginning of the twentieth century Our Lady’s Hermitage was different
from what it is today. It was a much smaller building and it was the private
home of Mr. Leo Thomas Samuel Swain and his family. The Swains sold their house
in 1900 and decided to live in England. Garrow House ( as it was known then)
was bought by the "Incorporated society for promoting Protestant schools
in Ireland" and became a Protestant boarding school for girls. It opened
its doors for students in 1910.
By 1940
the Marist Brothers purchased the building for £150 plus an annual rent of £89.
They renovated the building and added a large extension to it. They used the
building to house the noviciate of the Marist Order in Great Britain and Ireland.
Previous to this, novices had to travel to the Continent to complete their studies
and be professed. This was no longer possible due to the outbreak of World War
2. It was also decided at this time that the building should be used as a juniorate
for the reception of boys of twelve years and older for preparation to become
members of the Marist Order. Garrow House, with its new extension was re-named
The Hermitage. Saint Marcellin Champagnat (the founder of the Marist
order) called the Marist Brothers house in France L’Hermitage and it was for
that reason that the Hermitage was considered an appropriate name.
The extended
building contained a spacious recreation room, a kitchen, library, large study
hall, dormitories and washrooms. There was sleeping accommodation for sixty
students there. A fine playing field behind the building was bought and there
were handball alleys there also. During the 1940’s, 1950’s, 1960’s many boys
attended the juniorate and noviciate and were professed as Marist Brothers.
By the early 1970’s the numbers attending the juniorate and noviciate had declined
immensely
It was decided
that a new purpose should be found for the Hermitage. For some years it was
very successfully operating as a retreat house for secondary school pupils.
The Marist rehab opened there also helping those people having problems with
drink and drug addiction. In 1990 when the founding committee of Scoil na gCeithre
Máistrí was at work searching for an apporpriate premises for the new school
the Marist Brothers were approached with a view to renting a section of the
Hermitage. It was to their great delight that the Marist Brothers agreed to
this request. Some redecoration and renovation has been carried out on the section
of the building used by Scoil na gCeithre Máistrí in the past ten years. In
the past two years the Athlone Education Centre has also moved into a section
of the Hermitage. Little did Mr. Swain know all the different purposes his house
would serve throughout the century.
Na
Ceithre Máistrí
Our school
was given its name in honour of the four masters. The four Masters were Mícheál
Ó Cléirigh, Fearfeasa Ó Maolchonaire, Cúchoigríche Ó Cléirigh, Cúchoigríche
Ó Dubhgheannáin. Mícheal Ó Cléirgh was the chief and he was a Franciscan brother.
He was sent from Louvain and he spent fifteen yeers travelling around Ireland
collecting information about the history of Ireland. He often used to visit
Friars Island (Oilean na mBriathar) in Killinure in Glasson on Lough Ree. The
Franciscan convent was there because of the Penal Laws. Before the four masters
compiled the Annals they met at Friars Island and they started to work together.
It was there that they drew up their plans, compared their notes, and discussed
their work. They were very poor but were very lucky that they had Toirealach
Mac Cochláin of Kilcolgan at Ferbane as their patron. It was decided that Scoil
na gCeithre Máistrí was a very appropriate name for the new school
considering the connection the four masters had with the Athlone area.
Scoil na
gCeithre Máistrí opened its doors on the 3rd September 1990 for the
first time. Forty children enrolled in the school , twenty boys and twenty girls.
Scoil na gCeithre Máistrí was a unique school being the first Gaelscoil to open
with three classes, junior infants, senior infants and first classes. It was
also the first Gaelscoil to open in the diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois. Swimming
and computers were introduced at junior infant level. The new staff, Brian Mac
Giolla Phádraig and Dáiríne Ní Dhonnchadha (appointed as assistant teacher)
both were Athlone natives and had been teaching in England.
Jack
De Búrca, Adam Mac Cormaic, Cian Ó Maicin, Sarah Ní Chonchubhair, Daithí Ó Dolaraí,
Leah Nic an Leastair, Susan Ní Fháith, Clár Ní Mhaoilmhicil, Orla Ní Ghaill,
Aurlia Ní Mhaoilmhicil, Ian Ó Gealbháin, Jason Mac Cormaic, Deirdre Nic Shuibhne,
Eoin Pádraig Ó Muireagáin, Iseult Nic Aogáin, Basil Mac Giolla Fhaoileáin, Hilary
Price, Chloe Nic Giolla Fhaoileáin, Lisa Warby, Pól Ó Broin, Jennifer Ní Theampall,
Eimear Ní Cheallacháin, Sorcha Seoighe, Aoife Ní Chuana agus Risteard Seoighe.
Rebecca Ní Chomáin, Gabhann Ó Donnagáin, Suibhne Mac Aogáin, Sinead
Ní Mhaolagáin, Sharlene Nic Niocláis, Séamus De Faoite, Barra Mac Giolla Fhaoláin
Proinscias Ó Braoin, Adhamh Ó Dolaraí, Mícheal Ó Donnagáin, Domhnall
Ó Giollagáin, Carolín Nic Cionnaith, Warren Mac Giolla Fhaoláin, Gearoid Ó Conchubhair
agus Caitríona Ní Mhaoláin.
A second
naíonra also opened its doors in Athlone in 1990 and it was called Tír na nÓg.
It could cater for 10 children
Scoil na
gCeithre Máistrí wasn`t the only Gaelscoil to open in September 1990. Three
other similiar schools opened that September- Gaelscoil Shairséil, Limerick
with full Departmental recognition and gaelscoileanna opened in Thurles and
Ballinasloe without recognition. They eventually received full recognition.
On Saturday
15th December 1990, the Minister of Education, Mary O`Rourke officially
opened Scoil na gCeithre Máistrí. Dr. Colm O`Reilly, bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois
and patron of the new school celebrated the Mass. He said in his sermon that
the Irish culture and the Catholic religion were linked. He referred to the
fact that there was a prayer in Irish for all occasions and this connected the
activities of the people with their belief in God. He reminded the congregation
that if we lose our language we lose our valuable heritage.
The children
from the school participated at the Mass and afterwards presented a musical
drama on the birth of Jesus. Scoil na gCeithre Máistrí had opened and was already
reaching a high standard. A broad, progressive curriculum was being offered
to the children with science, technology and computers as part of it. The school
aimed to blend an all-Irish education that was firmly rooted in our culture
with a dynamic, forward-looking curriculum.
Scoil
na gCeithre Máistrí – 1990 to date
Scoil na
gCeithre Máistrí had an enrolment of forty children in 1990 – twenty boys and
twenty girls. In 1999 its enrolment had increased to 227 pupils, 110 boys and
117 girls. The numbers have increased each year since the formation of the school.
The increase in numbers is not quite as dramatic since 1995. This can be explained
by the fact that since 1995 children have being graduating from the school having
completed sixth class.
In 1990 there were two teachers in Scoil na gCeithre Máistrí, Brian Mac Giolla Phádraig and Dáiríne Ní Dhonnchadha and in 2001 there are ten teachers teaching in the school - For more information on the current school staff see Foireann na Scoile.