Individual Irish Schools: Kilglass National School
Figure 1.-- Kilglass is a small village located in cenral Ireland county Galway west of Dublin. Schools in the United Kingdom were mostly opened and financed by local bodies and resources. National schools were financed by the national government. . A major stepin British public education was the British Parliament passae of the Educatin Act of 1870 which provided greatly increased support for primary schools. The Government opened a national school Kilglass (1872). The site and some of the buildings continue to be used. The original school was a thatched structure. A new building was constructed (1902). Here we see phptograph at the smae time with the students and teachers. All the children seem ro be barefoot. Notice the children at the left. They look to be boys wearing dresses and pinafores. At the time mothers in rural areas dressed boys like girls so that the farries would not steal them away.
Kilglass is a small village located in cenral Ireland county Galway west of Dublin. Schools in the United Kingdom were mostly opened and financed by local bodies and resources. National schools were financed by the national government. Ireland at the time was controlled by the Protestant Accendancy (establishment). Thus the majority Catholic Church was suspicious of the schools which in the early-19th century did actually prostilize. This varied over time, but generally over time became more secular in character,but there was a trend over time for Catholic and Protestant children to attend seoarate schools. A factor here was that the rural populatiom in the southrn counties were overwhealmingly Catholic. Poverty, concern about Protestant influence, and the lack of schools in many rural areas meant that many Irish children did not attend school. Over time, however, more and more children enrolled in school. A major step was the British Parliament passad of the Education Act of 1870 which provided greatly increased support for primary schools. The Government opened a national school Kinglas (1872). The site and some of the buildings continue to be used. The original school was a thatched structure. A new building was constructed (1902). A photo depicts the children and teachers at the School (1992). The 1902 survives as part of today's school. Subsequently it was extended and remodelled (1951).
