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A brief history of the new school at Snugboro, Castlebar
In 1978 the existing school at Snugboro was condemned and a new school was recommended. After much viewing of sites by engineers one was chosen at the crossroads as being the most suitable. The site was approved by the Board of Works. It was purchased from its then owner, Mr. Jack McGough, for an agreed sum. Some necessary development works were carried out by Messrs. Padraig McTigue and Tony Dempsey. About this time — 1980/ '81 — some fund-raising activities were organized by the Management Board under the chairmanship of Rev. Fr. Michael Goaley, C.C. Firstly, a raffle was held which raised In February, '81, a sale of work was held in the Welcome Inn Hotel, Castlebar. Due to the tremendous work of the committee and the generosity of the people almost was raised. At Christmas, '81, a cake sale was organized which yielded f400. Meanwhile the paperwork concerning the site for the school was progressing slowly.
By summer of '83 the legal work was finally completed and the site was cleared for application for planning permission. This application was lodged in September, 1983, and planning permission was granted by Christmas of that year.
Early in 1984 Fr. Michael Goaley became seriously ill and was incapacitated for a number of months. In July, 1984, it was announced that he was to be transferred to Irishtown and was replaced by Rev. Fr. Gerard Needham. In November, 1984, a deputation from the area consisting of Fr. Needham, Mr. Michael Cunningham and Mr. Padraig McTigue went to Dublin to meet the Junior Minister at the Office of Public Works, Mr. Joe Birmingham, T.D.
They were accompanied at the meeting by Mr. Enda Kenny, T.D., Mr. Padraig Flynn, T.D., and Mr. Denis Gallagher, T.D. It was impressed on the Minister the urgency of providing a new school for this rapidly expanding area beside the county town. After some discussion the following pledges were given:
(a) That the school should be ready to start in September, 1985.
(b) That the new school should be ready for occupation in September, '86.
Happily, the schedule was adhered to as promised. The contract was awarded to T.H. Contractors, Castlebar. They moved onto the site in September, 1985, and despite the bad weather this firm did an excellent job and had the new school ready within the year. Full marks are due to Tom Henry and his staff on a job well done.
In September, '85, a finance committee was formed in the area to raise funds for the new school.
They undertook three projects:
(a) At Christmas a school concert was held which raised £!,400.
(b) In February, '86, an American tea party was held in the Welcome Inn Hotel which raised £1,100.
(c) In March, '86, a monster raffle raised £1,000
All three projects were immensely successful due in no small way to the work and dedication of the committee. The work of the finance committee has commenced again for this year.
So now after almost ten years of hard work and much waiting, the new school has become a reality. It stands as a fitting tribute to all that effort. Please God, it will serve many future generations of young people from the area. Much thanks is due to all who worked so hard and to all who gave so generously for the sake of the new school.
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To commemorate the centenary of St. Peter's N.S., Snugboro, in 1990, a booklet was produced by Snugboro Foróige which was packed with information, memories and pictures. on this page, we present the information and pictures compiled for that booklet, with thanks to the Foróige club for their wonderful work in its compilation.
Introduction
It is a matter of great pride for me to introduce this booklet marking the centenary of St. Peter's National School, Snugboro. The enthusiasm, the excitement and the spirit of co-operation Which greeted the announcement of the centenary celebrations is an indication of the place St. Peter 's has in the minds and hearts of the local community.
On an occasion like this one would wish that the walls of the school could talk and tell us its story.
The children, the teachers, the parents, the priests Who passed through the classrooms of this country school over the past 100 years are all part of its story. This booklet draws on the memories and the pictures of someof the school's pupils and teachers in an effort to tell part of the story. It's a proud story of a building that for 100 years sheltered countless hundreds of children in their pursuit of ed. ration. Within its strong and
ageing walls they learned to read, write, to do their sums, to love God and their neighbour. The pupils have been taught skills, values and attitudes that, I am sure, have served many of its pupils well in later life.
It is only on an occasion like this we come to realise how important the old schoolhouse is in any community. Age is venerable. St. Peter 's has stood in Snugboro since 1890, a place of faith and learning.
This booklet is a tribute to your old schoolhouse, to the contributions, through its teachers, it made to the lives of all its pupils.
I hope it will bring back to our readers in any happy memories of their schooldays. Indeed, I am very happy to assure you that because of the hard work and dedication of the Community Council and Foroige Club, the teachers, the pupils and their parents will be able to make the 100th birthdav of St. Peter's a memorable one in Snugboro.
JOHN BOURKE JNR.
Chairman ,
Snugboro Foroige.
Message from
Michael Cunningham, Principal
Ar mo shon fhéin agus ar son na müinteöiri uilig sa scoil ba mhian liom comhghairdis a dhéanamh
da mhuintir Ceathraimh Bhriain Oig ar an ocaid stairiüla seo. Is cüis bröid agus möräil eachta do chuiled dhuine san äit, é i scoil a bheith ann ar fead céad bliain. Tä süil agam go mbainfidh sibh
taithneamh agus tairbhe as an leabhrån seo agus as an ceiliür—achån iomlån comh maith.
Autumn draws to a close and winter approaches. We are conscious of the lengthening hours of
darkness stretching out to Christmas and beyond. The words of Scripture keep running through my mind. "Those who have lived in darkness have seen a great light. " These words could be applied to the people of the Snugboro area one hundred years ago. For years they had waited for the torch of learning to be lighted in their own area and finally it had happened. They must have felt very proud to have a school of their own where their children would be prepared for life, whether it was to be at home or abroad.
For one hundred years that torch has burned through the troubled times of the teens and twenties, the depressed times of the thirties, the war-weary years of the forties, and then into the growth years of the sixties and seventies. One cannot help being reminded of the poem "The Brook." To paraphrase it, "Children and teachers come, children and teachers-may go, but I (the torch of learning) go on for ever.'
Since 1986 the torch has found a more congenial or (if you excuse the pun) "snug" environment at the base of the hill. Yet its basic message of truth and beauty remain the same.
May the light continue to burn into the 21st century so that the children and the children's children will benefit from its enlightening rays. As the human master I can but humbly pray, in the words of the Divine Master, "that it shall bring us all to the light of life.'
