School Info

 

The official opening of the first school was performed on the 5th. of May 1856. We can only wonder at what that day must have been like as no written account of it has come down to us except a single entry in a Roll Book telling us when the official opening took place. Many questions have been left to our imaginations to answer. What must the celebrations have been like? How were the pupils dressed? How were the teachers dressed? What size were the classrooms? How many pupils first attended on the opening of the school ? Did all children of school going age go to school? At what age did the pupils leave primary school? The answers to some of these questions are to be found on the photograph of the first page of the roll book dated 1856, directly underneath this text.

The crest contains our school's name "St. Oliver Plunkett National School". It also contains an image of the Templemoyle Bell and an open book. The bell symbolises our long history of involvement in education dating back to the foundation of a monastic settlement at Templemoyle in the seventh century A.D. The book symbolised our present day commitment to learning. Our crest stands for our educational heritage, our present commitment to education and our future plans for personal and collective development.

The patron saint of our school is St. Oliver Plunkett. He was a person of great character, learning and spirituality and is therefore a very suitable choice as patron. He was devoted to learning and he endured hatred, discrimination, and betrayal during his life. He lived during a time of political unrest in Ireland. There were land wars and plantations in Ireland and Civil War in England. He endured even more than most of his compatriots. Read his Time Line below and find out more about his life.

Time Line of Main Events of his Life.

1. 1. He was born in Loughcrew in Co. Meath on the 1st. of November 1625.
   2. He was ordained a priest in Rome on the 1st. of January 1654.
   3. He was consecrated as bishop and appointed as Professor of Theology in Rome on the 23rd. of November 1669.
   4. He returned to Ireland after 23 years of exile abroad on the 7th of March 1670.
   5. He was arrested on the 6th. of December 1679.
   6. He was brought to trial in London in June 1681 on trumped up charges and was sentenced to death.
   7. He was hanged, drawn, quartered and beheaded on the 1th. of July 1681. He was canonised on 12th. of October 1975.
   8. His feast day is the 11th. of July.