Survey Data
Reg No
13400604
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Social
Previous Name
Saint Mary's National School
Original Use
School
In Use As
House
Date
1880 - 1885
Coordinates
225427, 285063
Date Recorded
29/07/2005
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Detached eight-bay single-storey former school, dated 1884, having flat-roofed four-bay single-storey hall to centre of front elevation (northeast), and later gabled dormer windows to the north pitch of roof. Now in use as house. Pitched natural slate roof with two brick chimneystacks, pitched artificial slate roofs to dormers, with timber bargeboards. Painted rendered walls over rendered plinth with carved limestone plaque to flat-roofed extension reading ‘Scoil Muire Scoil Naisiúnta’. Square-headed window openings with six-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows, having sandstone sills. Square-headed openings with timber casement windows to dormers. Square-headed door openings to side elevations of flat-roofed projection (northwest and southeast sides), having half-glazed timber battened doors. Set back from road in elevated site to the northwest of Granard, close to rural crossroad junction. Rendered boundary walls, timber vehicular gate to entrance. Cut stone plaque to entrance reading ‘St. Mary’s National School 1884’ to boundary wall.
Appraisal
Although now converted for use as a private house, this interesting former national school retains much of its early character and form. Like many early national schools, this has a symmetrical plan. Its form suggest that it was originally built as a two classroom school, possibly with separate classrooms for boys and girls as was common practice at the time of construction. The school retains many original features that enhance the façade and add a patina of age such as the slate roof, timber sash windows and the carved limestone plaques, one with Gaelic script. This plaque was probably moved from its original location after the flat-roofed extension was constructed. The school was probably built to standard plans prepared by the Office of Public Works, and is of social importance as one of the earliest educational buildings still extant in the area. It possibly has historical associations with Pádraic Colum (1881 – 1972), a noted literary figure who spent his youth in this part of County Longford and wrote about the Molly area in some of his works.