Limerick school goes above and beyond for bicentennial

AHANE National School in Lisnagry is to commemorate 200 years of education with a bicentennial week of celebrations.

Mayor of Limerick, Cllr Gerald Mitchell will officially launch the week-long event at the school in Laught, Lisnagry, by planting an Oak tree and time capsule in the grounds on Monday October 23.

This will be followed by a series of events in the school including a community celebration evening in the School Halla on the evening of Thursday October 26 at 7pm where memories of Ahane National School throughout the years will be shared along with story-telling and curated historical images.

An exhibition celebrating the life and legacy in Ireland and Australia of Richard Bourke, founder of the original Ahane School, former Governor of Australia and founder of the city of Melbourne will also be open to the local community on the evening of October 26.

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Sir Bourke, born in 1778, was the philanthropist who originally founded the school in 1823 prior to the repeal of the penal laws in Ireland, before this, the children of Ahane were educated by a hedge school master named Patty Collins who taught the children each evening after work.

Bourke erected a stone school building on his property, Thornfield Estate and began education with 79 pupils, 47 boys and 32 girls. This building remained in use until 1933 when the present school was built.

“Education has a proud history in Ahane from the beginning of the 19th century to the present day” explained Ahane NS Principal, Siobhán Kennedy.

Today, Ahane NS is located at Laught, Lisnagry and hosts over 130 students.

“While our present building was opened in 1933, we’re delighted to commemorate the bicentenary of the first Ahane National School on the Thornfield estate just across from St Ptrick’s Church in Ahane. The children will learn about early school life in Ahane 200 years ago” added Principal Kennedy.

Ahane NS is grateful to Dr Max Waugh of Monash University Melbourne and Sir Richard’s descendant Ace Bourke who have both written extensively on Richard Bourke an are donating books about him to the school library.