One of Limerick's oldest schools celebrates 200 years of education

LIMERICK'S oldest school, Ahane National School, built by the same man who founded Melbourne, is commemorating its 200th anniversary with a bicentennial week of celebrations which began on Monday.

Mayor of Limerick Gerald Mitchell officially launched the week-long event at the school in Laught, Lisnagry, by planting an oak tree and time capsule in the grounds on Monday. The time capsule contains photographs, school news, a list of 2023 average prices and letters from the children about their lives and hobbies.

This will be followed by a series of events in the school all week including a visit on Wednesday from His Excellency, the Ambassador of Australia to Ireland Gary Gray. The ambassador will visit Ahane NS to see an exhibition celebrating the life and legacy in Ireland and Australia of Sir Richard Bourke, founder of the original Ahane School, former Governor of Australia and founder of the city of Melbourne.

A community celebration evening will take place in the school hall on Thursday evening at 7pm when memories of Ahane National School throughout the years will be shared along with story-telling and curated historical images. 

“Education has a proud history in Ahane from the beginning of the nineteenth century before the national school system in Ireland was introduced to the present day,” explained Ahane NS principal, Siobhán Kennedy. 

“While our current building was opened in 1933, we’re delighted to commemorate the bicentenary of the first Ahane NS on the Thornfield estate just across from St Patrick’s Church in Ahane. The children will learn about early school life in Ahane 200 years ago and it’s also an opportunity for them to get involved in the commemorations through the local history aspect of the school curriculum and the ‘Decades Day’ dress up celebrations on Thursday.

"They have been busy preparing items for the Time Capsule to be opened in the future and we’re also looking forward to having a new wooden sculpture in our school grounds created by Limerick craftsman Will Fogarty over the coming months. 

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Ms Kennedy said she is very thankful to the Bourke exhibition curator Seamus Flynn, the Historic Houses of Ireland and Limerick Civic Trust for loaning them the Richard Bourke exhibition for their bicentennial event, to Earle Landscaping and Troy Chauffeurs for sponsoring a beautiful oak tree and other sponsors and parents for their support in organising and celebrating the weeks’ events.

Sir Richard Bourke, born in 1778, was the philanthropist who paid for and built the original Ahane School before the famine occurred and prior to the repeal of the penal laws in Ireland and the introduction of the national school system in Ireland in 1831. Prior to the 1820s, the children of Ahane were taught by a hedge school master named Patty Collins who taught the children each evening after work.

As a result of Sir Bourke’s generosity, a stone building was erected by him on his estate, Thornfield, Ahane in 1823. This school commenced with 79 pupils, 47 boys and 32 girls, and was in situ until 1933 when the present school was built down the road at the cross of Laught. Sir Bourke, who subsequently became governor in New South Wales, was guided by his experience gleaned in Ahane, when he set up and developed the educational system in that part of Australia (1831 – 1835).

Today Ahane NS is a thriving school with an active and successful parents association who provide support with a wide range of activities including sporting events and fundraising.

Each century has brought huge improvements and developments to Ahane National School. Tracing the school’s progression, in 1823 there were 79 pupils enrolled in Ahane school, there were 88 in 1933. At the beginning of the 21st century the enrolment was 81 when the school was extended and renovated.

Today there are over 130 pupils and the school curriculum has evolved and developed in line with Department of Education and Skills guidance. Ms Kennedy, who was appointed in 2017, is working with staff, board of management and school community to continue the tradition of education in Ahane.

“We’re looking forward with confidence to the future of education in Ahane, and in so doing will use this week’s bicentennial commemorations to remember the efforts and achievements of those who have gone before us,” she concluded.

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