Past pupils move to restore old girls’ primary school in Errew
A GROUP of past pupils from Errew NS have got together to form a community committee with the intention of bringing the old girls' national school back to life and to improve the surrounding area.
They are raising funds via a GoFundMe page (gf.me/u/zphxzc) and their progress can be followed on their Facebook page (ErrewCC).
Members of the committee include Paul Earley, Anita Reilly, Eadaoin Earley and Janine Hoban.
The project started during the Easter break and they have made great progress on the outside but more money is required to carry out the interior work.
Pictured are members of one family who have all attended Errew NS School - Josie Moran (90), her daughter Lorraine Reape, granddaughter Ciara Davis and her great-granddaughter Fárragh Joyce.
Josie Moran attended Errew Girls NS in 1936 and celebrated her 90th birthday earlier this year.
Her daughter Lorraine Reape, granddaughter Ciara Davis and now her great-granddaughter Fárragh Joyce have all become pupils too.
Like Josie, granddaughter Ciara was also taught in the old school when it was reopened as an overflow classroom in the 1980s.
Josie remembers carrying two sods of turf under her arms to school each day for the fire when supplies ran low.
Teacher Mrs. Higgins would come to school in a pony and trap from Ballyheane. Someone would bring the pony up to the monastery and return with it again when school finished.
The other teachers she remembers were Ms. Howard and Ms. Keane.
Everyone was taught in the same room with infants in the far, back corner and the older girls at the front, near the fire.
Josie remembers walking to school in clogs and often having to sit in wet clothes all day.
The girls used to sit on the ledge at the side of the school to eat their lunch. From there they could look across the field and see the monastery in full view, not hidden behind trees as it is now.
They also had to pull up all the weeds in the garden.
Josie is delighted that her old school is being given a new lease of life and looks forward to going back inside when the work is completed.
Hopefully many more generations of local families will continue to pass through this school too.