School closure the end of an era

THIS week marks the end of an era in Glenisland, Castlebar.

The local primary school, founded 146 years ago, is closing forever.

With enrolment slipping to only four pupils - all in sixth class - closure of Glenisland NS, an educational institution with a long and proud history, was inevitable this summer.

A fresh intake of at least eight new pupils was needed to keep the school open. Department of Education rules stipulate that if a school has less than eight pupils for two years running it’s closing.

It’s a pity. The building was recently reroofed and sandblasted. The entire grounds are fully enclosed. A spacious general purpose room enables year round PE lessons, drama, concerts and plays.

At the back of the school there is a fully enclosed astroturf pitch. At the front lies a large basketball court.

At one stage, the building was mooted as a base for the new Educate Together non-denominational school but parents of prospective pupils objected on the grounds of its location in a rural area, some four to five miles northwest of the county town.

The closure is being implemented with little fanfare. With pupils getting a half day, a handful of parents will join the school principal and the chairman of the board of management, Jackie Deffely, for tea and biscuits tomorrow (Thursday).

Then the doors will swing shut, unlikely ever to re-open, at least for educational purposes.