Today the dog woke up bright and early and as it was a bank holiday here in Ireland we headed off for a long walk. We walked up to Cappagh School House which is located in Coolaney, Co. Sligo. The school was built in 1868 and cost £300.
I couldn’t find an awful lot of information about it on the internet but did find some on Michael Farry’s book Killoran which has quite a lot of info about Coolaney. It’s hard to believe that this one room had 144 children enrolled, although usually only around 44 turned up as school wasn’t compulsory.
The school really is in a rural setting and I can only imagine the hardship that the children and teacher faced getting to school everyday.
There was an outside building which contained two smaller rooms, I can only imagine these were toilets.
We saw the skull of a sheep in grounds. It kind of adds to the whole history of the place, once a busy bustling building, now decaying and silent.
It was a lovely walk. For once I didn’t fall over although I did get my backside caught on some barbed wire! It’s OK though I’m well padded 😉
Magnumlady Blog 
Totally fascinating!
I thought it was, it’d be great to go back in time.
Wow that sheep skull is awesome!
You never know what you’ll find.
What a fabulous post, Val. I love how you’ve shared so many different facets and details in the ruins with us here, it really helps to create a complete picture for us, if you’ll pardon the expression! Great post.
Thank you 🙂
my Mom went to that school, we saw it again on Sunday as went to Sligo for a long weekend , she lived about 3.5 miles from the school and walked there every day – Mary Catherine Bradley , along with her 4 brothers – her younger sister went to Rockford school – mom would have been 81 this year! Its so very sad to see it left to rot
There are Bradleys in Coolaney today, relatives of mine. Kate Bradley’s grandson Pat lives there with his wife Marry (Farry) and their two kids. Kate was once Kate McFadden, sister of my Grandmother Celia McFadden.
Great Photos Magnum Lady….dis they ever get the bins off the other Cemetery entrance in Sligo?
Thank you. The bins were moved from the cemetery entrance 🙂