Past pupils and teachers of Knockjames National School will flock to Tulla from across Ireland and the world to attend a reunion on June 4.
The school held a firm presence in Tulla for 113 years before it closed its doors in 1970 and an event has been organised by a couple of past pupils to commemorate the old school.
This will be held at Knockjames Church where, weather permitting, an open air mass will be said at 6.30pm followed by the unveiling of a lasting memorial to the school on June 4.
The school was located at Knockjames, a Tulla townland located on the Gort road side of the parish. It closed for the last time in the summer of 1970, when all schools in the parish were amalgamated with the Tulla town schools.
The school, as it stood then, was a prefab building located to the back of Knockjames Church. The first part of Knockjames National School was built in 1857 on Quigley land with money supplied by Fr Quigley, who lived in California.
A past student, Sean Fitzgerald, is among those involved in the reunion and he explained that the school was deemed as unsuitable in 1906 and yet somehow continued as a school for more than 50 years.
“There is no visible sign of the old Knockjames School now as it has tumbled to the ground stone by stone and is now overgrown with modern forestry plantation,” he said.
The event was organised following the success of a reunion held last year for past pupils and teachers of Drumcharley National School that closed due to the amalgamation in 1970 also.
“It will be a hugely nostalgic occasion as people who haven’t seen each other since school days, in some cases over 50 years ago, will chat again and reminisce. Visitors are expected from the USA, England and from all over Ireland,” Mr Fitzgerald added.
“Knockjames School has disappeared from sight and is rapidly disappearing from the memory now. It is just over 50 years (September 1959) since the humble two room slated, whitewashed little structure hidden in the coarse but lush hills of Knockjames behind Long’s house began its journey towards the ground to be swallowed up in a jungle of nettles, briars, ‘sally’ bushes and surrounded by a modern manmade forestry,” he recalled.
“Knockjames part two relocated to a little partitioned section of Knockjames Church in April 1960, the youngsters of the area having enjoyed a nine month holiday, saving the hay and the turf, picking the potatoes, bringing, driving and milking the cows, feeding cattle, tackling the donkey or pony to bring the milk to the creamery.
“Having spent a few years tucked away in the little corner of the church which now houses the out of date confessional, the teacher Mrs Annie Corry and children enjoyed a massive upgrade with the arrival of Knockjames School part three, the prefab behind the church with electric light and a proper stove for a fire.
“It is just over 40 years since this Knockjames National School disappeared from the landscape. Every pupil of the final version of Knockjames National School is at least into their late 40s.
“Much to our joy, five teachers of the late great school are still hale and hearty Claire Halloran, Bridget P McMahon, Kathleen Minogue (Hayes), Nancy Walsh (Leamy) and the last teacher to turn a key in Knockjames school, Annie Corry (Culloo),” he outlined.
There will be many school photos on display as well as old family and community photos and it is hoped that a booklet will be produced giving details of the school history, as well as some local history and that this will be available at the event.
Coincidentally, the display will feature a photograph taken 100 years to the day of the reunion, of the marriage of Paddy Torpey and Mary Harrison from Knockjames at their ceremony held in New York on June 4, 1911.
The invitation to the evening is open to all extended Knockjames families, community past and present, and anybody with an interest in Knockjames or a link to that community, no matter how remote.