Where It All Started
There has been a primary school on this campus since 1861, it was one of the first houses of the Religious Sisters of Charity founded by Mary Aikenhead. Permission was given to build a new school in the early seventies, and was designed by Smith Kennedy Architects, and was officially opened in 1974. Boys attended the school in Junior and Senior Infants and First Class, but this practice stopped shortly before the new building opened. The Blessing and Opening Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Dermot Ryan and attended by the Minister for Education, Richard Burke T.D. among others. Staff and members of the Board of Management joined Sr. Dolores O’Brien (Principal) on that day. The Board was chaired at that time by Sister Finian Bourke. Forty years later, we were delighted to have Sister Finian cut the cake at our celebrations. A notable member of the Board of Management was Mr. Edward Nugent, father of Ms. Breda Nugent, the Deputy Principal.
The campus was somewhat different to that of today. There was only one vehicle entrance – that which leads to the convents today. Cars for the school or the convent entered through this one gate. A little further down towards the seafront, there was a small pedestrian gate and it was through this that the parents and children entered Scoil Mhuire, Lakelands. A little further down again was the Bus Stop, the Number 3 bus came around to the school at about 9 a,m, 1p.m. and 3p.m. Children could get the Number 3 bus to Scoil Mhuire and be collected on it as well! As you came in the gate on the right-hand side, was a field, where Queenie, our beloved white horse, grazed. She would move regularly to the back field and return again to the side field, to the delight of the children.
