History

 

COURTENAY SCHOOL
1706 – Present

 

The School owes its origin to the plantation of the lands belonging to Gerald, Earl of Desmond. He rebelled against Queen Elizabeth and, after a long devastating war, was defeated and killed in 1583. His estates were planted with English settlers, among whom was Sir William Courtenay of Powderham Castle in Devon.

By the early 18th century this estate had grown to one of the largest in Ireland. Newcastle was the principal town of the estate. Courtenay was an improving landlord and, through his agents, the fabric of the town improved and as part of this process the Courtenay School came into being.

The first School was built about 1720 at a cost of £320 in a laneway between Maiden Street and the river and was called after Courtenay. This is now an auction room of O’ Donovan & Associates.

In 1826 a grant of over three acres was made as a site for a new school. The Lord Lieutenant subscribed £138 and the balance came from local contributions. Hence the three-roomed dressed limestone slated building came into being.

The Courtenay School became part of the national system in 1850 with Edward Curling as manager. Up to this time both boys and girls attended but the female section closed shortly afterwards. By 1858 the Christian Brothers were invited to manage the school. They stayed in the school until 1880. Later a teacher’s residence and handball alley were built inside it.

After a long number of years the fabric of the building deteriorated and, in the mid-1950s, was replaced by the 5-roomed building now facing the road. In 1977 the school was extended when six new classrooms and a General Purpose Room were added.

A class for children with mild general learning disability was opened at the Courtenay School in 1977 also through the efforts of the manager, Dean O’Brien, P.P. In 2000 a class for children with speech and language disorder was set up. The classes cater for children in the West Limerick area and beyond who have the services of both a Speech and Language and Occupational Therapist working with the teacher.

In 2017, we opened our first ASD class. Since then we have opened two other ASD classes in 2019 and 2022. The Specialist classes  within the school provide a wealth of professional expertise on site which can be tapped into by all the school community.

In April 2023,Courteany National School officially opened a new extension building of 1 mainstream classroom, two ASD classrooms, Sensory Room, two Learning Support rooms and a kitchen.

The Courtenay continues to grow and develop. Our  recreational and sporting facilities continue extended r with the support of parents and the parish community.