Powerstown National School is situated about two miles east of Clonmel, beside Powerstown Church. There is a long tradition of education in the area, dating back to records of a hedge school in the mid 19th Century. The school has expanded over the years to its current size, with 377 pupils and 18 permanent teachers. There are also a number of part-time teachers who visit to provide learning support to children with special educational needs.
The original school at Powerstown was a two-roomed building, which can still be seen today opposite the church. It is now a family home. It was built in 1853 under the Famine Relief Scheme. The school transferred to its current site in 1951. The two rooms were warmed by an open fire, replaced later by a pot bellied stove. As late as the mid 1980’s, children who attended the school collected coal from the shed to light the stoves in the mornings.
In 1986, the school was extended and the older part became the school hall. There were then five new purpose-built classrooms on site plus a general area for P.E. and assemblies. However, the school population quickly increased again and the hall had to become a classroom once more.
In 2001, the Department of Education provided funding for a temporary building to serve as a classroom as the number of students increased. Another pre-fabricated building was required in 2003 and another in 2005, 2006 and 2008. In 2010, using a once-off grant, a new classroom extension and special education room were added to the school. The final pre-fabricated building arrived in 2013 to serve as a classroom, leaving a total of six pre-fabs on site, serving as classrooms and special education facilities.
Funding for the replacement of pre-fabs was secured from the Department in 2013 and linked to a large scale project to convert the heating system from oil to gas and completely upgrade the heating within the school. The combined project was completed in August 2016 and six new classrooms were brought into use. However, there remains a deficit in accommodation for special education and two pre-fabs serve this purpose. The school also gained a teacher as a developing school and this class is housed in another pre-fab. So despite the building work to eliminate temporary accommodation from the site, three of the pre-fabs have had to be retained to provide for the school’s needs. It is hoped that these will no longer be needed when 2020 construction is complete.
The Board of Management had built up a sizeable “war chest” over years, some of which was the remnant of parish-based fund-raising in the past. With an additional loan of €100,000, it was decided to push ahead with the construction of a School Hall, without Department funding. The Parents’ Council undertook to service the loan. With parental contributions and community and business support, the loan is almost completely paid off and while some improvements remain to be carried out, the new school hall is a testament to community support.
In 2004, Oliver and Andrew McGrath, past pupils of the school, donated approximately an acre of their land to serve as a school field on a long term lease. Bulmers Ltd. squared off this piece with a donation of land from their orchard. Bulmers provided more land in 2008 and gave a further 0.5 acres to the school in 2014 to replace the land that would be put under building. The generosity of these neighbours has allowed the school to preserve its vision of providing adequate play space for the children.
No history of Powerstown School would be complete without mentioning two families. From 1929 to 1933, Ned O’ Connor was principal. His wife, Kathleen succeeded him until 1964. Michael Horan was then appointed principal for the next 29 years until he retired in 1993. His wife, Mary, took over the role of principal until she retired in 2004. This link is continued today as our school secretary, Fionnuala Roche, is a daughter of Michael and Mary Horan.
Staffing
The records for the school are not complete as a number of important registers were destroyed in a fire and others have disappeared. The following records are the best we can provide, based on the sources available. Other reliable information would be gratefully accepted.
Principal Teachers
Name | Year Appointed | Year of Departure | Purpose of Departure |
Patrick Dalton | 1892 | 1928 | Retirement |
Ned O’ Connor | 1928 | 1932 | Transfer to be principal of Lisronagh |
Catherine O’ Connor | 1932 | 1964 | Retirement |
Michael Horan | 1964 | 1993 | Retirement |
Mary Horan | 1993 | 2004 | Retirement |
Eugene Fogarty | 2004 | Current |
Assistant Teachers
Name | Year Appointed | Purpose of Appointment | Year of Departure | Purpose of Departure |
Brigid Dalton | 1894 | 1st Assistant | 1936 | Retirement |
Helena O’ Brien | 1936 | Replace B. Dalton | 1945 | Not Recorded |
Ann Hallissey | 1945 | Replace H. O’ Brien | 1950 | Not Recorded |
Ann Tierney | 1950 | Replace A. Hallissey | 1958 | Not Recorded |
Áine Lanigan | 1958 | Replace A. Tierney | 1962 | Transfer |
Mary Waters | 1962 | Increase to 3 teachers in the school | 1966 | Not Recorded |
Treasa Hussey | 1962 | Replace A. Lanigan | 1963 | Not Recorded |
Mary Lynch | 1963 | Replace T. Hussey | 1966 | Not Recorded |
May Collendar | 1966 | Replace M. Waters | 1973 | Transfer |
Annie Keane | 1966 | Replace M. Lynch | 1968 | RIP |
Mary Horan | 1968 | Replace A. Keane | 2004 | Retirement |
Sheila Phelan | 1973 | Replace M. Collendar | 1975 | Transfer Principal Lisronagh |
Ann Walsh | 1975 | Replace S. Phelan | 1986 | Not Recorded |
Jill Duffy | 1977 | Increase to 4 teachers in the school | 2008 | Retirement |
Kathleen Luttrell | 1986 | Replace A. Walsh | Current | |
Laois Power | 1989 | Increase to 5 teachers in the school | 1992 | Drop in Pupil Numbers with closure of Digital Factory. Loss of teaching post |
Fergus Flynn | 1993 | Retirement Michael Horan | Current | |
Sean Bergin | 1994 | Increase to 5 teachers in the school | 2019 | Retirement |
Caitriona Walsh | 1994 | Special Ed Post Increase to 6 teachers in the school | Current | |
Eileen Cunningham | 1998 | Increase to 7 teachers in the school | 2001 | Transfer |
Carmel Clancy | 1998 | Replace F. Flynn Teacher Exchange | 1999 | 1 Year Contract |
Linda Ward | 1999 | Replace F. Flynn Teacher Exchange | 2000 | 1 Year Contract |
Deirdre Flanagan | 2001 | Replace E. Cunningham | Current | |
Olivia O’ Mahony | 2002 | Increase to 8 teachers in the school | Current | |
Cliodhna Breen | 2002 | Increase to 9 teachers in the school with
Admin. Principal |
2013 | Transfer
Principal Bansha / Now Killenaule |
Eimear O’ Dea | 2003 | Increase to 10 teachers in the school | 2008 | Transfer |
Jacinta Moloney | Temporary 2005
Permanent 2006 |
Cover C. Breen
Special Ed Post Increase to 11 teachers in the school |
Current | |
Diarmuid Burke | 2006 | Increase to 12 teachers in the school | Current | |
Emma O’ Callaghan | Temporary 2006
Permanent 2008 |
Cover C. Breen
Replace E. O’ Dea |
Current | |
Aileen Nugent | Temporary 2007
Permanent 2008 |
Cover F. Flynn
Replace J. Duffy |
Current | |
Evelyn O’ Dwyer | Temporary 2008
Permanent 2008 |
Cover C. Breen
Increase to 13 teachers in the school |
Current | |
Eoin Morrissey | Temporary 2008 | Cover C. Breen | 2009 | Transfer Principal Golden / Now St. Mary’s, Irishtown |
Niamh Coffey | Temporary 2009 | Cover C. Breen | 2012 | Transfer |
Pauric Stapleton | Temporary 2010 | Cover A. Nugent | 2011 | Transfer |
Mairead Wall | 2010 | Increase to 14 teachers in the school | Current | |
Paula St. John | Part Time 2010
|
Special Ed Post
Maternity Cover |
2012 | Transfer |
Emma Dunlea | 2010 | Maternity Cover | 2010 | Transfer |
Bernard O’ Connell | 2012 | Special Ed Post
Increase to 15 teachers in the school |
2014 | Transfer Principal Ballyporeen |
Margaret Ryan | 2012
2013 |
Cover C. Breen
Cover E. O’ Callaghan |
2014 | Transfer |
Rachel Stapleton | 2013 | Increase to 16 teachers in the school | Current | |
Eimear Howley | 2013 | Replace C. Breen | Current | |
Sarah Burke | 2014 | Replace B. O’ Connell | Current | |
Louise Lalor | 2015 | Maternity Cover | 2015 | Transfer |
Grace Hogan | 2015 | Maternity Cover | 2015 | Transfer |
Siobhan Dempsey | 2015 | Increase to 17 teachers in the school | Current | |
Helen Browne | 2016 | Maternity Cover | 2017 | Contract Ended |
Sighle O’ Doherty | 2016 | Maternity Cover | 2017 | Contract Ended |
William Hewitt
|
Temporary 2016 | Increase to 18 teachers in the school | 2017 | Contract Ended |
Cherry Hally | 2017 | Permanent Position replaced Temporary Position | Current
|
|
William Hewitt | 2017 | Revised SEN Model.
Increase to 19 teachers |
Current | |
Aileen Wall | 2018 & 2019 | Maternity Cover | Current | |
Laura Grace | 2019 | Maternity Cover | Current | |
Rebecca Reardon | Feb. 2018 | Sub cover Long Term Illness | Oct 2019 | Contract Ended |
Special Needs Assistants
Name | Year Appointed | Purpose of Appointment | Year of Departure |
Jenna McLean | 2006 | Support of Special Needs Pupils | Current |
Michelle Everard | 2008
2015 |
Support of Special Needs Pupils
Maternity Cover |
2012
2015 |
Jenny Hayes | 2010 | Maternity Cover | 2010 |
Grainne Drohan | 2017 | Support of Special Needs Pupils | Current |
Angela Peters | 2019 | Support of Special Needs Pupils | Current |
Secretary
Name | Year Appointed | Purpose of Appointment | Year of Departure |
Fionnuala Roche | 2000 | Secretarial & Administration | Current |
Cleaners / Caretakers
Name | Year Appointed | Purpose of Appointment | Year of Departure |
Michael Keogh | 2003 | Cleaner / Caretaker | 2012 |
Angela Hannigan | 2011 | Cleaner | Current |
Pat Slattery | 2013 | Caretaker | Current |
Margaret Browne | 2018 | Cleaner | 2018 |
Oxana Suruianu | 2018 | Cleaner | Current |