Coláiste an ChreagáinA History

A History of Our School

The Mountbellew workhouse has been a VEC school for 80 years now and has had a lively history since its days as a workhouse.

Mountbellew Workhouse

The construction was completed by 1852. It was designed to hold 500 inmates.

Mountbellew Workhouse

The workhouse continued its work into the 1900s before it closed in late 1919.

After the workhouse was shut down, the Black and Tans were based in the building during the War of Independence. They shot at the bell to claim the building as their own.

In 1922 the Irish Free State Army were based there during the Civil War. They too shot at the bell to mark the building as theirs. In 1923, in preparation for their first victorious All-Ireland Final, the Galway senior hurling panel moved into the building for the three weeks before the match. Between 1924 and 1926, the Free State Army were based in the building on a handful of occasions.

Mountbellew Workhouse

Then in 1926, education started in the building, in the form of night classes. The first subjects offered were Agricultural Science, Maths and English, but later Woodwork, Metalwork, Irish and Mechanical Drawing were added.

The Origins of Our School

In 1930, the Government passed its first educational act, the Vocational Education Act 1930. This act created Vocational Education Committees, or VECs around Ireland. County Galway VEC was one of these committees. The first CEO of Co Galway VEC was Very Rev. Canon Mc Alliney, P.P., An Spidíal. In 1932, St Jarlath’s Vocational School was opened in the Workhouse building at Mountbellew. It was the first school opened by County Galway VEC; it was the first rural vocational school in Ireland and was one of the first rural schools in Ireland. The school was named after St Jarlath, the Patron Saint of the Archdiocese of Tuam.

The Origins of Our School

The first Principal of the school was Mr Seán Kilbane, who served from 1932 until 1967. The school began with the basic subjects of reading, writing and arithmetic. These were soon joined by woodwork, metalwork, drawing and domestic science. In 1967, Mr Micheail O’Dalaigh took over as Principal and held the post for ten years. Then in 1977, Mr Mattie Kilroy replaced Mr O’Dalaigh. The Leaving Certificate Examinations were first introduced in 1977. When Mattie Kilroy retired in 2009, after serving as Principal for 32 years, Mrs Ann-Marie Carroll took over the role and remains in the position to the present day, making her only the 4th Principal in the school over 80 years. Today St Jarlath’s Vocational School is known as Coláiste and Chreagáin.

The Workhouse Gate

The Workhouse Dining Hall

The Children’s Block

The North Side

Our School Throughout the Years

DOMESTIC SCIENCE

Our School Throughout the Years

WOODWORK

Our School Throughout the Years

Our School Today –Celebrating 80 Years

Coláiste an Chreagáin is one of Co. Galway VEC’s oldest school. In 1932 Mountbellew Vocational school was opened as one of the first rural schools in the country.

Today our School continues to provide a broad based, high quality education for our students. We in Coláiste an Chreagáin with the support of the CEO and Co. Galway VEC are committed to providing a firm foundation for the further self development and actualization of all our learners.

Our School Today –Celebrating 80 Years

Our School Today –Celebrating 80 Years