Bord na Móna & the old Abbey School
The official opening of Cloontuskert Housing estate 1953
It was as a result of the bogs that our village of Cloontuskert came into being. 70 houses were built by Bord na Móna to cater for the families of workers who came from all over the country to work the bogs. Cloontuskert was one of three Bord na Móna villages in the area the other two being Derryhaun and The Green. The main Bord na Móna depot was close by at Mount Dillon and the whole complex of the bogs in the area became known as the Mount Dillon Works. It was one of Bord na Móna’s earliest developments. Possibly the well known slogan of the time “Burn everything English except English coal” may have led to the desire for producing a different fuel. The Turf Development Act of 1946 set up BNM and the development of the bogs around Lanesboro began under this programme.
The first Scoil na Mainistreach was originally set up in the grounds of the Abbey estate in 1955 to facilitate the education of children of Bord na Móna workers in the area. It opened with 34 pupils.
The principals over the years were:
Mr John Frost was Principal from Sept ’55 – April ‘56
Mr Dermot Fitzgerald, Principal from April ’56 – Dec ‘59
Mr. Phelim Henry (Snr), Principal from Dec ’59 – Sept ‘79
Mr. Phelim Henry (jnr), Principal from Dec ’79 – Aug ‘13
Mrs. Andrée Gallagher took over in Sept 2013.
The current school building is now located across the road from the Abbey and was officially opened on 7th Sept 1998. The extension was then opened in 2005/2006.
The first Scoil na Mainistreach was originally set up in the grounds of the Abbey estate in 1955 to facilitate the education of children of Bord na Móna workers in the area. It opened with 34 pupils.
The principals over the years were:
Mr John Frost was Principal from Sept ’55 – April ‘56
Mr Dermot Fitzgerald, Principal from April ’56 – Dec ‘59
Mr. Phelim Henry (Snr), Principal from Dec ’59 – Sept ‘79
Mr. Phelim Henry (jnr), Principal from Dec ’79 – Aug ‘13
Mrs. Andrée Gallagher took over in Sept 2013.
The current school building is now located across the road from the Abbey and was officially opened on 7th Sept 1998. The extension was then opened in 2005/2006.