It's St. Patrick's Day tomorrow, so today began with the question, "what kind of records do we have about Ireland?" The answer turned out to be that we have a photo of the school where Archbishop Lynch was raised and received his early education in Lucan, County Dublin, Ireland.
One source explained: "One of the first national schools in the Lucan area was located in the Hollow. It is recorded as being independent until 1833 when it came under the control of the National Board. In 1836 110 boys and 93 girls are recorded being educated there under the auspices of Mr. James Lynch and Mrs. Anne Lynch.One of their sons and a pupil of the school, John Joseph Lynch ... became the first Roman Catholic Archbishop of Toronto, Canada. In 1864, 140 boys and 120 girls are recorded as attending this school with Elizabeth Knight as headmistress. However at this time the school is recorded to have been in a state of bad repair with a very poor supply of schoolbooks and teaching aids.The school finally closed down in 1864 and the pupils moved to two new schools in St. Mary's Church grounds. The girls' school became known as St. Anne's and is still part of the Convent building. The boys' school was Lucan Boys National School, in existence up until 1963. It then became the parish centre until 1994 when it was finally demolished to make way for new development."
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| "Old Schoolhouse" Lucan, Co. Dublin Boyhood home of Abp Lynch . Bldg. served as his father's school house besides being the Lynch's home. PH 04\26P |
In 1851, Thom's Irish Almanac described Lucan this way:
"Lucan, an inland town and parish in Newcastle barony, Dublin county seven miles W. from Dublin comprising an area of 1,126 acres of which 33 are in the town. Population of parish l,l39, of town, 563, inhabiting 91 houses. It is situated close to the line of the Great Southern and Western Railway, of which it is the second station from Dublin, and upon the mail-coach road to Galway and Sligo. After the Conquest this place was settled on Richard de Peche, one of the early English adventurers ... The town is prettily situated in a fertile vale, on the east bank of the River Liffey, which is here crossed by bridge of one arch, with granite parapet, surmounted by iron palisades, and consists of one wide angular street of small but neat houses and cottages, most of which are let in summer to visitors and invalids. Its public buildings are, the Parish Church, a neat structure with a tower and spire, a large new Roman Catholic Chapel, and a Wesleyan Methodist Meeting House. It has a Dispensary and a Loan Fund; a Lending Library, and National Schools. It is a Chief Constabulary Police Station and Petty Sessions are held every alternate Tuesday. Lucan is noted for its chalybeate spa, and is much resorted to for its efficacy in scorbutic, bilious, and rheumatic complaints ... The scenery around Lucan is delightfully varied, and in part romantically beautiful, particularly in the grounds of Weston park, in which is the well known and much-frequented waterfall, called the "Salmon Leap;" which consists of a succession of rocky ledges on the Liffey, over which the fish dart at one bound. It forms a beautiful cascade, the picturesque effect of which is greatly increased by the rich and lofty wooded banks of the river, and the adjoining tastefully embellished demesne of the Leixlip Castle..."
Sounds like a nice place to grow up!
You can find more photos of Lucan and area on the South Dublin County Libraries website.
P.S. You can buy your very own schoolhouse in Lucan for 600,000 euros!
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