The Irish Christian Brothers School

Christian Brothers' National School, Tuam

A photograph of the Christian Brothers' National School, Tuam, County Galway; the photograph is part of the Cardall collection at Galway library.

Courtesy of Galway Public Library

Christian Brothers' National School, Tuam
Courtesy of Galway Public Library

Christian Brothers' National School, Tuam

A photograph of the Christian Brothers' National School, Tuam, County Galway; the photograph is part of the Cardall collection at Galway library.

Courtesy of Galway Public Library

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The Irish Christian Brothers opened their School as Prospect in 1851, and within a short time the institution was flourishing. Unfortunately the lease of the premises which they held from the Representative Church Body, expired on the 15th July 1859 and a renewal was refused. All negotiations having failed, the landlords took possession through their agent Mr. Strachan, and on the night of the eviction, a police guard was placed around the premises to prevent re-entry. A number of the pupils, however, succeeded in evading the police and on the same night they burned the premises to the ground. Several of them were subsequently prosecuted but the proceedings were quashed.

On the 8th November, of the same year Dr. McHale procured a site for a new school at Dublin Road and a meeting of the towns-people was held to discuss the raising of funds for the erection of new premises. Rev. Fr. Eugene Coyne, Adm., was deputed to interview the Superior of the Order in Dublin and it was agreed that the Brothers should return to Tuam as soon as the new house was erected. Certain conditions were suggested for the approval of Dr. McHale who in turn, undertook to have the building plans prepared. A further meeting of the towns-people was held on the 15th November 1859, and the following resolution was unanimously adopted:-

"Resolved that the best thanks of this meeting be tendered to his Grace for his magnificent donation of 60 a year towards the permanent support of the Christian Brothers who are to conduct the new schools, for which offer of the Archbishop we were fully prepared, not only by the liberality of His Grace on all former occasions but by the sacrifice he made in giving so ample a site for the schools for which he was in receipt of an annual sum of 25. And as the sum of 60 is not sufficient for the support of the Brothers, we the undersigned cheerfully bind ourselves to supply every and any deficiency and hereby pledge ourselves to procure more than the sum annually required, etc. etc. John DalyPatrick Sheridan, C.C.John CostelloeThomas BodkinsJohn MunroeWilliam GannonJohn MoylanMartin H. OwnesEugene Coyne, Adm.Michael FahyJ.J. ByrneMartin CloranP.J. BurkeTim GeraghtyAndrew HostyJas. Waldron C.C.William F. KellyJoseph KilgarriffM.J. RyanLawrence MullinPatrick KellyCharles CarrPatrick BirdThomas BegleyDominick GilmoreH. McHughHugh BrennanAndrew EganMartin O'ConnorWilliam MulloyJohn DiranEdward BradyFrancis CorbettThomas MurphyMartin EganThomas Prendergast

The new school was built and in October 1861, Rev. Brother Lawrence Lowe, who had previously been Superior at Prospect, took up residence therein. On the 2nd November Rev. Brother Louis Devlin, the new Superior arrived with a lay Brother named Patrick Sheehy from North Richmond Street, Dublin. The Schools were formally opened on the 4th November 1861, and a large number of boys presented themselves for admission. By 1862 the number of pupils was so great that application was made for an extra Brother and on the 21st December Brother Austin Lysaght arrived from Youghal to take charge of the Junior School. On the 4th September of the same year, Br. Austin Kelly joined the Order at Tuam.