Holmpatrick School has served the local community in Skerries since 1836 when it opened as a private school. It joined the national school system in 1892. The Hamilton family of Abbotstown, Castleknock were landlords of the Skerries area, and owned the school. Their agent kept an office in the school building where their tenants came to pay their rents.
1836: Holmpatrick School entered the Kildare Place System (The Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor in Ireland). It received a grant in the form of textbooks to the value of £2/6/8. 1840: An inspector visiting the school recommended a grant of textbooks to the value of £1/1/7. There were 18 boys and 20 girls attending the school, but only 9 boys and 5 girls were present on the day of visit.
1846: Griffith Valuation Public Record Office stated the following:
Holmpatrick Rev. William Tighe 1 School House: Length 59 ft; breadth 19 ft 6 inches; height 17 ft No. of Measures – 116 Rates per measure – 1 schilling and 7 pence Amount £9/3/8 1 Shed: Length 19 ft 6 inches ; breadth 9 ft 6 inches; height 5 ft 9 inches No. of measures – 18 Rate per measure – 3 pence 3 farthings Total 5/7s Privy: Length11 ft 6 inches; breadth 6 ft 6 inches; height 5 ft 6 inches No. of Measures 7 Rate per Measure 31/2d Total 2s
1868: The “Prowis Report” stated that Holmpatrick School was maintained by private individuals. Its special designation was Church Education, and it had 11 boys and 2 girls attending the school.
1868: Holmpatrick School consecrated.
1885: Holmpatrick Vestry Book mentions that the graveyard was kept in a “very disgraceful manner”, that the burials came near the High Road and immediately under the school windows.
1892: Holmpatrick School joined the National School System. Miss Mary Shiels was appointed Principal. She was to live in the School House, and receive a Capitation Salary and result fees. The rector at the time was the Rev’d R. Shegog. The patron was Mr. Ion Trant Hamilton, later to become Lord Holmpatrick. At that time there were 6 boys and 10 girls attending the school.
1908: During one of the inspector’s visits he commented, “20 present, Excellent School, and intelligent and well-taught children.”
1934: Miss M. Shiels retired after 42 years service. There were 18 children on the roll.
1935: Miss Kevlighan was appointed Principal. She stayed for 4 years. 1939: Miss E. Moody was appointed Principal. There were 18 children on the roll.
1947: The school continued as a one-teacher school until 1947 when the number of children attending the school increased to 43. An assistant-teacher – Miss A. Mc Gibney was appointed, but only stayed for 4 months. Her monthly salary was £16. Lord Holmpatrick’s office then had to be taken over, renovated and used as a classroom. The Rent Office moved into a small adjoining room. The classroom had to be vacated on “Gale Days” – 25th March ( The Feast of the Annunciation) and 29th September ( The Feast of St. Michael and All Angels) – when the rent was collected.
1948: Miss M. Harrison ( now Mrs. M. Cashell) was appointed assistant-teacher.
1949: The Diocesan Inspector – Miss F. Millington – on one of her annual visits examined the children in holy Scripture and Church Formularies. She commented that “the general standard of answering throughout was excellent.” – 37 present.
1954: The number of children decreases to 23, and the school lost its assistant-teacher, Miss M. Harrison. Miss Moody also left to teach in All Saints’, Blackrock. Miss Nixon was appointed Principal.
1955: Miss Nixon went to Dundalk to teach, and Mrs. R. Yeoman was appointed Principal. There were 16 children on the roll.
1962/63: The school was still only a one teacher school. Therefore, the second classroom was partitioned into indoor toilets and lunchroom/cloakroom.
1964: Mrs. U. Joseph went to live in Newfoundland. Mrs. L. Wesley Kingston was appointed Principal. There were 15 children on the roll.
1974: Mrs. L. Wesley Kingston retried after 10 years service.
1975: Miss E. Kavanagh was appointed Principal. There were 25 children on the roll. The Board of Management and a Parents’ Association were established.
1976: The number of children attending the school increased to 36. Mrs. M. Cashell returned as assistant-teacher. The Parish Hall had to be used as a classroom.
1983: Schoolhouse ceased to be used as Principal’s residence.
1984: Holmpatrick School moved from its original building to Convent Lane due to an increase in numbers and the inconvenience of using the Parish Hall as a classroom. The original building is now the rectory.
1990: Miss E. Kavanagh retired after 15 years service. Mrs. S. Colton was appointed Principal. There were 36 children on the roll.
1992: There were 45 children on the roll. Mrs. S. Colton continues as Principal, and Mrs. M. Cashell continues as assistant-teacher.
1995: The staff of the school changed again. Mrs S. Hunt became principal in April and Miss A. Cahill joined assistant teacher in September.
1998: Miss D. Walsh joined the teaching staffing September 1998. At this time Miss. A Cahill was acting principal. There were 46 pupils in the school.
2003: Major changes occurred in September 2003. Miss D. Walsh became principal. There were 61 pupils in the school at this time. As a result a third teacher was appointed, Miss R Langran and along with a part-time school secretary, Mrs. M Davidson.
2006: There were 97 pupils in the school at this time. As a result Miss L. Kells was appointed as the fourth mainstream teacher and the classes were divided into the four bands. A portacabin was required to hold the fourth class. Miss A. Cahill went on leave and Miss J Merrick took her place.
2007: Miss R. Langran took a career break and Miss C. Meegan took her place. Mean while Miss A. Cahill continued her leave.
2009: Miss J Merrick went abroad to teach and Miss G Burns continued cover of Miss A.Cahills career break. Miss R Langran returned from her career break.
2010: While the teachers remained the same there was a class reshuffle. Ms. D walsh now teaches Junior and Senior Infants, Ms R Langran teaches first and second class while Ms. L Kells teaches third and fourth class and Ms. G Burns teaches 5th and 6th class. In June 2011 Ms. L .Kells is made Principal in Monaghan.
2011: Ms.G Burns is made permanent and continues to teach 5th and 6th class. Ms. J.Young is welcomed to the staff as third and fourth class teacher while Miss.A. Cahill continues her career break.
2012: Mrs. O’Neill (Ms. Audrey Cahill) returns to third and fourth class from her career break. We said goodbye to our secretary Margaret and Janine takes over as our new secretary.
January 2013: Mrs. D. MacLean (Ms. D. Walsh) goes on maternity leave and Ms. Kate Maguire takes over teaching Junior and Senior Infants. Ms. Gemma Burns takes over as Acting Principal.
January 2014: Mrs. D. MacLean returns as Principal. Ms. Kate Maguire continues to work in the school teaching Fifth and Sixth class when Ms. Gemma Burns goes on maternity leave. Ms. Maguire is made a permanent member of staff later in the school year due to the departure of Ms. Aoibheann Lynch (Resource Teacher).
June 2019: Building work begins on our new extension.
September 2021: Our new building is opened. Ms MacLean (Junior and Senior Infants) and Janine (our secretary) move over to the new building.
September 2022: We welcome Ms Henderson to our school. She is teaching 1st and 2nd class and Ms Boland is now teaching 5th and 6th Class. Ms MacLean remains in Junior and Senior Infants and Ms O’Neill remains in 3rd and 4th Class.