Presentation College, Athenry

Presentation College, Athenry is a voluntary secondary school ""which is predominantly Catholic in character"" located in the town of Athenry, County Galway, Ireland.

Presentation Convent in Athenry was established by the Tuam mother-house . Sisters taught in the old girls' primary school at Abbey Row until, some years later, a new Primary School was built on the parish lands at the rear of the convent.

The Sisters began to provide secondary education for girls in the primary school through development of a secondary top.

Four girls took the Intermediate Certificate examination, fore-runner of the present Junior Certificate.

The school was registered with the Department of Education as a Secondary School and the curriculum was extended. There were 74 girls on the rolls in 1949 / 50.

A new building with 5 classrooms was opened. It is still in use today as the Technology Block and was the main school building until 1980. 1952 - '53 There were 96 girls enrolled. Some travelled by train from Ballyglunin station, which featured in the film The Quiet Man !

The Sisters announced that boys would be admitted to the school from September, and 25 boys joined the 126 girls in the school which was now named Presentation College

Sr. Brid Brennan was appointed Principal. With the advent of the Free Education Scheme and free transport in 1967 pupil numbers increased greatly. The co-educational Coolarne school amalgamated with Presentation College.

There were 386 pupils enrolled, and were mainly in pre-fab classrooms.

Enrolment reached 489 and a new school building was sanctioned by the Department of Education.

The present school building was completed on what had previously been the football pitch. A large Gymnasium was provided by local effort.The first lay Principal, Mr. Gilbert McCarthy, was appointed and served until his retirement in 2004.

Mrs. Mary Forde was appointed Principal

Mr. Gerry Cloonan, Deputy Principal, retired and Mr. Luke Glynn was appointed in his place. Sr. Mary McDonagh also retired leaving just one Sister, Sr. Catherine O'Connor on the staff. However, the ethos of the Presentation Sisters and their foundress, Nano Nagle, still imbues Presentation College, Athenry. Further change lies ahead for the College as it will soon be part of CEIST - Catholic Education An Irish Schools Trust. This is the new Trustee body for the Voluntary Secondary Schools of the Presentation Sisters, The Daughters of Charity, the Sisters of the Christian Retreat, the Sisters of Mercy and the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.

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