School in Youghal-Lands

A house on the south side of Church Street, adjoining the almshouses (CO067-029007-) to the south-west, now in use as a library, is said to be a school endowed by Richard Boyle, the Earl of Cork in 1613, and functioned as such until the 19th century (Grosart 1886, 23; Zajac et al. 1995, 107). In 1903 the building still possessed a hammer-beam roof which may have been 17th century in date (Anon. 1903, 330), though according to the National Architectural Survey of Ireland the present structure was built c. 1920 (Reg No 20823058). Several entries in Sir Richard's diaries, preserved in the Lismore Papers collection, refer to the schoolhouse and almshouse he established, and for which he paid a number of craftsmen to work on between 1613 and 1615: a carpenter, Mr Landredg, John Lambert ‘for covering my almshouse and school’ in slates, a mason, and two glaziers ‘for putting the schoolhouse and my stair case of my gallery into colours’ (Grosart 1886, 50, 80, 86). The school was opened by February 1616, when he paid ‘Mr Godwyn for his first payment of his stipend as schoolmaster of my free school of Youghal’ (ibid. 142).   Compiled by Anne-Julie Lafaye   Updated on: 27 November 2025