School in Burgagery-Lands West

The Civil Survey (1654-6) mentions, 'A house destroyed before the Rebellion [1641] with a garden adioyneing thereunto w[hi]ch was sett a part (time out of mind) for a free schoole, situate on the south side of the Church yard afforesd. in Clonmell' (Simington 1931, vol. 1, 387). The school was re-assembled in 1653 when Samuel Ladyman, a Puritan preacher, John Gosling, a surgeon, Edward Bainebrigge a schoolmaster and Mrs. Spencer, a schoolmistress, were brought from England to serve the town (Quane 1964, 3). An indenture made in 1685 states that Richard Moore of Clonmel and his son Stephen Moore of Hoare Abbey, who was the Mayor of Clonmel in 1682 and 1683, 'for the great love and affection they bear unto the said Cormporation of Clonmel and for the interest and purpose that a Free School be erected and maintained in the said Town' (ibid., 1-2). In consequence of this the Duke of Ormond transferred a house in Mary St. (known as Our Lady St.) to the Corporation at a nominal rent for the accommodation of the master and pupils of the proposed free school (ibid., 5). In 1773 the school is described as being, ‘a large old building, not in very good repair’ (ibid., 7). A Commission of inquiry report in 1812 noted that, ‘There is not any fund or provision for the repairs of the School House (which is a very extensive concern)’ (ibid., 8). In 1821 the school master, a Rev. Richard Carey died, though his family continued to leave in the old school buildings and later one of his sons, Rev. Langer Carey, started a grammar school there (ibid., 9). In 1830 a new school was erected at a location, ‘on the North Side of the West Suburbs and within the Liberties of the Town of Clonmel’ (ibid.). The precise location of the 17th-century school is unknown. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 13 February 2015