Ardbatt, Ardlaghan & Teevogue Schools

The site of the Hedge School, Ardbatt

In the early part of the 19th century there was a hedge school situated at a sheltered spot on land occupied then by a Mr. John Brigget and a man by the name of Mc Leary taught there.

A premises at 'The Teach Glas' nearby was used in wintertime. Mary Herron of Ardbatt now owns both the site of the hedge school and 'Teach Glas'.

A school building was erected in the late 1820's on Brown's land on the site where Cathal Bonner's house is now. Records show that in 1835 Mr. John Ivers was teaching there and that 95 children, 5 of which were Protestants, attended school and that the Hibernian Society was responsible for the school. The Society paid the master £6 per annum and he collected a further one shilling per quarter from each pupil giving him a total annual income of about £18.

The records also show that at that time Mr. Ivers' brother Michael was teaching 20 pupil in premises in Ardbatt and that the shilling per quarter charged was his only income. This school was discontinued at the time of the famine as there is no mention of it in 1854.

Master Campbell

Sometime in the 1850's Master Mc Nulty from Derry came to teach in the school. Master Mc Nulty resided in 'The Teach Glas'. Locals still recall hearing the story about the day,around about 1860, that Master Mc Nulty suspended 'Wiley'of Ardbatt from school and on his way home 'Wiley' scattered the master's stack of turf. Master Mc Nulty had a sister teaching in a hedge school at Doonan House and she came to Ardlaghan twice a week to teach sewing.

In 1887 Master Mc Nulty went to teach in Brockagh and Master Feeney came to teach in Ardlaghan.

In around 1890 the school was destroyed in an arson attack. Although there was no one ever charged with this offence it was strongly believed at the time that a local man, who had a grievance against the school was responsible. The school was repaired and re-roofed.

In 1910 Ned Mc Glinchey from Meenbog replaced Master Feeney. At this time also Bridget Mc Gee, a daughter of Master Mc Gee in Commeen was appointed assistant teacher in the school.

In 1912 Master Mc Glinchey went to teach in Dooish and the newly qualifed Maurice Mc Geehan, from Balinamore replaced him in Ardlaghan. In 1922 Master Mc Geehan married Bridget Browne, a teacher in Brockagh and in 1928 he exchanged posts with Master Campbell and joined her on the teaching staff there.

Bridget Mc Gee, by then Mrs Eddie Mc Ginty, died in 1928 and she was replaced by Kitty Houston who up to then had been teaching in Ballykerrigan school.

Master Campbell

The school was in a poor condition and in 1937 the then Parish Priest procured a site to build a replacement school in Ardlaghan, for £30 but after a family dispute about the sale of the site the money was refunded.

At this time numbers attending the school dropped so Kitty Houston, now Mrs. Willy Mc Glynn, was transferred to Boltifree school. This left Master Campbell teaching on his own.

The dispute about the site for the new school meant that there was a long delay before it could be built. The old school was in a poor state so it was decided to move the school to Craig's tin house in Galwolie which was situated in front of where Mickey The Post's house is now. Later classes were taught in John Quinn's loft in Ardlaghan. This was a loft above a byre at the old house at the foot of Inderhaug's lane. Finally it was decided that the best option was to amalgamate the Ardlaghan and Boltifree schools and a site was got from Mr. Peter Doherty in Letterbrick and George Irwin from Donegal Town was contracted to build Teevogue School.

Miss Brennan only remained in Teevogue for about a year. Her replacement in Teevogue was Theresa Mc Mahon from Kiltyferrigal. Miss Mc Mahon stayed in the school until 1956 when she was replaced by Miss Margaret (Peggy) Gallagher from Glenswilly.

Mrs Margaret Breen (nee Gallagher)

In May 1967 Master Campbell died suddenly. It was decided at this stage to amalgamate Brockagh School with Teevogue and Mrs. Mary Kirke who had been Principal in Brockagh was made Principal in Teevogue, A position she held until her retirement in 1977.

In the meantime numbers at Letterbrick upper school had dropped to a level where it was no longer viable, so in 1974 it was decided to amalgamate it with Teevogue.

On Mrs Kirke's retirement in 1977 Margaret Gallagher, now Mrs.Breen, was appointed Principal and Dolores Breslin (Gildea), from Ardara, was appointed her assistant. In 1979 Mr. Joe O' Donnell, from Gweedore, replaced Dolores. Joe remained there until 1985 when he was replaced by Mrs. Mary Harkin.

Teevogue NS (from Ballykerrigan)

In 1980 the number of children at the school grew to 80 and in April of that year the school was awarded a 2nd assistant teacher. A pre-fabricated building was brought to the site and Miss Carr from Fanad was appointed to the position on a temporary basis. In September of that year Mrs Susan Doherty, who had been teaching in Ballykerrigan, was appointed 2nd assistant teacher. In 1994 after numbers in the school dropped Mrs. Doherty's post was discontinued so she went to teach in Dooish N.S. However on Mrs. Breen's retirement in March the following year she was appointed Principal in Teevogue. When Mrs Harkin retired from the position of assistant teacher in October 1995 she was replaced by Miss Gwendoline Molloy, now Mrs. Furey.