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Commeen School
In penal times there were a number of hedge schools operating
in the Commeen district. There was one in Doherty's land in
Binmore, in Campbells of Tangavene and Tarlach Dhearcais O'
Donnell taught in a barn in Letterhuillue. In most cases the
teaching at these schools was only very basic, with some students
only staying long enough at school to learn to write their
own name.
When Fr. William Ramsey became Parish Priest in Glenfin in
1838 he inherited a large Catholic population with no Catholic
educational establishment with guaranteed efficiency on the
Reelin side.
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| New Commeen School |
Fr. Ramsey set about putting this right immediately, so he
had Commeen old school built. The school opened in 1840 and
it was of the same design as the two other schools that were
built in Glenfin in Ramsey's time, Boltifree and Letterbrick.
A young Master Sweeney from Ballinamore was appointed principal
there, a position he held until 1882. He was also instrumental
in getting the Post Office in Commeen. Master Sweeney married
a local girl, Annie Mc Nulty (Red Annie). She was the postmistress
at Commeen Post Office.
Patrick Mc Gee from Garvin succeeded Master Sweeney as principal
in Commeen in 1882.
The Mc Gee family made a huge contribution to education in
Glenfin in the early part of the 20th century. Master Mc Gee
married a daughter of Master Molloy's, the principal in Letterbrick.
She taught with him in the school for a while. His daughter,
Mary Ann (Mrs Mc Clean), was an assistant in Commeen school
from about 1915 to about 1940, and another daughter, Bridget
(Mrs Mc Ginty), taught in Ardlaghan school and his son, who
was also called Patrick, succeeded him as principal in Commeen
in 1926.
In 1940 a Miss Melly from Ardara replaced Mary Ann Mc Gee
as assistant teacher. In 1947 Miss Molly Cohen from Ardrahan
in County Galway replaced Miss Melly.
In 1947 the contract for Commeen new school was given to
George Irwin from Donegal Town and the school was opened in
1948.
In 1954 the number of pupils at Commeen school had risen
sufficiently for the Department to justify the appointment
of a fully qualified assistant teacher and so in September
of that year Miss Cait Doherty (Mrs Cait Mc Menamin), from
Drim, was appointed to that position.
Mr. Charlie Mc Glinchey from Kilraine was appointed principal
of the school on Master Mc Gee's retirement in July 1965.
Previously Charlie had been teaching in Dromore N.S. Killygordon.
In 1996 Mrs Cait Mc Menamin retired from teaching and was
succeeded by Mrs Alice Doherty from Ballinamore.
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