Letterbrick School

Letterbrick Old School

There was a hedge school in Letterbrick in the middle of the 19th century. This hedge school was on land belonging to John Kelly and was situated at a sheltered spot near the river. John Kelly himself taught in this school. This school was later moved to an old thatched building on the farm.

In 1867 the bridge between Letterbrick and Meenagoland was built. Locals gathered the stones for this bridge and succeeded in gathering more than was required. When the bridge was finished it was decided to retain the stone mason and build a school with the stones that were left over. The school opened to students for the first time in 1869.

Letterbrick New School

Master Patrick Molloy was the first principal in the school. He resided in Ballinamore and had four daughters who married teachers, Master Magee in Commeen, Master Mc Fadden (Gweedore), Master Boyle (Mullanmore) and Master Moore (Convoy). Master Molloy stayed teaching in Letterbrick until 1894 when he transferred to teach in a new school which was built at Ballinamore in Fintown.

Master Keatings, a native of Kerry, replaced Master Molloy in Letterbrick. Master Keatings took up his post in April 1894 on the same day that the first train reached Glenties on the new railway. Master Keatings married a Moy girl from Ballinamore and he remained teaching in the school until his retirement in 1934.

Master Brennan

A Miss Caffrey from Enniscrone Co. Sligo taught as an assistant teacher in Letterbrick in the early 1920's. She went home to teach in Enniscrone and in 1942 Mary Kelly from Commeen acted as substitute for her in Enniscrone.

In 1934 Mr. Patrick Brennan from Graffy in Glenties came to teach in the school. Master Brennan came from a family that had teaching in the blood. His grand mother was a teacher. His father was Principal in Graffy N.S.,and three more of his brothers and sisters ended up teaching including Nell who taught in both Boltifree and Teevogue schools.

At around the time Master Brennan arrived in Letterbrick a site for a new school was acquired in Kelly's land. A contractor by the name of Dorrian from Ballyshannon built the school and it was opened in 1937. A daughter of the contractor, Peggy Dorrian, taught in Ballykerrigan School from 1947 to 1952.

Master Brennan remained teaching in Letterbrick until the school was amalgamated with Teevogue school in 1974.

Assistant Teachers in Letterbrick included :-