Osclaíodh Scoil an Chlocháin san láthair ina bhfuil sé anois ar an 2ú lá de Bhealtaine 1900. Roimhe seo bhí an scoil suite cois farraige ag bun an lána sa Chlochán. Ag cur síos ar an scoil in 1896 ‘sé dúirt an chigire:
’Tá 120 páiste crampálta istigh in aon seomra amháin nach raibh oiriúnach ach do 60.’
B’é Donncadh Ó Conchubhair, as Doire na Muice, an chéad phríomhoide go bhfios dúinn. Ceapadh James ‘Jimmon’ Walsh mar phríomhoide na scoile in 1881 agus ceapadh a bhean chéile Margaret mar chúntóir in 1893. Ceapadh Mrs. Ellie Bric mar an dara chúntóir i 1901. Ceapadh John F. Courtney ó Chill Áirne mar phríomhoide i 1925 agus a bheanchéile, Dora, i 1928, ‘the Master and the Missus’ mar a b’fhearr aithne orthu.
Bhí 114 páistí ar an rolla i 1928. Bhí beirt oide sa scoil in 1954. Bhí Máirín Murphy ón gCom i gceannas ar an scoil ar feadh sé mhí agus i Mí na Samhna 1955 ceapadh Peigí Ní Shúilleabháin mar phríomhoide. Fostaíodh Ann O’ Brien mar chúntóir i Mí Márta 1957 agus lean Mary Catherine Bric ó Bhréanainn í i 1961. Bhí rang a 8 fós i bhfeidhm i 1963.
I 1900 ní raibh an Ghaeilge mar ábharscoile ar an gcuraclam sa bhunscoil. Tháinig athrú ar an scéaI i Mí Márta 1925 nuair a cuireadh an Ghaeilge ar an gcuraclam mar ábhar scoile. Scríobhadh ainmneacha na ndaltaí, na n-oidí agus laethanta na seachtaine as Gaeilge. Dúnadh an scoil go minic ar chúis amháin nó ar chúis eile: obair feirme, cúiseanna leighis nó eacnamaíochta, tuillte agus athchóiriú scoile irl. Chuir an drochaimsir isteach go mór ar thinreamh laethúil na scoile mar bhíodh siúlóid fada le déanamh ag na daltaí ón nGleann, Mullach Bhéal agus áiteanna eile.
Bhí comhnascadh le Scoil Baile Uí Dhuinn i 1971 agus bhog Mrs. Eily O’ Dowd, Miss Annie Adams agus na daltaí go Scoil an Chlocháin. I 1976 d’fhág Peggy Ní Shúilleabháin Uí Chéilleachair slán leis an scoil agus ceapadh Seán Ó Dubhda mar phríomhoide. Ceapadh Máire Uí Mhurchú mar mhúinteoir ranga i 1974 agus ceapadh Caitlín Ní Dhubhda mar phríomhoide i 1988 tar éis do Sheán eirí as. Idir an dá linn ceapadh Cáit Uí Ainiféin, Niamh Ní Dhubhda agus Aisling Ní Shúilleabháin mar mhúinteoirí ranga.
Deineadh athchóiriú ar an scoil i 1986 agus arís 2008. Bhí 46 páiste ar an rolla i 2002 agus beirt muinteoir buan sa scoil, Cathal Ó Dubhda mar phríomhoide agus Máire Ní Mhurchú mar phríomhoide tánaisteach. I Meán Fómhair 2014 ceapadh Rachel Ní Bhuachalla mar phríomhoide tánaisteach nuair a chuaigh Máire Ní Mhurchú ar scor. Ceapadh Pat Ó Loingsigh mar mhúinteoir achmhainne. Bhí Áine Nic Cárthaigh fostaithe mar chúntóir riachtanaisí speisialta. Seo mar abhí cúrsaí roimh an dianghlasáin…
…. Sa bhliain 2023, bliain go leith tar éis Covid, d’éirigh Cathal as a phost mar phríomhoide agus ceapadh Rachel mar Phríomhoide. Ceapadh Pádraig ó Loingsigh mar phríomhoide tánaisteach. Bhí Aideen Ní Chíobháin fostaithe sa scoil mar mhúinteoir achmhainne agus tacaíochta foghlama agus lean Áine ar aghaidh sa ról mar chuntóir riachtanaisí speisialta, SNA.
Ag an bpointe seo bhí géarghá le múinteoír breise sna bunranganna de bharr go raibh líon na bpáistí ró mhór. Ceadaíodh an tríú muinteoír i Mí Dheireadh Fómhair 2023 ón Roinn. Ceapadh Enya Ní Shíthigh mar mhúinteoir ranga sa scoil go luath sa scoilbhliain 2024.
Faoi threoir Chathail Ó Dubhda bhain an scoil aitheantas amach mar Scoil Ghaeltachta in 2017. Tá an Tumoideachas i bhfeidhm sa scoil ó shin. Fostaíodh Siobhán Ni Chonchúir mar chúntoir teanga, ag díriú ar an ngaeilge cumarsáide sa scoil a threisiú agus a chur chun chinn.
Anois, tá ceathrar múinteoir buan, cúntóir teanga, cúntóir riachtanaisí speisialta , rúnaí páirtaimseartha agus feighlí páirtaimseartha sa scoil.
Tá an scoil ag dul ó neart go neart agus tá líon na bpáistí ag fás de réir a chéile. Tá 54 páistí cláraithe sa scoil don scoil bhliain 2025/2026 agus tá fáilte mór roimh gach aon duine acu.
History of the School
Scoil Náisiúnta an Chlocháin (Cloghane National School) opened at its current location on the second day of May 1900. Before that, the school was located by the sea at the bottom of the lane. In 1896, an inspector stated: “There were 120 children cramped into a single room that was only suitable for 60’.
Donnchdh O’Conchubhair from Doire na Muice was the first known principal. James ‘Jimmon’ Walsh was appointed principal in 1881, and his wife Margaret was appointed as an assistant in 1893. Mrs. Ellie Bric was appointed as the second assistant in 1901. John F. Courtney from Killarney was appointed principal in 1925. His wife Dora was appointed in 1928. together they were better know as “the Master and the Missus.”
There were 114 children on the roll in 1928. In 1954 there were two teachers employed at the school. Máirín Murphy from Camp managed the school for six months, and in November 1955, Peigí Ní Shúilleabháin was appointed principal. Ann O’Brien was appointed assistant in March 1957 followed by Mary Catherine Bric from Brandon who was appointed in 1961. An eighth class was still in operation in 1963.
In 1900 the Irish language was not included as a subject on the curriculum. By March 1925 this had changed and Irish was on the curriculum. Students’ names, teachers’ names and the days of the week were recorded in Irish. The school was often closed for various reasons: farm work, medical and economic reasons, flooding followed by renovations. Bad weather had a major impact on daily attendance at school. Students were required to walk long distances to school from Glens, Mullach Bheál and other places.
The school was amalgamated with Baile Uí Dhuinn School in 1971. Mrs. Eily O’Dowd, Miss Annie Adams and the students from Baile Uí Dhuinn moved to Scoil an Chlocháin. In 1976, Peggy Ní Shúilleabháin Uí Chéilleachair retired from the school, and Seán Ó Dubhda was appointed principal. Máire Uí Mhurchú was appointed in 1974 and Caitlín Ní Dhubhda became principal in 1988 after Seán retired. In the meantime, Cáit Uí Ainiféin, Niamh Ní Dhubhda, and Aisling Ní Shúilleabháin were also appointed.
The school was renovated in 1986 and again in 2008. There were 46 children on the roll in 2002 and two permanent teachers in the school – Cathal Ó Dubhda as principal and Máire Ní Mhurchú as deputy principal. In September 2014 Rachel Ní Bhuachalla was appointed deputy principal when Máire retired. Pat Ó Loingsigh filled the role as the learning resource and special education teacher. Áine Nic Cárthaigh was employed as the Special Education Needs Teacher. This is how staffing was arranged prior to Covid in 2019…
…In September 2023, a year and a half after Covid, Cathal retired from his position as principal. Rachel was appointed principal while Pádraig was appointed to the role as deputy principal. Aideen Ní Chíobháin was employed as the special education and learning support teacher.
As enrolment numbers had increased significantly in the junior classes a new teacher post was urgently required. The Department of Education sanctioned such a post in October 2023. Enya Sheehy was appointed as a new class teacher early in the school term of 2024.
Under the stewardship of Cathal Ó Dubhda the school was successfully included in the Scéim Aitheantas Ghaeltachta in 2017. Full immersion in the Irish Language, Tumoideachas, is now part of the Irish Language policy at the school. Siobhán Ní Chonchúir was employed as the cúntóir teanga, Irish language support teacher, whose focus is to nurture and develop Irish as the language of communication in the school.
We now have four permanent teachers in the school with two support staff, one part-time secretary and 1 part -time caretaker. The enrollment numbers are growing gradually year on year. We will begin in 2025 with 54 children on the rollbook.
Bealtaine 2025