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Child Item

OLD ST. MOCHTA'S SCHOOL.

suey71

This old school has been a part of the village of Clonsilla for over 150 years. Its so sad looking at it being slowly vandalized by drunken youths.

I drive a taxi and only a couple of nights ago I picked up 4 teenagers who asked to go to Clonsilla Village, the old school to be precise, for a session with their "mates".

I love the history of this village and it pains me to see what is happening to this unique building.

What is to become of it???

I'd like to see it turned into a museum for the Royal Canal/Clonsilla History Museum or something along these lines.

Any ideas??

Lets save this school before it is destroyed.

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amdublin

Where exactly is this school???

Is it empty?

Gaspode

Is this the schoolhouse you mean Suey?

They've referred to it as Porterstown Schoolhouse, though I know people who went there and just called it Clonsilla National School.

suey71

Yeah thats the one Gaspode.

And it is empty, but surely a building with so much character and history behind it cant just be left empty.

A lot of the kids in this area call this building The Haunted School, including my own kids.

I'd just like to see something nice done to it, after all it was the local school to over a century of local kids right up to the 1960's.

There are not many buildings like this left in Ireland and I think it should be preserved for the community of tomorrow.

Gaspode

I totally agree. There is, I'm sure, a lot of local history based around the school.
My uncle went to that school and still lives in D15, if he ever gets a flight home I must ask him about it, and see if he has any pictures from it.

I suppose the problem with restoration or even preservation is that it is dependent on ownership. If it's privately owned then it's unlikely the owners will do anything with it. the best hope would be for the state (i.e. the council) to take ownership of it.

Nevyn

Well who was the patron of the school? They should still own the land.

Gaspode

THere you go suey, that's your homework for the week!

Renno

http://www.labour.ie/peggyhamill/news/12681646341278156.html

The problem has always been that is it in private hands. It seems to be a fairly tortured business to get anything done.

Obviously the best thing to do would be for Fingal Co Co to buy and develop it. That would mean everyone dipping their hands into their pockets to pay some more tax. Many takers?

suey71

I heard a story years ago that the guy who owned it lived in a run down caravan on the grounds while waiting to see if he could ever get planning permission to renovate it. He obviously never got it.

I think he's dead now though.

xzanti

suey71 wrote: »

I heard a story years ago that the guy who owned it lived in a run down caravan on the grounds while waiting to see if he could ever get planning permission to renovate it. He obviously never got it.

I think he's dead now though.

Mr. McGarry I think his name was, he used to chase kids off the land with a shotgun, or so the local stories went..

I went to the 'new' Mochtas, I started there just after the 2nd school closed (the little white building next to the new one) we were always intrigued by the old building, we were convinced it was haunted.. Myself and a friend of mine always vowed to sneak away and have a nosey around it one day but we were told it was on the verge of collapsing and it was extremely dangerous to go near it so that kept us away.. well that and the fact that we were about 7 at the time and couldn't escape parental watch

Can't believe it's actually still standing to this day.. I'd love to see it saved and restored...

amdublin

Terrible shame.

It would be great to see it restored.

Murt10

It is a listed building.

I contacted Fingal Co.Co. in June 2009 (info@fingalcoco.ie) to complain that the school seemed to be being allowed to fall into disrepair by the owners.

It is possible they are hoping some cider party will set fire to the building and damage it beyond repair. Or that by allowing broken and missing roof tiles and windows, that it may be damaged by the weather, and it suddenly becomes a vacant dangerous building, suitable only for demolition. and at the same time becomes a vacant potential housing site, as if we havn't got enough of these.

Anyway, the holding reply I got from Fingal was that they were referring my email on to their Dangerous Buildings section for their direct reply.

Not a peep out of Dangerous Buildings Section after that.

Perhaps some other Boardies might like to send a new email. I'll send them a reminder.

Murt

Murt10

I finally got a reply from Fingal and was directed on to the appropriate person who is dealing with the matter, Helena Bergin, Conservation Officer. I emailed her yesterday and received the following prompt reply. We are obviously not the only ones concerned about the building.

" Dear Murt,

This building which is in private ownership it is a protected structure. The Planning Department issued an Endangerment Notice to the owner of the property under the Planning and Development Acts requiring that specified works be carried out to prevent the protected structure from continuing to be endangered. The works specified in the Notice have not been carried out and the Council is continuing its proceedings with a prosecution in the District Court. It is hoped to have this case heard in July 2010. The Council is very concerned regarding the condition of the building and carried out works to secure the building at its own expense.

Regards,
Helena"

suey71

Thats good news Murt.

One wonders what the owner wants to do with the building.

Its not exactly suitable to convert into a house.

Probably waiting on the council to put a CPO on the structure and net him/her a tidy profit.

Gaspode

Not sure a CPO in todays prices would be too handsome a profit. Pity these things take so long to get through the system.

suey71

I concur.

Its my first time using that word.:D.

itsallaboutme!!

I've just come across this thread.

I went to the current st mochtas school(brown building) as did my three siblings, my dad went to school in the old schoolhouse and when it closed down all of his sisters went to school in the new school (white building). There are photos of them including one of my dad and all his classmates outside the old schoolhouse on the walls of the corridor in the current school.we used to laugh at how they all used to dress going to school back in the day!!

Those rumours about the man in the caravan chasing kids off his land with a shotgun are true I was one of those kids, once was enough for me but ive heard others talking about it too and the man really did get an awful time from kids in the area back then.

the stories my dad has about going to school there are great to hear as it was such a different time to now. he has such fond memories of it and often says its such a shame that the building has been let get into such a state. it would be great to see it refurbished and used for something like a local history museum. hope someone eventually gets round to it.

suey71

Care to tell us some of these old stories???:).

Please.

suey71

A little off topic here but a little like the aboves father being chased off with a shotgun from the old school grounds, something similar happened to me.

Like most kids I used to like stealing apples from orchards, and there used to be an apple tree in the back garden of one of the cottages across from the new st. Mochtas school. It was right next to the Old Forge house, and there are now apartments there.

Well as far as I knew there was no one living there, and seeing that the apple tree was full of fruit I proceeded to climb onto the ajoining wall between the old forge and the orchard. I wasn't going to go into the orchard, just stand on the wall and take the apples.
Suddenly I heard a shout of obscenities and the old man who lived in the forge ran at me with a sweeping brush, swinging wildly, swinging to kill.
I ran and ran and never went back.

What is it with men and protecting orchards? and kids and apples?

BostonB

There used to be a small orchard opposite the white school. I remember walking thorugh it as a kid. Now that I think about it there were a lot of orchards in the area, or at least the remains of them any way. The last active one I remember was up from Ben Dunnes house. You used to be able to go in and bag your own apples.

suey71

That orchard is still there just up from Bens house.

I read an article in a book on local history years ago (forget its name) that said that the soil around here was great for growing fruit and that Luttrellstown castle was famous for its peach garden.

I have a plum tree in my back garden and it was so heavy with fruit one year that its branches broke. The pear tree also produces an abundence of fruit. The only thing that wont grow for some reason are gooseberries and most flowers, sadly.

Murt10

Stopped at the level crossing on Porterstown Road yesterday am (again:mad: ).

Two builder guys in high vis jackets and one other with a clipboard were inside the railings of the school.

Looks like we could see steps being taken to stop this unique & historic building being allowed fall further into disrepair.

For anyone not familiar with its origin

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/history-heritage/architecture/architecture-in-fingal-du/old-porterstown-national-/

mysons

My wife's father went to school there and it would be great to see something good done to the place.
I hope the builders and the guy with the clipboard were there for a good reason.

Murt10

Just passed the school this morning.

It is now surrounded by scaffolding. Work has commenced at long last.

I was going to send a reminder as I thought FCC had forgotten about it.

Murt

wildlifeboy

photo i took yesterday

StrawDub

Great news, my dads old school!

What exactly are they doing work wise? Just making it safe?

MrJoeSoap

StrawDub wrote: »

my dads old school!

My dad is more old school!

PS - Good news, it was fast becoming dangerous and an eye-sore (even more so than before).