The Galway School

The fathers erected what was called at the time the "Claddagh National Piscatorial School," capable of accommodating six hundred children. The principal idea of founding this school was the teaching of the children of the fishermen, whose dwellings stretch alongside the church, industries connected with their calling, such as net-making and spinning. Before long, however, the industrial teaching was given up and the national Board of Education took the school under its wing with the Prior of the house as manager. Poor schools, capable of accommodating 300 children, were built in 1826 and taken by the fathers there.

The Dominican nuns founded in Galway have had a very chequered career owing to persecution. Almost all the members of the first community, founded in 1644, died in exile in Spain. A new community, founded some years later, was driven forth from the cloister in 1698. Banished from the town more than once, the majority of them went to Dublin and new foundations were made in that city and in Drogheda.

The original Galway community of nuns has kept up with the times and has built a spacious college in accordance with modern requirements where the work of secondary education is carried on with energy and success.

Father Burke, the great preacher, commenced the building of the present beautiful church at Tallaght, but died in 1883, before it was half finished. After his death it was brought to completion as a memorial to him, and his remains were transferred to a memorial chapel erected in it.