Mountpleasant National School, Curravordy townland, Co. Cork
(dated 1876)
NGR:144835, 60346
The Second Edition 25-inch map for the area around the Mount Pleasant Estate in Co. Cork marks the location of Mount Pleasant National School. The school was built in 1876 to the east of Mount Pleasant Cottage near Tanyard Bridge and the local R.I.C. Barracks. It was constructed on the lands donated by the Baldwin family – local land-holders in the area at the time. Much of the original structure remains today, though with some modification and later additions to the site including an indoor toilet-block which replaced the now collapsed outdoor one to the rear of the main building. Inside, the building itself is stable and in a fair condition.
The structure comprises a detached six-bay single-storey national school, dated 1876 on the carved limestone plaque to front, with flat-roofed extension to the rear (west). It has a pitched slate roof with rendered chimney-stacks and cast-iron rainwater goods. The windows comprise square-headed window openings with rendered sills and two-over-two pane timber sliding sash windows with horizontal glazing bars. Plastered walls and ceiling to interior with stone framed fireplace with cast-iron fittings. Square-profile dressed sandstone gate piers with cut limestone caps and remains of rubble stone boundary wall.
The simple geometric form of this school is typical of its time. The building retains timber sash windows within the tall gable windows designed to provide maximum natural light. The central chimneystack provided a flue for a double sided fireplace to heat the gender divided classrooms.
If you or someone you know attended this national school, or if you have any further information about this school – please do get in touch and share any stories, anecdotes, photographs, or any other memories you may have. If you know of further schools that I could visit, please do let me know.
Disused School Houses - Home Page 
Love your work on disused NS. I would have known the Slievereagh NS in Ballyvourney.
Wonder if you have any information on the old NS in Coolea, built approx 1852. Cousin of mine in America was looking for the details of land transfer, I found this while doing some research:
The land on which the Coolea National School is built was occupied in 1850 by Jeremiah and Michael Dineen. They took the land in 1847 and were tenants at will. Their landlord was Sir George Colthurst.
Found more info at Library in Ballyvourney in a document by Dan Healy on Cork National School Registers which shows it registered in 1862.
The School No. is 06824G if this is of any use to you.
I contacted the National Archives and they weren’t able to help, only to say I should come to Dublin!
Wonder if you have come across any info which you could share with me.
Looking forward to your reply,
Máire O’Neill
Coolea, Co. Cork
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