From Danny’s Files: The Register of Infants, Ballyfasey Female National School (1871-1928)

Danny Dowling (1927-2021) for over 7 decades collected a vast amount of information and material regarding Glenmore and other local areas. One large item that Danny collected was a copy of the Register of Infants in Ballyfasey (sic) Female National School. This register consists of 7 pages with student entrances dates from 15 July 1871 to 8 October 1928 of 247 girls (with legible names). There are also 5 students whose names are not legible. The pages are 16 ½ inches (42cm) tall by 11 ½ inches (29 cm) wide. This register is just one of the Ballyfacey School Registers that Danny collected. Today, we are going to focus on page 1 of the Register.

The old Ballyfacey National School was built in 1868 on “Jolla Hill.” Micil Moore, of Knockbrack, Glenmore, built the school building at the cost of £95. Local men drew the stones and sand required and at the end of the building the extra $5 from the grant was spent on a barrel of beer for the men who drew the stones and sand. See our post of 6 September 2020 for further details regarding the building and repairs to the old Ballyfacey National school and early local hedge road schools..

The Register

Page 1 consists of 38 legible names with entrance dates from 15 July 1871 to 6 June 1878 recording 39 students. There are 8 primary columns for recording information including: date of entrance; pupil’s name; age of pupil on last birthday; religion; residence; occupation or means of living of parents; and annual examinations. The column examinations is divided into First, Second and Third perhaps reflecting the division of the academic year. Each of the three examination periods is divided into number of days present and result. No results were provided on this page, but attendance across the three exam periods was recorded and is reflected in the charts below. School attendance was not mandated until the Irish Education Act of 1892.

One of the more interesting aspects of this register reflects that children started school throughout the year. It appears that classes were held all year with no apparent summer break.  How teachers coped with students beginning at different times is unknown and attendance for some students was very poor. Some of the girls started school at the age of 3 which seems very young. It also appears that in some entries the name Johanna is misspelled, and on page 1 Ballyfacy is spelled in three different ways.

Below are tables reflecting the information contained on page 1 of the Register. Due to the fact all children were recorded as RC (Roman Catholics) this column was eliminated from the tables. The days of attendance in the table reflects the three exam periods.

1871 Ballyfacy, Glenmore, National School

Entrance date	Name	Age	Residence	Occupation	Attendance
15 July 1871	Kate Walsh	4	Ballyfacy	Farmer	37—147—0
29 July 1871	Mary Cashin	5	Weatherstown	Shoemaker	26—83—178
27 May 1871	Margaret Wallace	4	Ballyfacy	Shopkeeper	62—183—0
3 July 1871	Margaret Phelan	6	Ballyfacy	Farmer	0—0—119
2 Oct. 1871	Mary Grace	6	Kilbride	Farmer	0—0—161

1872

Entrance date	Name	Age	Residence	Occupation	Attendance
29 May 1872	Stasia Power	6	Kilbride	Labourer	0—0—85

1873

Entrance date	Name	Age	Residence	Occupation	Attendance
24 April 1873	Ellen Mullins	6	Flemingstown	Farmer	0—0—47
5 May 1873	Johanna Croak	4	Kilbride	Labourer	37—169—126
2 June 1873	Bridget Duggan	5	Weatherstown	Farmer	0—20—111
28 July 1873	Bridget Hartley	4	Weatherstown	Farmer	0—75—110

1874

Entrance date	Name	Age	Residence	Occupation	Attendance
25 May 1874	Kate Young	4	Ballyfacy	Carpenter	0—33—0
Not legible	Margaret Ivory	4	Kilbride	Cooper	79—0–183
1 June 1874	Johanna Culleton	4	Kilbride	Farmer	10—0—120
8 June 1874	Kate Hennessy	3	Ballyfacy	Labourer	25—136—189
30 June 1874	Bridget MacDonald	4	Ballyfacy	Farmer	75—0—147

1875

Entrance date	Name	Age	Residence	Occupation	Attendance
6 April1875	Stasia Malone	5	Weatherstown	Farmer	0—168—0
21 June 1875	Kate Mackey	4	Weatherstown	Farmer	0—87—0
21 July 1875	Stasia Irish	4	Ballinlammy	Farmer	0—0—142
21 July 1875	Stasia Ryan	6	Ballycurran (Tullogher)	Farmer	0—0—0
27 April 1875	Alice Donovan	5	Haggard	Labourer	0—0—181

1876

Entrance date	Name	Age	Residence	Occupation	Attendance
28 Feb.1876	Stasia Phelan	3	Ballyfacy	Farmer	129—0—201
28 Feb. 1876	Johanna Grace	3	Kilbride	Farmer	63—172—0
28 Feb. 1876	Johanna Hurly	3	Ballyfacy	Farmer	156—0—155
1 March 1876	Mary(?) Power	4	Kilbride	Labourer	0—0—131
27 March 1876	Kate Dempsey	4	Ballyveria	Labourer	0—0—0
27 March 1876	Stasia Grennan	4	Moulerstown	Farmer	0—0—0
27 March 1876	Bridget Murphy	5	Moulerstown	Labourer	0—0—0
Not legible	Margaret Purcell	5	Moulerstown	Farmer	0—0—0
29 March 1876	Margaret Crowley	5	Ballymartin (Tullogher)	Farmer	0—0—0
8 May 1876	Kate Donovan	4	Haggard	Dealer	0—174—0

1877

Entrance date	Name	Age	Residence	Occupation	Attendance
6 Feb.1877	Bridget Greene	4	Ballyfasy	Farmer	0—0—0
21 May 1877	Margaret Power	5	Knockbrack	Labourer	0—0—138
18 June1877	Mary Walsh	5	Haggard	Labourer	0—0—74
18 June 1877	Joanna Dempsey	3	Ballyveria	Labourer	1—0—84
8 Oct.1877	Joanna Berrigan	5	Ballyfacy	Labourer	0—2—6
11 Oct. 1877	Stasia Culleton	3	Kilbride	Farmer	5—219—28

1878

Entrance date	Name	Age	Residence	Occupation	Attendance
28 May1878	Kate Duggan	5	Weathetstown	Labourer	0—41—92
6 June1878	Mary Jones	5	Ballinlammy	Fowl dealer	0—49—0
Cut off page	Cut off page	5	Weatherstown	Labourer	0—115—150

Most Popular First Names

The most popular first names recorded on page 1 of the Register resulted in several ties. For example, Stasia and Kate tied for first place with each name representing 7 students each. There was also a tie for second most popular name with Margaret and Joanna/Johanna each representing 6 students each. There was another tie for third most popular name with Mary and Bridget representing 5 students each. The least popular names were Alice and Ellen each representing just 1 student each.

Glenmore Townlands Recorded

There are 11 townlands recorded for residency on page 1. Nine of the townlands are within the Parish of Glenmore and two (Ballycurran and Ballymartin) are not. The top three townlands on the page are Ballyfasy (10); Weatherstown (7); and Kilbride (8) or 25 of the 39 students or 64% of the students recorded on page 1. Haggard and Moulerstown each had 3 students; Ballinlammy and Ballyveria had 2 students each and all the rest had 1 student each (ie Ballymartin, Ballycurran, Flemingstown and Knockbrack).

Ages of Students on Starting at Ballyfacey National School

There were 4 ages recorded for admissions on page 1 of the Register of Infants namely: three-year-olds; four-year-olds, five-year-olds and six-year-olds. The largest group was comprised of fifteen 4 year olds (38.5%); the second largest group was comprised of the twelve 5-year-olds (30.7%);  there were seven 3-year-olds which represented 17.9 % of the admissions and the five 6-year-olds represented the lowest group (12.8%).

The 3 Year Olds

Given that 3 seems extremely early to start school we attempted to verify the ages of the girls recorded as being 3 on their admission  to the Ballyfacy National School from 1874 to 1877.

Kate Hennessy (Catherine Hennessy was born 12 Nov. 1871 at Ballyfacy to Richard Hennessy (labourer) and his wife Anne Doherty. She entered school on 8 June 1874 at the age of 3 years, 7 months.)

Stasia Culleton  (Anastatia Culleton was born on 16 Oct. 1873 at Kilbride to John Culleton (farmer) and his wife Bridget Walsh admitted 11 Oct. 1877 just five days before her fourth birthday.)

Stasia Phelan (Anastatia Phelan was born 8 Jan. 1872 at Ballyfacy to John Phelan (farmer) and his wife Catherine Forristal. She entered school on 28 Feb. 1876 at the age of 4 years, 1 month.)

Joanna (sic) Grace (Johanna Grace was born at Kilbride on 2 Feb. 1873 to Patrick Grace (farmer) and his wife Mary McDonald.   Johanna entered school on 28 Feb. 1876 and had just turned 3.)

Joanna (sic) Hurley (Johanna Hurley was born 12 Nov. 1871 at Ballyfacy to James Hurley (labourer) and his wife Margaret Shea. She started school on 28 Feb. 1876. Johanna was 4 years 8 months old when she started school.)

Joanna (sic) Dempsey (Johanna Dempsey was born on 15 Oct. 1873 at Ballywairy, Glenmore, to Patrick Dempsey (labourer) and his wife Mary Norris. Johanna entered school on 18 June 1877, thus she was 3 years 8 months old when she started school.)

Subjects Taught

In another register the subjects the girls had in 1872 included reading, spelling, writing, arithmetic, grammar, geography and needlework.

The Old Ballyfacey National School

Ann Grennan wrote a wonderful article “The Story of Ballyfacey School,” that was published in Glenmore Times: Millennium Memories ((2000) Glenmore Millennium Committee) pp. 19-21. The article focuses on the early 20th century but provides some interesting facts concerning the fate of the old school house. She noted 26 years ago that there was no trace left of the old school building. When the new school was built about 1957 the stones of the old school were reused for a pig house. “The only remains were a small bit of a wall belonging to the toilet and also the gate leading into the school.”

Please send any corrections or additional information or photos to glenmore.history @gmail.com .

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh

The old photo featured above was taken in front of the old Ballyfacey National School. Special thanks to Jackie Walsh for sharing the old photo.

If you believe that your ancestor may have attended Ballyfacey National School please send on his/her date of birth and townland and we shall check the registers Danny collected for information for you.