Saint Hugh’s National School is on the outskirts of the village of Dowra. The River Shannon flows through Dowra and forms the border there between County Cavan and Leitrim. The main part of the village is in Cavan however the school is on the Leitrim side. The school mainly serves the area of Ballinaglera and Dowra.
Saint Hugh’s N.S. is a two-teacher school. It also has one shared Learning Support teacher and one shared Resource teacher. At present it has an enrolment of 43 pupils.
Staff
Pádraig Kenny: Fifth and Sixth Class
Seamie McMorrow: First, Second and Third Class
Jacinta Greene: Junior and Senior Infants, First Class
Sharon McGourty Special Education Teacher
SNA: Karen McCawley
Board of Management
Gerry McGourty Chairperson
Fr. Tom Mannion Patron's Nominee
Antoinette McGourty Parents' Representative
Brendan O'Rourke Parents' Representative
Marie McGrail Community Representative
Sean McMorrow Community Representative
Jacinta Greene Staff Representative
Padraig Kenny Principal
The History of Saint Hugh’s National School
Saint Hugh’s National School was formerly known as Cornagee N.S. Cornagee N.S. was originally situated along the west side of the main road entering Dowra, in the townland of Cornagee, . Formerly a hedge school it was established as a national school in 1854. As a national school, Philip Cornyn was its first Principal. In March 1872 Michael McMorrow replaced him. From June 1857 £8 per anum was granted to Catherine ? as Work-mistress. She resigned in July 1859 and Catherine Cornyn, wife of Philip Cornyn, was appointed in her place. Michael McMorrow, Principal, retired in 1880 and was replaced by his son John for about a year.
In 1881 the school was changed to the opposite of the main road to the townland of Kilmore. The building was known as ‘the Old Barrack’ because the R.I.C. police used it formerly. Thomas McKeon was appointed Principal. His wife, Rose, became assistant in January 1882 at £27 per anum. Rose MacKeon continued teaching in the school until she died suddenly in 1907. Mrs. Owen then became the new Assistant. About 1910 Kate McKeon, later Mrs. Flynn, replaced her father as Principal. When she retired in 1952 Peter S. Clancy became Principal. He died suddenly in 1956 and was succeeded by his wife Eileen Clancy. Assistants during the period from about 1910 were Mrs. Dolan (died 1940), who was a sister of Mrs. Flynn and Mary Jane McKiernan who retired in 1972.
In 1959 Cornagee new school, 430 yards farther south, was opened. Mrs. Eileen Clancy was Principal at the time and Miss Kiernan remained Assistant. In 1961 Mrs. Clancy went to teach in Dublin and Frank O’Rourke, a native of Loughrea, Co. Galway, replaced her. He left to take the Principalship of Ardvarney N.S. in Killanumery Parish in 1974 and was succeeded in Cornagee N.S. by Sean Carron from Fermanagh. Meantime, Kathleen Maguire succeeded Mary J. Kiernan as Assistant in 1972. Later that year she left to become Principal in Slievenakilla N.S. and was replaced in Cornagee N.S. by Barbara Heron. It became the sole national school for the parish in 1977. Then Kathleen Maguire of Slievenakilla N.S. and Ann Molua Maguire from Hollymount-Tullyvacan N.S. became Assistants with Sean Carron remaining Principal.
(An excerpt from, ‘The History and Traditions of two Leitrim Parishes’, by Clancy and Forde)
Geraldine Corrigan joined the staff as a shared Learning Support teacher in 2000. In 2002 Sean Carron retired and was replaced by Pádraig Kenny of Drumshanbo as Principal. In June 2006 Ann Molua Maguire retired and for 2006-2007 the school became a two-teacher school. Mary McGrail joined the staff as a shared Learning Support teacher in 2006. The school was renamed Saint Hugh’s National School in May 2007. In September 2007 Mary Tubman was appointed as second mainstream class teacher and the school reverted to being a three-teacher school. In June 2008 Kathleen Maguire retired and was replaced by Jillian Duignan. In June 2011 Mary McGrail retired and was replaced by Sarah Carty in September 2011. In October 2011 Jacinta McGourty joined the staff, replacing Jillian Duignan. Geraldine Corrigan departed us in June 2012.