Facefield School
The first national school in Facefield was built in Anne O’ Donnell’s field in October 1863. New furniture was installed five
desks, five forms, each ten feet long, a masters table and a book press. The school was build of stone and mortar and the
roof was thatched. It measured 42 ½ by 15¾ by 8’ high and appears to have been divided into two rooms by a partition.
There were 4 windows, 2 fire places, clay floors but no black board or clock. It was built from local funds and there was no
rent. There were ten houses within a half mile radius of the school. Thomas Commons was appointed teacher from 19th
October, 1863, He was 44 years old and previously taught in Murneen.
The school was taken into commission of the Board of Education on 22nd January 1864and Rev Thomas
Walters PP was appointed manager. Irish history, songs or poems or anything which might arouse a sense of patriotism
were allowed to be taught. Pat Stai was appointed principal in January 1866on a salary of £24 per annum. An assistant
teacher Miss Winifred O Doherty was appointed in May 1869 as there were now 171 children on the rolls. Thomas Timon
from Roscommon was appointed principal in 1871 and he married Winifred O Doherty. A permanent partition was erected
in the already inadequate schoolhouse for a teachers residence. Sadly Thomas Timon died of fever in1882 and the school
was closed for some time due to its contagious nature. Mr. Michael Feeney from Sligo was appointed principal teacher in
June 1882.
By 1887 there were 271 children on the rolls and a new school was applied for by the manager Rev.
Patrick Sheridan. In 1889 a grant of £628 was awarded to build a new schoolhouse to accommodate a maximum of 300
pupils. The school opened on the 3rd of October 1892. Mr. James Feeney was appointed principal of the boys’ school. He
had replaced his brother Michael ,in the old school in February. He lived in Knocknamoghalaun until the school residence
was built in 1920. Mrs. Winifred Kelly formerly Mrs Timon was the principal of the girls school. She lived in Townalough.
Facefield New School was opened in the townland of Ballinlough, in 1892.
Following the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922 the school was called Páirc An Éadain but over the years this
changed to Gort an Éadain. Emigration was a way of life and for the vast majority of the pupils the only education they got
when they left Facefield was from the University of Life. In 1954 the internal layout of the school was changed to include
cloakrooms and in 1971 indoor toilets were installed.
From in or around 1920 Fr. Owen, the then curate in Mayo Abbey, came to Facefield to say Sunday morning mass in one of
the classrooms. As the number of children in the school declined to 110 and below in the 1930s the boys and girls schools
were amalgamated and there was now a permanently empty classroom which was used for mass. Schoolgoing numbers
further declined in the 1940s leaving 2 vacant classrooms to be used for church services.
Over the years by a combination of voluntary labour, fund raising by emigrants and the efforts of a local church committee
the church was developed with a new entrance built, a gallery and sacristy constructed, church seats and an altar
purchased. A plaque was erected in the church to the memory of Christy Nevin RIP who died in Viet Nam on Ash
Wednesday 1966.
The church was extensively renovated in 2000 overseen by a local committee, aided by the Community Employment
Scheme and generously donated voluntary labour and subscriptions. Archbishop Neary celebrated the first mass for the
reopening of the church in Sept. 2000. It is now a modern, comfortable building, a building the community is truly proud of.
An extension, consisting of a staff room and toilets was added to the school in 2005 with once again local people giving
freely of their time and talents to assist with the project. A major building project commenced in 2008 consisting of the
building of two new classrooms, the complete renovation of the existing school building and the provision of an all weather
pitch for the children. A memorial garden was put in place to remember all of the past pupils and teachers of the school.
These facilities were officially opened and blessed by Archbishop Neary on 1st Oct. 2011.
Facefield Church and School have been growing and developing since 1892 a symbol of a vibrant and energetic community.
We look forward to them to continuing to prosper.