Budding Gardeners

Junior Infants have been busy sowing Tulip bulbs with our care-taker Danny. We can't wait till Spring when they will bloom. This lovely bunch certainly have green fingers!

The children of Kilrickle NS were very generous this year, bringing in 40 shoe-boxes for the Team Hope Christmas Shoe box appeal. These boxes will be delivered straight into the hands of some of the world's most vulnerable children- many of whom will receive no other gift this Christmas.

Best of Luck Team Dessie O'Briens

Kilrickle National School would like to wish Dessie O'Brien's Quiz Team the best of luck in Galway Bay FM's 'On The Verge' Sports Quiz Final.  The final takes place tonight; Friday 31st of August at 8pm in the Claregalway Hotel 👍 👍👍

All Ireland Hurling Final 2018 - Best Wishes

Kilrickle National School would like to wish James Skehill; Galway Goalkeeper and Damien Joyce; working with Galway's backroom team the very best of luck on Sunday in the All Ireland Hurling final.

James and Damien visited our school last year with Liam McCarty. All going well Liam will be back to us for another year.

Best wishes too to all the players on the Galway senior and minor panels on Sunday and safe travels to all our supporters making the exciting journey up to Croker for the match.

History Project: Decade of Centenaries

Kilrickle National School History Project

The senior classes are doing a local history project on the events of 1912-1922 in the area.

This is part of the 'Decade of Centenaries' history competition.

The decade 2012-2022 is categorised as the 'Decade of Centenaries' as it marks the centenary of a number of important historical events and developments that occurred in the period 1912-1922.

For more information on Decade of Centenaries please click on: Decade of Centenaries

We are also delighted to have Heritage in School Expert, Martin Curley helping the school with this project.

We are looking at the reasons that people became involved in the Volunteers, Sinn Fein and the IRA at this time. We are particularly interested in local family stories which we will record and may exhibit as part of the project.

We would be grateful if you could help our students by answering some of the following questions:

Q: What memories or stories were passed on in your family about this time or earlier? e.g. stories about land division, evictions, migration or emigration

Q: Can you recall any local people who were involved in the 1916 Rising or in the 1919-21 War of Independence? Do you have any stories about that time?

Q: What kind of farming was carried out in the area at this time? What type of houses did people live in? What memories have been passed down about how people lived in the area?

Q: What did people do for entertainment and fun? Are there any stories of hurling or other sports from that time? Were there any ‘visiting houses’ in the area? 

Q: Are there any stories from earlier times e.g. Anthony Daly or the Great Hunger? What was said about those times in the area?

We would be grateful if you could write down some of your memories and send them to Kilrickle National School. 

Alternatively, arrangements can be made for school students near you to collect this information for their project. 

If you have any pictures that would help with the project please contact the school and we will arrange for a copy to be made.

Areas of interest include:

•  ·         Anthony Daly & The Whiteboys 
• ·         Land and ownership in Kilrickle 1640-1922
• ·         Poverty & Hardship : 1822 Famine, An Gorta Mor, Evictions
• ·         The Land League and United Irish League in Kilrickle 
• ·         Formation of the Kilrickle Volunteers and activity in 1916
• ·       1919-21 Kilrickle IRA activities
• ·         Patrick Hogan; The first Minister for Agriculture in the  Free State Government

These are some of the online resources that we will be using.

You may find them of interest.

1821 Census:  census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1821/Galway/Kilreekill/ 

1856 Griffith’s Valuation:  http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/galway/kilreekil.htm

1912-21 Eyewitness statements:  http://www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie

1916 – 21 Medal applications:  http://www.militaryarchives.ie/collections/online-collections/military-service-pensions-collection/search-the-collection/medals-series

Christmas Treat: Trip to Cinema

Today, the whole school was treated to a trip to the IMC cinema in Galway to see the film; Ferdinand.

The film was very enjoyable. All we can say without giving too much away is that Ferdinand is not your typical bull and definitely not one you would see in the fields in and around Kilrickle!!!

On arrival, the children received the usual cinema goodies and on the way home we stopped in the Galway Plaza for our lunch making sure we all left room for icecream!

By the end of the day we were all happy,contented but tired. With only a few days left to the Christmas holidays it was the perfect way to wind down to the end of the year.

All in all it was an enjoyable day.

Liam MacCarthy Visits Kilrickle

Last Wednesday Kilrickle National School was delighted to welcome the Liam MacCarthy and the Irish Press Cups to the school with local heroes James Skehill and Damien Joyce.

After Galway's fantastic year in sport, winning the senior and minor all - Ireland hurling competitions, the children of Kilrickle were eager to get their hands on the trophies, particularly the Liam MacCarthy which had eluded the county for so long.

Damien and James spoke to us about winning the trophies and took time to take pictures and sign jerseys, hurleys and sliotars to name but a few.

Both men were extremely kind to us and it was an absolute pleasure to have them come to our school, taking time out of their hectic schedules with both players having represented their club and county with distinction.

May their visit fuel the ambitions and motivations of the next generation of hurling and camóige players in our school.
Míle Buíochas daoibh!