The "New" School 1902 - present
History of Kilnadeema National School
The school that stands before you today, dates back to 1900 when the first sod was turned in October of that year. Just two years later, in 1902, the doors were officially opened to welcome the boys and girls of the surrounding areas. As the wall plaques show, the tradition of the old school, (boys in one school and girls in another, under the one roof) continued as Kilnadeema Male (Roll no. 15071) and Kilnadeema Female (Roll no. 15072). Interestingly enough, the estimated cost of building this 2 roomed school was approximately €668 and it was meant to accommodate 150 pupils! It was to be 40 years before any further work would be done in the school and in the late 1940s some refurbishment was carried out on the building.
In 1972 a two room prefabricated extension was added to the school in preparation for the arrival of the pupils from Aille National School which was to close in 1973. Central heating was also added at this time.
In the late 1970s the local drama group removed the wide stone wall which divided the original male and female schools and replaced it with a folding wooden partition. This enabled the school to be converted into a hall for the various stage performances which they undertook at this time, as well as the annual school concert.
During the 1980s the condition of the school deteriorated rapidly and parents felt that it was time for a complete refurbishment of the old 1902 building along with an extension to replace the ailing prefabs. The first meeting to start the process was held in Kilnadeema school on July 9th 1990 and finally after many meetings with politicians and Department of Education officials a sanction letter was presented to a public meeting on November 18th 1992. Work began in 1994 and involved a complete refurbishment of the old building along with a two classroom extension, ancillary teachers’ room, toilets and a resource room. As enrolment figures grew so too did the accommodation needs. Consequently, two more prefabs were added to the school in the late 1990's. In 2007, a third prefab was added. In 2011, Kilnadeema underwent further changes and an extension was built to include a medical room and office.
The school continued to expand during the 1990s and in 2006 reached its highest enrolment of 159 pupils. As demographics changed, so too did enrolment figures. In 2018, Kilnadeema ha 74 pupils enrolled and had 3 mainstream class teachers, full time special education teacher, a shared special education teacher and a secretary. In 2022, the school is embracing a resurgence and has a total enrolment of 120 pupils, with 5 classroom teachers, a full time SET, a shared SET and a secretary.
The school that stands before you today, dates back to 1900 when the first sod was turned in October of that year. Just two years later, in 1902, the doors were officially opened to welcome the boys and girls of the surrounding areas. As the wall plaques show, the tradition of the old school, (boys in one school and girls in another, under the one roof) continued as Kilnadeema Male (Roll no. 15071) and Kilnadeema Female (Roll no. 15072). Interestingly enough, the estimated cost of building this 2 roomed school was approximately €668 and it was meant to accommodate 150 pupils! It was to be 40 years before any further work would be done in the school and in the late 1940s some refurbishment was carried out on the building.
In 1972 a two room prefabricated extension was added to the school in preparation for the arrival of the pupils from Aille National School which was to close in 1973. Central heating was also added at this time.
In the late 1970s the local drama group removed the wide stone wall which divided the original male and female schools and replaced it with a folding wooden partition. This enabled the school to be converted into a hall for the various stage performances which they undertook at this time, as well as the annual school concert.
During the 1980s the condition of the school deteriorated rapidly and parents felt that it was time for a complete refurbishment of the old 1902 building along with an extension to replace the ailing prefabs. The first meeting to start the process was held in Kilnadeema school on July 9th 1990 and finally after many meetings with politicians and Department of Education officials a sanction letter was presented to a public meeting on November 18th 1992. Work began in 1994 and involved a complete refurbishment of the old building along with a two classroom extension, ancillary teachers’ room, toilets and a resource room. As enrolment figures grew so too did the accommodation needs. Consequently, two more prefabs were added to the school in the late 1990's. In 2007, a third prefab was added. In 2011, Kilnadeema underwent further changes and an extension was built to include a medical room and office.
The school continued to expand during the 1990s and in 2006 reached its highest enrolment of 159 pupils. As demographics changed, so too did enrolment figures. In 2018, Kilnadeema ha 74 pupils enrolled and had 3 mainstream class teachers, full time special education teacher, a shared special education teacher and a secretary. In 2022, the school is embracing a resurgence and has a total enrolment of 120 pupils, with 5 classroom teachers, a full time SET, a shared SET and a secretary.