2. A History of Our School
The Mountbellew workhouse has been a VEC
school for 80 years now and has had a lively history
since its days as a workhouse.
4. Mountbellew Workhouse
The workhouse continued its work into the 1900s before it
closed in late 1919.
After the workhouse was shut down, the Black and Tans
were based in the building during the War of Independence.
They shot at the bell to claim the building as their own.
In 1922 the Irish Free State Army were based there during
the Civil War. They too shot at the bell to mark the building
as theirs. In 1923, in preparation for their first victorious All-
Ireland Final, the Galway senior hurling panel moved into
the building for the three weeks before the match. Between
1924 and 1926, the Free State Army were based in the
building on a handful of occasions.
5. Mountbellew Workhouse
Then in 1926, education started in the building, in
the form of night classes. The first subjects offered
were Agricultural Science, Maths and English, but
later Woodwork, Metalwork, Irish and Mechanical
Drawing were added.
6. The Origins of Our School
In 1930, the Government passed its first educational
act, the Vocational Education Act 1930. This act created
Vocational Education Committees, or VECs around
Ireland. County Galway VEC was one of these
committees. The first CEO of Co Galway VEC was
Very Rev. Canon Mc Alliney, P.P., An Spidíal. In 1932,
St Jarlath’s Vocational School was opened in the
Workhouse building at Mountbellew. It was the first
school opened by County Galway VEC; it was the first
rural vocational school in Ireland and was one of the
first rural schools in Ireland. The school was named
after St Jarlath, the Patron Saint of the Archdiocese of
Tuam.
7. The Origins of Our School
The first Principal of the school was Mr Seán Kilbane,
who served from 1932 until 1967. The school began
with the basic subjects of reading, writing and
arithmetic. These were soon joined by woodwork,
metalwork, drawing and domestic science. In 1967, Mr
Micheail O’Dalaigh took over as Principal and held the
post for ten years. Then in 1977, Mr Mattie Kilroy
replaced Mr O’Dalaigh. The Leaving Certificate
Examinations were first introduced in 1977. When
Mattie Kilroy retired in 2009, after serving as Principal
for 32 years, Mrs Ann-Marie Carroll took over the role
and remains in the position to the present day, making
her only the 4th Principal in the school over 80 years.
Today St Jarlath’s Vocational School is known as
Coláiste and Chreagáin.
15. Our School Today –
Celebrating 80 Years
Coláiste an Chreagáin is one of Co. Galway VEC’s
oldest school. In 1932 Mountbellew Vocational
school was opened as one of the first rural schools
in the country.
Today our School continues to provide a broad
based, high quality education for our students. We
in Coláiste an Chreagáin with the support of the
CEO and Co. Galway VEC are committed to
providing a firm foundation for the further self
development and actualization of all our learners.
