Carrigans School
The school was built from funds bequeathed by Colonel Robertson, willed in 1790,
and belongs to the Church of Ireland. The Schoolmaster used to have living
quarters above the school. Due to the reducing number of pupils grants were cut
off and the school closed in 1949. The Roman Catholic children at that time
started leaving the school and going to Coxtown School instead. The old School
building was renovated in 1985 and again in 2005 and is used as Killea Parish
Hall.
Here are some 1938 stories from the school courtesy of Duchas.
A Forge
There is an old forge in the village of Carrigans. The people that own it are
called Gardiners but it has not been in use this last two years as Mr. Gardiner
is too old to work in it. He is about eighty four years of age. There is another
forge at Churchtown owned Mr. Robb. It is about a mile and a half from Carrigans.
It is in the middle of a good farming district and he get a good amount of work.
Some people have got to shoe horses that have a thing called “shivers.” If the
blacksmith lifts one leg the horse will fall so they have to tumble him and tie
his legs with strong chains. Some people have to sit on his body and his head to
keep him down. In this way the blacksmith is able to shoe the horse. The smiths
tools which he uses is a punch which is for boring holes in the shoe for cogs, a
toe knife for cutting horses feet, a vice which is for putting the shoes into it
so that he can tighten it and a file the shoe. The smith also uses buffer which
is for taking off shoes. It has a sharp side and a pointed side. He uses the
pointed side to straighten the nails which he put on the previous time. Then he
is able to pull of the shoes altogether with the pinchers.
The blacksmith uses coal, but it is not like the coal we burn. It is like slack
and its called “Smitty” coal and the smith wets it / he burns it.
The anvil is made of iron and it is for shaping horse shoes on. Then he has a
water trough for cooling his shoes and irons. The sledge which is for striking
the iron and shaping the shoes.
Carrigans NS No name
LOCAL HAPPENINGS
Burning of Carrigans Mill
Carrigans mill was burned in the year 1920. it took fire at night. The oatmeal
bags and everything were burned. It is not known how this fire started.
People who were a few miles off saw the light in the sky but nobody knew what it
was. The ruins of this mill can still be seen. They were going to build it up
again but they thought it would take too much money. I think they are going to
tumble the old walls as they are afraid that they might fall and kill someone.
Written by Emily Wray (aged 14)
Derrymore, Carrigans.
Material supplied by my mother
Martha Wray,
Derrymore, Carrigans Date- 16th Feb 1938