28. Garbally Old School

Officially opened in 1880 this was the first known formal centre of education in this general area. It would however have been preceded by hedge schools in the vicinity. National schools of that time were normally named, though not always, after the townland in which they were built. This is one exception as it is located in Esker townland but rather adjacent to Garbally townland where the new school would be built in 1952. The 1901 census records John Mangan and his wife Mary, formerly Kenny from Menlough Oughter, as being teachers and living in Esker at Ivy Lodge (see below). They both taught in this school from at least the early 1890s and John may indeed have been its first teacher. These were later succeeded, until the school relocation, by Michael McElwaine, from Menlough Oughter, Nancy Snee, his sister, and Mr. Martin Ward from Letterfrack who lodged at Tannian’s of Pollacrossaun. The latter was later, in 1957, appointed as Principal in Letterfrack National School.

The school building was a three roomed building at its closure. It was, however, initially a two-roomed building when a wooden framed partition separated the rooms and each with a fireplace and chimney. A new sliding partition was then installed during the early 1900s and heat to the third, or centre, room was by means of a stove. The complete enclosure included external dry toilets and a turf shed and closed its doors as a source of formal learning in 1952 with the construction of a new school in nearby Garbally townland.
Garbally Hall.

Following on from the closure of the first Garbally National School in 1952 the building continued to be used as a local social centre and became known as Garbally Hall and continues to be called by many to this day. From a social viewpoint its significance could never be understated as it served the community, in its original structure from 1952, until the early 1980s when it underwent much needed major structural and functional changes as it was by then 100 years old.
It formed the focal point for drama in particular with the staging of many plays that would go on to collect numerous drama titles at many levels within Ireland. In addition it hosted school concerts, meetings of various groups, training, card games, dances, quizzes and a variety of fundraising events to support itself and other community initiatives. With the formation of Skehana Community Council in the late 1970s its first major objective was to engage in major redevelopments to the building and the site.

Skehana Community Centre.

Skehana Community Council set about the Garbally Hall redevelopment with great vigour and enthusiasm commencing with the ‘King and Queen of Skehana’ fundraiser which would kick start the project. Proposals and plans were submitted to AnCO, the forerunner to FAS, and these were accepted and contract agreements made with the late Austin Lydon and the late Brendan Burke, both from Tuam, and from there the project was overseen on a weekly basis by the late Michael Keary, of AnCO and formerly from Windfield Lower, and it was Michael’s leadership and wonderful range of skills that ensured the project began a huge success. The local supervisor was Michael Bellew, from Woodlawn, and he led a team of local employees to carry out all associated tasks while acquiring new skills in the process.

Additional land was made available to the community by Tommy and Anne Costello of Carramore, of which a large portion was a donation and a remaining late addition purchased for a most nominal fee. Their cooperation was so crucial as it was they, and they alone, who could ensure that planning was received. The new Skehana Community Centre was officially opened in 1988 by His Grace, Archbishop of Tuam Dr. Joseph Cunnane who, as a trustee, also gave a grant and an interest free loan to complete the works.

The centre continued on where Garbally Hall left off with many similar events and functions taking place albeit in more modern and pleasant surroundings for all concerned. The centre, now under the guidance of the Hall Committee, has again seen some magnificent improvements to the building itself with toilet upgrading, the construction of a green room and surfacing of the car parking area as well as of course the normal demands on annual upkeep of such a facility which is done so well. Skehana Community Centre remains central to our community as it enters its second century of valued service.