In the period 1890 to 1898 the area had no school. A temporary school was set up in the house of Martin and Elizabeth O’Keeffe in Lack about a mile away on 17 November 1890. Elizabeth was a teacher in the school. Initially, sanction to the temporary school was refused. However, sanction was allowed on 26 May 1891 on condition that the schoolhouse floor was boarded and suitable privies were provided without avoidable delay.
Martin O'Keeffe's house 1985, now owned by Sean Kelly
The Department’s inspector reported on the teachers and pupils at the temporary school on 28 January 1891 as follows:
The school teachers are James Griffin, class 2 and Elizabeth O’Keeffe, class 3. The following pupils were present:
Attendance:
| Class | No. of Pupils |
|---|---|
| Infants | 4 |
| 1st | 5 |
| 2nd | 7 |
| 3rd | 8 |
| 4th | 6 |
| 5th | 7 |
| 6th | 3 |
| 7th | 2 |
| 8th | 1 |
| Total | 43 |
(The total number at school on this day was only 37% of all registered pupils in the 6 to 13 age group.)
The inspector reported as follows on the temporary schoolhouse:
‘House built with stone and lime mortar. School is one room and one storey. The internal dimensions are 19.5 feet by 13 feet by 7.25 feet high. It has no fireplace and one window 2 feet by 1 foot and no privies. The furniture consists of 2 desks, 5 forms 8 feet long and a teacher’s table.’
Under the heading ‘defects’ he states that more light is required. This room, measuring 254 square feet, was half the size of the old school.
The following graph gives the registrations during the period of the temporary school:
Figure 4 - Temporary School Registrations 1890 - 1898
The following is a summary of developments in the period of the temporary school:
- School registrations averaged 15 pupils per annum
- Potential school numbers averaged 118
- The school principal, Mr D. Crowley retired on 2 January 1891 on a pension of £35 per annum, having given 36 years’ service
- Mr James Griffin, age 36, from Caherea was appointed Principal on 7 January 1891
- The assistant teacher, Mrs E. O’Keeffe resigned on health grounds in March 1894
- Ms Lucy Barry, aged 22, was appointed assistant teacher
- Two monitors were employed, Ms Ellen Sheehan and Ms Margaret O’Keeffe, daughter of Elizabeth, the teacher, both 16 years of age
It is likely, from the inspector’s report, that the teaching was performed in one of the out offices such as the barn. Conditions may not have been any worse than in the old school with the exception of the smaller space, no heat and poor light. The children who registered in 1891 and 1892 are likely to have received their entire education in this temporary school.