Presentation College, Athenry
Presentation College, Athenry is a voluntary secondary school ""which is predominantly Catholic in character"" located in the town of Athenry, County Galway, Ireland.
History
Early 20th century
Presentation Convent in Athenry was established by the Tuam mother-house . Sisters taught in the old girls' primary school at Abbey Row until, some years later, a new Primary School was built on the parish lands at the rear of the convent.
In the late 1920s, the Sisters began to provide secondary education for girls in the primary school through development of a secondary top.
In 1930, four girls took the Intermediate Certificate examination, fore-runner of the present Junior Certificate.
By the late 1940s, the school was registered with the Department of Education as a Secondary School and the curriculum was extended. There were 74 girls on the rolls in 1949 / 50.
A new building with 5 classrooms was opened in the early 1950s. It is still in use today as the Technology Block and was the main school building until 1980.
Late 20th century
In 1964, the Sisters announced that boys would be admitted to the school from September, and 25 boys joined the 126 girls in the school which was now named Presentation College
By 1968, Sr. Brid Brennan had been appointed Principal. With the advent of the Free Education Scheme and free transport in 1967 pupil numbers increased greatly. The co-educational Coolarne school also then amalgamated with Presentation College.
In 1969, there were 386 pupils enrolled, and were mainly in pre-fab classrooms. By 1975, enrolment had reached 489 and a new school building was sanctioned by the Department of Education.
During the 1980s, the present school building was completed on what had previously been the football pitch. A large Gymnasium was provided by local effort. The first lay Principal, Mr. Gilbert McCarthy, was appointed and served until his retirement in 2004.
2000s
In 2004, Mrs. Mary Forde was appointed Principal.
In 2007, Mr. Gerry Cloonan, Deputy Principal, retired and Mr. Luke Glynn was appointed in his place. Sr. Mary McDonagh also retired leaving just one Sister, Sr. Catherine O'Connor on the staff.
Further change lies ahead for the College as became part of CEIST - Catholic Education an Irish Schools Trust. This was then a new Trustee body for the Voluntary Secondary Schools of the Presentation Sisters, The Daughters of Charity, the Sisters of the Christian Retreat, the Sisters of Mercy and the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.
In 2015, Mr Gerry Doherty, principal, retired and Mr Cathal Moore was appointed to take his place.
On Friday 15 February 2019 the doors to the founding school closed. Shortly afterwards, on 24 February 2019, Presentation College Athenry relocated to a new school on a greenfield site at Ballygurrane Athenry.