OLSS Belmullet

OUR LADY'S SECONDARY SCHOOL PUBLIC ART COMISSION BRIEF

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Welcome to Our Lady's Secondary Schools Website.

Our Lady's Secondary School has been to the fore of second level education in Erris since 1943. Over the years it has set out to provide as broad an education as possible to the students in its care.

We put enormous effort into our work and into creating the friendly atmosphere that exists in our school where the uniqueness of each person is respected. Our ever-expanding curriculum helps provide for a wider range of options for our students i.e. (TY) Transition Year, (LCA) Leaving Cert Applied, (LCVP) Leaving Cert Vocational Programme and (PLC) Post Leaving Cert.

Our school has maintained the very high standards in education. While academic excellence is essential, the religious formation, pastoral care and happiness of our students are our priority. We have a well-established pastoral care system within the school and there is a special concern for students who are new to the school community. We are also in the fortunate position of having a Chaplain, Counsellors and Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) available at the school.

School History:
In 1894 the Parish Priest of Binghamstown, where the Belmullet Workhouse (current
hospital) was located, asked the Sisters of Mercy in Ballina to take charge of the
Workhouse. Three Sisters came that year, Sister Benignus as teacher, Sister Assisi as
matron and Sister Vincent as housekeeper.
As well as improving conditions each day in the Workhouse, these Sisters did heroic work
during the 1918 ‘flu pandemic’, risking their own lives to look after those who were
infected. At the abolition of the Workhouse System in 1921, the people in it were removed
to Castlebar and the Sisters then opened a school. However, in 1922 during the Civil War
the army occupied the main building and in 1923 the Sisters were recalled to Ballina. In
1924, the Sisters rented a house in Logmore from Mr. Carter, with a view to the Sisters
returning to the hospital, but that did not materialise. Instead, they started a Commercial
and Music school and later a private Junior School.
In 1943 ​at the request of the Belmullet people a Secondary School was opened. Sr.
Catherine McGoohan was in charge with Sr. Annunciata Browne and Sr. Aquinas McNulty as
assistants. In 1946 as accommodation was inadequate a boarding school was built on the
grounds-just one wing.
In 1953 a further extension was made to add new classrooms. In 1962 a large extension
was built on to the convent. The extension included a large hall where many operettas,
plays and musicals were produced annually.
The year 1959 saw the introduction of co-education. Between 1967 and 1973 further
extensions were made and games facilities, pitches, basketball courts and a ball alley were
provided. The Sisters taught in the school from its opening until 2002 and today, the high
standards of education are still maintained and in the context of the traditional Mercy
charism. in May 2015 An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD opened our new school building