Borrisokane Community College, Co. Tipperary 2016

Heritage Project

The NAPD Creative Engagement Heritage project is funded by the Department of Education and Skills, Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Heritage Council. NAPD aims to actively promote the arts in education. At Borrisokane Community College a Heritage committee was set up to recognise the historic significance of the building that houses the school and surrounding buildings and sites. It comprises of students, school secretary, teachers and retired teachers.

The school was initially established in 1942. Many of the old roll books, cuttings from the newspapers and a wide range of old photographs are currently stored in the school. TY Students have examined the roll books to establish subjects that were taught in the early years. In Maths classes they are also analysing enrolment numbers, ratio of girls to boys and drawing graphs to display the data.

The committee decided that the grant funds received would be used this year to sign post all the historic buildings on the school site. The main door of the Public workhouse which houses the recently refurbished school. The door of the public workhouse which will commence renovations shortly and will house a games room, library and resource classrooms. The public workhouse that is now a sports complex. Also the laundry room and bakery will be signposted. The Tidy towns committee recently with funds provided by the late Fr Mike Heenan restored one of the graveyards opposite the school. This will also be marked. Another graveyard that was linked by an underground tunnel will be signposted. There may be a possibility that a chicken house and underground well will also be marked.

A timeline identifying key historic moments will be created. It will consist of boxes and these will display information, photos, graphs about the school and the workhouse. One of the committee members is also putting a book together of all relevant photos to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the school in 2017.

The project has been promoted on Tipp FM, Nenagh Guardian and ETB website.