The Geraldine Hall
Posted on 22. Aug, 2008 by admin in History
History of the Hall
The front section of the Geraldine Hall was built in 1859 as the Church of Ireland parish school. The origin of parish schools goes back to an act of parliament of the reign of Henry VIII which directed that the incumbent of a benefice should ‘keep or cause to be kept…. a school to learn English, if any of the children of his Parish should come to him to learn the same.’
1859
The front section of the Geraldine Hall was built in 1859 as the Church of Ireland parish school. The origin of parish schools goes back to an act of parliament of the reign of Henry VIII which directed that the incumbent of a benefice should ‘keep or cause to be kept…. a school to learn English, if any of the children of his Parish should come to him to learn the same.’ In spite of this parish schools did not begin to appear until the early eighteenth century when it was hoped they would play a part in the conversion of Catholic children. In this they were never successful and the attendance was almost exclusively Protestant. Maynooth parish school dates back to at least 1702 as evidenced by a tablet preserved in the parish church which was taken from the wall of the school house demolished in 1859. It reads: ‘This school-house was built Anno Domini 1702, with a legacy left by Mr John Foulkes, wherein the master, that inhabited, is to teach the boys of the parish, and to have his freedom in the house.’ The schoolhouse actually demolished in 1859 was not this one of 1702 but a later one built by the first Duke of Leinster in 1770, as commemorated in the tablet to be seen in the east wall of the church, but it may have stood on the same site. From 1859 the parish school continued in the school-house by the Duke’s Harbour until dwindling numbers led to its closure around 1935. The school was then used as a social club and a large hall was added at the back in 1941. Later it passed to the Catholic Young Men’s Association and today is held in trust for the use of the people of Maynooth. So also is the Harbour Field beside it which is being developed by community effort.
