Cnoc na Cairidhe

Hill of the Weir

Before the Irish War of 1919 to 1921 there were many small police stations in Ireland called barracks. There was one in Knocknacarry and because of the violence during the troubles they had to close the police station since they weren't able to defend the small stations. All the documents and registers were taken to Cushendall but later most of them were lost.

Here is one record from the old police station. It tells us about licensed public houses.

There were four; the people who owned them were called Archy McDonnell, John McBride, Archy McKinley and Patrick McKay. There were two in Cushendun and one in Drumnasmear. Andrew Johnson was the policeman who wrote this report on 1^st of July 1881.

There were steps beside the police station station for mounting and dismounting when you were on a horse. Buildings were of reasonable size because unmarried men had to live in the station. Lots of horses had to be stabled.

With Glenarm as its headquarters, the sub-district stretched from Tromra to East Torr and from Aghagheigh to Glendun.

What did they do all day?

All day they tried to protect life and property by keeping peace and good order, controlling vagrancy, pubs, drunkenness, illicit distillation and shebeens. They stopped bowling on public roads, cock fighting, furious driving and wandering animals.

I live in Knocknacarry with my family.

Knocknacarry means hill of the weir.

My family has lived there for three years but my grandparents have lived in Cushendall for many years.

Knocknacarry national school owes its existence to Fr. John Fitzsimmons of Cushendall. Fr. John Fitzsimmons was concerned that the existing schools were no longer catering for the education in that area.

Some children were attending the church educational school called Moss's school. It ceased to exist in 1868.

Fr. John Fitzsimmons made an application to the National Board on 28^th February 1850. This Board bought a field adjoining the village of Knocknacarry.

There had been a National School in the area called Cushendun Female School. It was well attended but went down because there wasn't proper accommodation.

The sum of £115.5 was put towards the building of the new school. While the school was being built a temporary school was established in a thatched house in Knocknacarry and came into operation on the 1st July 1850. This house was owned by Miss Mary McCormick.

The teacher in this school and in the new female school was Mary McAfee of Donegal. She was trained at Marlborough St. Model School. She was aged 20 when she came to Cushendun. She married Neal McCormick of Dromore.

The temporary school was described in the inspector's report (Sept 1850) as "thatched and in tolerable state of repair, accommodating 40 to 50 pupils".

On 20/12/51 the new school was opened and the first pupils enrolled. The school consisted of two rooms one for the boys and one for the girls. This continued until Miss Wilde's retirement in 1936.

The first register for Knocknacarry male school still exists and provides a fascinating insight into school life in the middle of the 19th century.

47 boys were enrolled on the opening day of the school. Their ages ranged from Patrick O'Neill aged 4 of Agolagh to James McVey of Cushendun aged 22. This rather advanced school age is not as surprising as it seems for it was quite customary for grown men to go to school during the winter months!

Teachers were required to keep a book report recording the number in each class. Visitors were invited to enter their names in the book and their opinions on the state of the school.

For 100 years life in Knocknacarry school changed little. The parochial hall kitchen was used as a meals kitchen from 1948.

In 1950 Fr. Lynch carried out renovations to the building, replacing the windows, adding new toilets and cloakrooms, but very little extra space.

Glendun School closed in 1968 and pupils transferred to Knocknacarry. With increasing numbers it was decided that a new school was needed. St Ciaran's Primary School was opened on 31^st January 1979.

The last two pupils to be enrolled in Knocknacarry Primary School were Sinead and Robert Laverty.

When St Ciaran's P.S. was opened the old school was shut down then sold. It has been renovated into semi-detached dwellings.