Mount Melleray School

[Marmitch]

Hi,
I'm searching for information on the school at Mount Melleray. Apparently my gt grandfather (John Mullane) attended the school for a time during the 1850s or 1860s as it was his 'local' school.
Does anyone know what aged children the school taught, and where I might find any records dating from that time that relates to the school.

Many thanks
MM

[andree]

Mount Mellary is still there but its not a school anymore.  Its more of a retreat centre you will find it as Mount Mellary County Waterford.  Could be still belonged to the De la Salle brothers a religious order.  There is a visitor centre there. Good luck

[Marmitch]

Thanks for the info. I'll perhaps have to look elsewhere for the answers,

[Annie91232]

June 1845 Dom Vincent laid foundation stone of new school;  400 boys, mostly primary level.

Earlier - 1837 - a school for boys and another for girls were started by Peter Kenny and his wife, under Dom Vincent's guidance.

Have you written directly to Mount Melleray Abbey, Co. Waterford?  I am sure the records must still be there, although the schools no longer exist.

[Marmitch]

Hi,
Thanks for your reply. I haven't yet written to the Abbey directly. I will do if and when I can find out more precise info as to when my ancestor was likely to have attended. I am presuming sometime between 1855 and 1865 at the moment.

MM

[noland01]

Dragging up an old thread I know but its the only one I could find on Mount Mellary .

Have emailed them a while ago regarding records but no reply as of yet .

My interest is that I recently found an obituary of a relative which states he attended the above school along with his younger brother .
He was born in Carlow in 1834 and his brother in 1837 .They would have been typical tenant farmers of the time I would imagine ;c.30 acres on Griffiths Valuation and about 70 acres farmed by 1880 or so .
Mount Mellary is 50/60 miles from where they were born and no connection to the area that I can find .

Just wondering if this was unusual for the time .One brother became a Priest whilst the older one emigrated to the US and worked as a journalist there and later back in Ireland .

[Kiltaglassan]

Here's some information on the location of Mount Melleray Abbey near Cappoquin in County Waterford.
https://www.townlands.ie/waterford/coshmore-and-coshbride/lismore-and-mocollop/cappoquin/mountmelleray/

Near Feddaun townland-
https://www.townlands.ie/waterford/coshmore-and-coshbride/lismore-and-mocollop/cappoquin/feddaun/
https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/5748072#map=16/52.1862/-7.8524

Mount Melleray Monastery in Osi National Townland Database - MapGenie 6 Inch First Edition Colour (1829-1841) 
https://arcg.is/X9OOe0                     
   

[Sinann]

Have you looked at the size of neighbouring farms?
I wouldn't call 30 acres increasing to 70 typical.
I call that a big farm for its time. That said I picked a page at random in Co.Carlow and many of the farms there do appear to be bigger than any county I've looked at to date.
I'd call 5 to 10 acres typical.

[noland01]

Have you looked at the size of neighbouring farms?
I wouldn't call 30 acres increasing to 70 typical.
I call that a big farm for its time. That said I picked a page at random in Co.Carlow and many of the farms there do appear to be bigger than any county I've looked at to date.
I'd call 5 to 10 acres typical.

I own the adjoining farm so yes I would be aware of the size of farms in the area. Their father tenanted 30 acres on Griffiths Valuation and had this along with another 40 acres which became their home farm by c. 1870 or so as thats when my great grandfather married their sister. I am certain of later farm size as I have the original landlords rent book here for 1879 to c.1883 which lists the acreage valuation and payments of all the farms owned by the landlord.

They were typical of their time and area .Their uncles were also tenant farmers in the same area with farms ranging from 40 to 60 acres.

My question was really what would bring 2 kids such a distance unless both were intending to study for the priesthood.
Obit was written on his death in 1917 and 5 siblings were alive at that stage. Says he received his early education at Mt. Melleray along with his brother who did get ordained .Was Mt Melleray a seminary ?