Research Synopsis

I have decided to research a local national school in the south of Ireland, Shelagh School in county Louth. Founded in 1881 Shelagh National School educated one thousand six hundred pupils and employed thirty teachers. It finally closed its doors in1963 and located to a new site two mile down the road. I intend to contact Louth county council about parish records at this time; I intend to contact catholic education authority for information on the pupil numbers and pupil/teacher ratios for this time also. I also aim to visit the school and inform them of my intention to research their establishment, having it in mind that they will have a wealth of knowledge to share with me. If possible I would like to access any records that are held on pupils from this time with a view to gaining the catchment that the school covered. I will also be referring to the dominant influence of the local hedge schools in the area and the need for the Catholic Church to retain a catholic education within the local community. I plan to visit the Louth County Library in Dundalk.It will give me access to Applotment books, freeholders lists. It also contains a Catholic Church database that covers 21 parishes in the Louth County. The reference and local history department of the library will supply me with census records (most importantly 1901) and electoral lists that will all create the back drop to the school environment. I propose to speak to local people from the area that attended the school and have a constant flow of local and traceable knowledge of school life and influence. I mean to visit the Irish library in Armagh to access newspaper and journal reports that influenced school life at this time.

During Mid-term break i contacted irish Studies library in Armagh.They where unable to help me with my research but they recommend i talk to Roddy Hegarty in the O'Faich Library in Armagh.I emailed the Library and Roddy but to date have had no feed back.Will must probably visit the Library at the weekend.
I also visited Dundalk Library.Was speaking to a delightful man who was able to steer me in the direction of the significance of oral history, and how the folklore commission had recorded stories from pupils that received their education in Shelagh school.