Lord Bandon, 1846 Repairs the schools of the Parish of Durrus and Entertains 100 Schoolchildren to a Christmas Dinner of Roast and Boiled Beet and Plum Pudding.
Around this time the Bernards (Lord Bandon) recovered possession of the Durrus estates from the Rev. Alleyn Evanson and thereafter they formed part of the Bandon ‘Western Estate’. It was managed by Colonel Bernard assisted by Mr. Skuse, Clashadoo and later by the Wheeler Doherty family of Solicitors and Land Agents of Bandon.
The reference to schools is probably the Church of Ireland schools. They had opted to remain outside the national School System until around 1880. Many of the children would have come from very modest homes.
The Bernards were strongly evangelical at this time.
West Cork History 