Cork Jail No 1 and 2, House of Correction, National School 1830s

https://www.google.ie/maps/@51.6550646,-10.047437,13z

Berehaven Copper Mines, Allihies, West Cork, Methodist National School, 1875-1883

Baptismal Register (Methodist), Berehaven Mines, Co. Cork 1842-1878

Birth Marriage Death and Renounciation Records of Killaconenagh (Cill Church of Eacha Naoineach) (Berehaven), Co. Cork, Church of Ireland, 1787-1850 together with Methodist Records

https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Durrus,+Co.+Cork/@51.6497011,-9.4265841,12z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x48459fe7ccd270df:0x231e3744ac95441a

1883 Curriculum Boys National School, Carrigboy (Durrus), West Cork, including Agriculture, Physical Geography, Bookkeeping.

By the 1930s the curriculum had probably gone backwards.  Sarah Dukelow from Clashadoo/Sea Lodge after the death of her mother spent a number of years in Trillick, Co. Tyrone with relations and attended the local National School. The girls studied science algebra having to work out solutions on  the blackboard.   When she returned to St. James there were no such subjects.  Carrigboy school would have had the same broad curriculum.

This advanced form of education is consistent with some of the subjects available from Hedge School Masters such as Aeán Ó Coileáin:

Seán Ó Coileáin (1777-1813), Poet and Teacher of Surveying, Navigation and Science and other Hedge School Masters Myross, West Cork, early 19th century

The Recommencement of the use of ‘O’ in Irish Surnames, an example from the Girls School Roll, Carrigboy (Durrus) National School, West Cork, 1919.

For the ordinary Irish population for the 18th and 19th century names that habitually used the ‘O’ were written and spoken of without them.

Interestingly many Irish Protestant families of a Gaelic background high up the social scale used the ‘O’ such as ‘The O Donovan’ of Lissard.

The girls records of Carrigbui from 1866 are available and the ‘O’ is rarely used. this is an example of a girl, entry 791, Mary O’Brien, an orphan, from Friendly Cove.
https://plus.google.com/photos/100968344231272482288/albums/6146640094366678001

One of the peculiar aspects of the current usage is that some names which historically never had the O now have it attached.

Irish Surnames of Gaelic Origin

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Sergeant Pritchard, Royal Engineers, 1901, Probable Re-survey Ordnance Survey, Durrus, West Cork, Chainmen, Surveyors, Sappers, Other Chain Men, Charles Mccarthy Fawnmore, Kilcrohane, Jeremiah O’Donovan Gortnakilla, George O’Mahony, Rosskerig.

In the Carrigboy Girls School record there are entries for Beatrice and Dorothy Pritchard their father a Sergeant Royal Engineers for 1901, they seem to have been in the school for a about a year.

At the time local young men were employed as chain men or surveyors probably in connection with a re survey by the Ordnance Survey.  It is likely that they operated under the supervision of someone like Sergeant Pritchard.  There are quite a number of such men and include one of the Skuses of Clashadoo who when the period of local employment ceased joined the Royal Engineer as a sapper.  Looking at some of the RE records this was a common form of entry.

Charles McCarthy (born approx 1880) from Fawnmore, Kilcrohane, later joined the Royal Engineers and went overseas (reported missing in action missing for a few weeks but pulled himself out of some hole and was decorated for bravery and engineering skill, buried in South Hampton)

His brother in law Jerhmiah O’Donovan, Gortnakilla was also a sapper, as was George O Mahony from Rosskerrig

His neighbour Jeremiah Crowley, Ahagouna was also so employed and in his Ellis Island entry to the USA c 1904 he is described as surveyor.  He went on to run a very sucessful business in San Francisco. Even in National School he was doing book keepin at the age of 9.