S.N. Réalt na Mara, Rosses Point, Co. Sligo

History

 

S.N. Réalt na Mara, Rosses Point opened in 1879 and was located adjacent to St. Columba's Catholic Church.

The first S.N. Réalt na Mara, located beside St. Columba's Church, Rosses Point.
The first S.N. Réalt na Mara, located beside St. Columba's Church, Rosses Point.
 

The photo below is the earliest photo we have of a group of Réalt na Mara pupils with their teachers. The gentleman in the photo is Mr. Moffatt, Principal.

In September 1949, a new school opened on the current site. It was a two-teacher school. The principal was Mr. Michael Jordan, who later went on to lecture in St. Patrick's College of Education, Drumcondra, Dublin 9. The second teacher was Ms. Bea McTiernan.

 

Opening of S.N. Réalt na Mara, September 1949.

The closure of Seaview N.S. in the Lower Rosses during the 1960s, together with a growing school-going population in Rosses Point and the surrounding townlands of Ballyweelin, Cregg and Ballincar, led to the construction of a school extension in the early 1970s. Completed in 1976, the extension initially provided for five additional classrooms; however, continued growth in enrolment resulted in the addition of a sixth classroom before the extension officially opened.

In 1994 a new football pitch was constructed at the rear of the school and is a very fine recreational space. The Board of Management and the local community provided the funding for this.

In 1999 S.N. Réalt na Mara was awarded its first Green Flag and was the first school in Co. Sligo to be awarded a Green Flag.

The school underwent a major refurbishment in 2002, including new heating and electrical systems, replacement of windows, doors and sanitary fittings, and the resurfacing of playground areas, funded jointly by the Department of Education and Science (70%) and the local community. Since then, the Board of Management has continued to enhance the school’s facilities through ongoing improvements such as new flooring, upgraded security measures and fencing. Significant energy-efficiency and conservation works were also completed, including insulation upgrades in 2009 and water-saving measures in 2010/2011, supported by funding from the Department of Education and Skills, along with the replacement of all classroom blinds with fire-retardant blackout blinds.


Over the past number of years, the school has made a significant investment in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to enhance teaching and learning across all classrooms. We now have a class set of iPads and a suite of Chromebooks available for classroom use, ensuring pupils have regular access to digital tools that support creativity, collaboration, and independent learning. This year, interactive display panels have also been added throughout the school, providing teachers with modern, effective teaching tools while helping pupils develop essential IT skills for the 21st century. These ongoing improvements reflect our commitment to providing a high-quality, future-focused learning environment for all children.

The Board of Management is committed to upgrading and maintaining facilities at the school.