Staff EmailHistory of St. Nathy’s College [1]
Prior to moving to its present location, St. Nathy’s
College resided at Edmonstown House (now the residence of the bishop of
Achonry). This was the home to St. Nathy’s College from September 1893.
Shortly afterwards, the diocese purchased the Ballaghaderreen Military
Barracks from the War Office. This had been erected in the early
nineteenth century after the 1798 Rebellion and had been the centre for
the Ordnance Survey of the region carried out in 1837 - ’39.
Subsequently it was unoccupied. From 1893 enrolment rapidly increased
and, although Edmonstown Park College was a considerable advance in
accommodation and facilities, it soon was quite inadequate for the
places in demand. The College transferred to the Military Barracks in
January 1896.
Patrick Morrisroe was consecrated bishop of Achonry in 1911. Very
shortly afterwards he gave his attention to providing more facilities
for the College. At the priests’ diocesan retreat held in the Cathedral
in 1913, Dean Edward H. Connington proposed that all the priests of the
diocese would pledge money for a new College building. This motion was
adopted and, two years later, it was also agreed that subsequently each
priest prior to being offered a benefice in the diocese would pledge
money to offset the debt on the proposed new College.
Fundraising had previously been undertaken by Bishop Lyster at home and
Fr Blaine in Argentina. Dr. James Daly, a colleague of Fr. Blaine, had
also been fundraising abroad for more than a year. Work began on the New
College which was completed in 1916. The architect was W. H. Byrne,
Dublin and the main contractor was James Kieran, Dublin. Consulting
Engineers were Maguire and Gatchell, Dublin. The building was U shaped
in classic style of three stories. It comprised an oratory, study hall,
two large dormitories on the Fair Green side, two small dormitories,
seven bedrooms on the second floor and seven sitting rooms on the first
floor for the priests and students, a science room on the ground floor,
study hall, stage hall divided normally by partitions into three class
rooms, six classrooms, reception room and four washrooms cum toilets. In
the Old College (Military Barracks) facilities continued for kitchen,
dining rooms for staff and students, truck rooms and some class rooms.
The new building was located in front of the Old College. The entrance
to the Old College was modified and a new perimeter wall was erected
along Chapel Lane. The New College opened its doors in September 1916 to
105 students, 70 of whom were boarders and an overall increase of thirty
on the previous year.
By today’s standards the washing and sanitary facilities on the half
landings of the stairs were meagre. The plumbing consultants were
Musgrave and Co. St. Ann’s Ironworks, Belfast. Water was pumped from the
basement / boiler house to the roof and attic tanks and sourced from a
deep well near the eastern side entrance. The well was also equipped
with a large hand pump for additional needs. The Consulting Engineers
for electric lighting and power were Louis J. Lawless, Dublin.
W.H. Byrne also designed modifications in the Old College. These
involved the incorporation of the stairs and small end rooms on the east
side into the adjoining large rooms to provide a large student dining
room on the ground floor, a dormitory on the first floor and a Diocesan
Library on the second floor. A new stairway in the battlement area
replaced the old stairs.
