Barntown

Barntown is a townland in County Wexford.

The remains of Barntown Castle, a Norman castle exist near the village of Barntown. This was built by the Roche Family and was used as a watchtower and storehouse for Ferrycarrig Castle.

St Alphonsus Church is the main church of the parish, designed by Augustus Welby Pugin, it was built in 1848 by the Very Rev Patrick Murphy.

Barntown was joined with the parish of Glynn to found the Glynn Barntown GAA club in 1885.

The place also gave its name to Dublin hardcore band Barntown Water Tastes Like Blood. They played their last gig at Eamonn Dorans in Dublin on October 5th 2007.

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Coordinates: 52°20′11″N 6°31′32″W / 52.33649°N 6.52554°W / 52.33649; -6.52554

Scoil Mhuire

The Sisters of Mercy, Scoil Mhuire, came to Longford from Mother House in Baggot Street, Dublin in April 1861. They first lived in Keon’s Terrace and taught young children in the ground floor room of the old St. Micheal’s Boys’ School. Older girls who wanted to continue their education did so in the Senior Girls’ Academy at the back of St. Mel's Cathedral where the Sisters taught them sewing, mathematics, religious education, English, book-keeping, cookery, French and music.

The new convent was completed in 1874 and the Sisters moved from Keon's Terrace on 24 October. The Secondary School, named “Our Lady’s School” was built in 1874, and by 1883 the pupils were sitting examinations. The Boarding pupils lived in part of the convent. On Easter Sunday 1880, Bishop Woodlock laid the foundation stone of the Primary School which opened to pupils in 1886. Around this time a chapel was added to the convent. In 1915, German and Latin were added to the curriculum.

In 1935, a new building was erected. This consisted of three classrooms, separated by folding doors which doubled as a study hall in evenings, plus a science room and cookery kitchen. Around this time the school became an “A” school, i.e. all subjects were taught through Irish, and it changed its name from “Our Lady’s School” to “Meán Scoil Mhuire”. It remained an all Irish school until the mid 60’s.