School celebrates 164-year history

The President, Mrs McAleese, will officially open a past pupils' reunion at one of the oldest primary schools in the State in…

The President, Mrs McAleese, will officially open a past pupils' reunion at one of the oldest primary schools in the State in Leitrim village tomorrow.

Up to 500 former pupils of Leitrim National School, including returned emigrants, are due to attend the reunion celebrations over the weekend. One woman is coming from the Caribbean.

This is the first reunion organised at the school, which has an interesting history. It was founded in 1835 after being endowed by the local French Huguenot landlords, the La Touche family. A new school was built in the 1970s.

One of the organisers, Mr Pat Farrell, said as well as bringing people together to share memories, one of the aims of the reunion was to allow people who had moved to see the huge changes that had taken place in the area in recent years.

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"The opening of the Shannon-Erne Waterway and the building of a marina have breathed new life into the village. It is a gateway to the Erne waterway and it has been opened up to tourists," he said.

A marquee has been erected beside the school, where the reunion dinner will be held tomorrow. Other activities include a tramps' ball, a show by Brendan Grace, golf and tours.

A collection of old photographs and memorabilia from the school has also been compiled and will be on show.