St Conleth's reformatory at Daingean, Co Offaly, was a school for boys between the ages of 10 and 18.
The complex was built in the middle of the 18th century as a military barracks and then served as a training school for the constabulary.
It was later turned into a prison and served as a reformatory from 1871 to 1934, then as an Oblate house of studies from 1934 to 1940. From 1940 it reverted to use as a reformatory, and in October 1973 the school was finally closed and the premises handed back to the State.
Although always in State ownership, it had been leased from time to time to the Oblates.
A staff list for 1944 shows a school population of 236, with 24 Oblates in the school. Other staff included a visiting medical officer and dentist, two lay teachers, a carpenter, a tailor, laundry women and two nightmen, a drill instructor and farm workers.
The care workers were the Oblates. It would indicate there was a staff ratio of one member of staff to 10 inmates.
However, Father Hughes spoke of there being 10 Oblates per 150 inmates in the later years of the reformatory.