Glengowla Lodge

From the 1840’s the Church missions in association with the Church of Ireland campaigned to convert Roman Catholics to Protestantism, particularly in the far West of Ireland. Part of the campaign was to found Protestant Schools. Landlords were asked to give the land for a peppercorn rent.

The school in Glengowla opened in 1852. It was to be conducted on the principals of the Society of Irish Missions to the Roman Catholic wherein the Holy Scriptures shall be the basis of the education given to all the children without religious distinction and the Authorised Version of the Bible should be read by expanded the taught to all the pupils.

The schoolmaster’s salary was to be £20 a year. Gruel was served at the door to both pupils and parents. When Garibaldi and his redshirts besieged the Pope in Rome, one schoolmaster wore a red shirt.

On his way back from the Fair Day in Oughterard a band stripped him of his shirt at the roadside opposite John Geoghegan’s and compelled him to watch it burn on bonfire. Within living memory some people would still refer to the lodge as Garibaldi’s.

The foundation of the National school at Leam (the date above the door is 1877) meant the children deserted the Protestant school for one where the Parish Priest was chairman.

The school reverted to the Landlord. It began to be let with the fishing from the bridge of Leam or the exit from the Lead mine lake.

From the 1890’s to 1938 the Lodge and fishing were let to a Lords solicitor, FC Boucher. The lessee was responsible for all repair, rates and taxes and for the premium on a policy for the building for £1,000 at Leam.

The Bouchers put down the trees around the Lodge, planted an orchard, enclosed a kitchen garden, built a boat house, and sowed trees on the island in the lake to improve the views.

Glengowla West rental in 1855

The townland is of 579 Acres.

The tenants were:

William Conneely-Denis Geoghegan-John Geoghegan (Pat)-James Geoghegan (Matthias) – Peter Conneely-Matthias Conneely-Michael Geoghegan (Denis) – John Geoghegan (Matthias) – Michael Geoghegan (Mark) – John Murphy – Martin Joyce – Thomas Sullivan – John Toole – John Conneely – Denis Geoghegan (Tom) – John Conneely – Thomas Malley – Patrick Gibbons – David Naughton- Michael Geoghegan – Matthias Connor.

The 21 rents ranged from £1-13-4 to £5-16-8 per annum.