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This morning 4th Class used the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire App. We learned plenty!

The ‘Magic Flute’ is the name of an opera – Aisling

There are glaciers in Greenland-Aisling

Starbucks are best known for selling what ? coffee – Páraic

In Japan what is a futon? a bed- Ava

What is not a US TV network ? PDQ- Ava

Which 20th century barrier divided Europe ? The Iron Curtain – Brendan.

Who is James Bond ? an actress-Brendan.

Which country uses a different alphabet? Hannah.

Elton John is a singer and pianist – Hannah.

Hugh Jackman is an Australian actor – Eoin.

Mother Theresa is associated with India – Eoin.

A futon is a bed in Japan – Nicole.

PDQ is not a US Television Network! – Nicole.

Dualla Community Hall will host a post Holy Communion Gathering in the Parish Hall this Saturday. This is being organised by the Parent’s Associations from both schools, together with the recently formed ‘Parish Community Hall Committee’ and is being themed a ‘White Party’ (i.e. no tea/coffee/chocolate etc that might cause damage to any of the outfits) so soft drinks and plenty of goodies for the children.  All members of our School Community are very welcome to attend.

We would like to thank our Parents Association for organising this for the children and for their consistent support throughout the school year. Míle buíochas.

Today, 2nd Class began using the iMutt App from Dogs Trust. This wonderful App gives each child the opportunity to look after a dog for a week! Their dog must be fed and walked each day. Each child must ensure that all the dog’s needs are catered for. The dog must be groomed, played with, trained and most importantly loved by his/her owner. Using this amazing ipod touch app, the children gain a unique insight into what its like to care for and love a dog. The pupils learn that if the dog is not properly cared for, Dogs Trust will take the dog back and re-home the dog with somebody who promises to take better care of the dog. It reinforces exactly what is involved when one decides to offer a dog a home. This App also explains things to the children from the dog’s perspective!

We would like to wish Ms. McElligott and the First Holy Communion Class the very best for Saturday.
This promises to be another significant milestone for the 2nd Class children. The class have worked very hard all year in preparation for this special day. They have been busy practicing their songs, mass responses & prayers. The class have been very diligent in attending all the different rituals that have taken place to date.
Well done to Ms. McElligott for all her hard work. We hope the sun shines down on all the children this Saturday. The mass will commence at 11:00a.m. sharp. Arrive early to guarantee yourself a seat in the church!

Tags: First Holy Communion

My memories of Dualla national school are of a very happy time in my childhood. I started school there in April 1954 following three brothers & a sister who were already on the roll. Before I left two more brothers & a sister had joined but of course all eight were never there at the same time. Nevertheless our family provided a constant stream of pupils to a school where the abiding worry of the teachers was a drop in numbers leading to either a reduction in the teaching staff or closure altogether. I recall Ardmayle School closing around that time with the pupils going to Boherlahan & for a while there was some talk of Dualla & Ballytarsna going the same way. Ironically in the current economic crisis both have survived with lovely new school buildings as evidence of thriving communities.
During my stay in Dualla NS I had just two teachers. In the early years Miss Moloney taught us from infants to second class. She was later to become Mrs Mulcahy, married to local farmer Frank Mulcahy. We were probably a handful for her but we had great respect for the teachers & any unruly behaviour would prompt a visit from the Master in the adjoining school room. The Master was my Father which meant that any misbehaviour by any of the Sheridan’s could lead to further recriminations after official school hours so we had a great incentive to behave.
The school had between forty & fifty pupils in my time & the families represented were my own, the Leamys & O’Connor’s from Garranmore, Moloughney’s from Fussough , Colvilles from Carhue, Gleesons , Fogarty’s & O ‘Dwyer’s from Garraun ,Costelloes from Newtown,Gleeson’s from Ballykelly, Nolan’s from Newpark & Erry , Kerwick’s from Ballykelly, Flanagans from Erry , Dargan’s , Gleeson’s & Looney’s from Rathclough , Hallinan’s & Murphy’s from Marshalstown , O’Halloran’s & Grace’s from Rathclough & McGrath’s from Rathclough. There were others from time to time who escape my memory but many of these are no longer represented at the school.
The schoolhouse at that time had minimal toilet facilities, detail of which I will omit in case it might shock anyone & the heating system was also primitive. It consisted of an open fire in each room, later “modernised” with two pot bellied stoves which were a great advance. Both these “systems” required a team of boys to run, by way of collecting kindling each day, early arrival at the school to clean & prepare for the fire & to draw coal in buckets for the day. When coal ran low we often had to sift through mountains of slack in the coal house to collect useable lumps of fuel while we awaited the arrival of fresh supplies. I cannot imagine this set-up being acceptable in today’s world & Health & Safety would have a field day.
The main play activities in the school were rounders played by both girls & boys & hurling at lunch time for the boys. The old school playing field was much larger than now with much of the playing area now taken up by the extended church & cemetery site. We hurled there every day & before school holidays we would have a “big game “ for a prize of “bulls-eye” sweets to the winners & some for the runner’s up as well.
The big events in the school year were first Communion & the arrival of new pupils. My father encouraged parents to bring in the newcomers early in April or May before the end of the school year so that they would be well prepared for the real start up in September. Perhaps it also had something to do with numbers for capitation grants. An unwelcome visitor was the School Inspector as he always seemed to be a severe looking gentleman with no sense of humour – at least that’s my memory of him. I remember my Mother was always distressed as well as she had to provide his lunch & refreshments during the day. We all heaved a sigh of relief when he left, not least my Father who would be grateful for a good reaction & answers by pupils when the Inspector addressed questions in our direction.
Another big event was the school tour, usually to Dublin. For this annual event we usually joined with another school to fill a bus. One year we joined with Mockler’sHill NS & set off through the semi darkness at around 6.30am for Dublin. For many of us this was our first visit to the big city. The route took us through all the towns & villages which no longer touch the modern motorway. We even had to drive through places like Kill & Rathcoole indicating that the Naas dual carriageway was not yet built. We visited Dublin Zoo & Airport & the National Museum. The high point was lunch provided at the CIE club & here hundreds of other noisy school kids were all fed in an organised manner by an army of ladies in black & white uniforms & white hats. The dessert which consisted of jelly & custard was a real treat & I remember having several of these as some others did not fancy this unusual fare. We spent our money on treats to bring home to our siblings, usually sticks of rock from the Zoo.
Other high points were when we completed the Primary Cert which was our passport to second level education. We also looked forward to elections as this meant the take over of the school for voting & a day off. . On one occasion I recall the school being used as a temporary facility to replace the church when the present church was being built. I cant recall how long this took but a number of funerals meant that coffins had to remain in the school overnight which was a little unusual & would hardly occur in this day & age.

Looking back now, while the school seemed a big place to us the building was indeed quite small. We sat in the same desks each day in pairs with the boys & girls always separate. This did not prevent regular hair pulling or pinching when we thought the teachers were pre – occupied & when caught, retribution was swift. My desk companion for many years was Martin Nolan of Newpark & we were great friends. He jumped a year ahead of me when he went to Cashel CBS as I stayed an extra year being considered too young at eleven & a half years old to go to the big school. Martin & all my old school mates scattered quickly from Dualla & only a small few now live in the locality. Perhaps the opening of the new school will provide a sort of magnet to attract some to visit the old school which I left almost exactly fifty years ago & which holds happy memories of childhood days & two great teachers who gave us such a good start on the journey to wherever each of us has arrived today. I would dearly love to meet some of the old friends & perhaps I will at the magnificent new school which the modern generation of children are so lucky to have.

Congratulations to teachers, pupils & parents on achieving such a wonderful resource for our beloved Dualla.

Tags: School History

James Sheridan NT
Dualla NS
1951 – 1976

James Sheridan (always called Jim) came to teach in Dualla NS in late 1950 & for the following 26 years was Principal of the school until his untimely death on 8th January 1976 at the age of 60years. He was a native of Ballynahinch in the parish of Knockavilla Donaskeigh & went to school locally. His own father had died when he was only seven years old after contracting pneumonia as a result of his travels, in poor weather, in search of work as a carpenter in the locality. This left his mother to rear five young children single – handedly, in the Ireland of the 1920’s, a cold & hostile place following the struggle for independence & the ensuing civil war. She succeeded admirably & with the help of a primary school scholarship scheme he was sent to school in Rockwell where he completed his education in 1934. He went from there to De La Salle College in Waterford, again with the help of a scholarship to study to be a National School teacher as that school was then a training college. He graduated in 1936 having amongst his class mates, one Henry Kenny who went on to win All-Ireland honours with his native Mayo, become a TD & father of our current Taoiseach.
Jim taught for a short while in Cashel CBS secondary school while awaiting a Primary school post & eventually went to Ogonolloe in Co Clare , Cappamore Co Limerick , Limerick City & Murroe where he spent 7 years & finally returning to Dualla .By this time he had married Peggy O’Connor from The Green ,Cashel & they were to have eight children all of whom attended Dualla National School . Three of the family are now abroad, three in Dublin, one in Co Kildare & ironically the only one who remained in the locality, Kevin passed away in 1995.
During his time in Dualla he was extremely popular in the locality & took part in many community activities. He assisted with fund raising in the Parish & he & his nearest neighbour Jim Ryan along with Mikey Heffernan were the local collectors for many years. He loved hurling & introduced all his family to the game. His son Brian won county honours with Boherlahan in the juvenile grades in the ‘50’s & this gave him great pleasure.
He was a dedicated card player & became a County & Munster champion at bridge when partnered by Tom Maher of Cashel. I recall that their attempt to add an All Ireland pair’s title to these honours was soundly thrashed by a pair of ladies representing Dublin & Leinster!
He died unexpectedly in 1976 & was followed quite similarly in 1977 by his beloved Peggy. He was described in the Parish history as a “raconteur& wit “& childhood memories certainly bear this out as his story – telling, both at school & at home never failed to entertain. He was a great mentor to many people who came to him for advice & past pupils kept in touch for many years with the arrival of many Christmas cards from home & abroad testament to this. He was succeeded by Liam O’Dwyer whose own father Phil was a good friend of Jim’s.
Jim Sheridan would be very happy & proud of the new school & especially that the struggle for numbers seems to have abated at least for the moment.

Tags: School History

On a fine Summer’s day in Dualla, spectators were treated to a wonderful game of hurling between Dualla & Kilcash.
For Dualla, Páraic B gave a Brendan Cummins like display in the goals. Caoimhe & Declan performed heroics in defence while Jack & Sarah were industrious & effective in the middle of the field. Cormac & Callum worked tirelessly up front. Ultimately Kilcash were victorious on a scoreline of 4-4 to 3-0. We wish them well in the County Semi Final.
Well done to our whole squad who have worked very hard this season. We have had 13 hurling games this season and there has been great progression & skill development throughout the squad.
Well done to our Junior Hurlers who had a great win over Kilcash in the “10 Minute Match” which followed the Senior Game. Brendan, Leah & Eoin were among the goals! Well done to the whole squad.

The focus now switches to our Camogie team who face Clonoulty in the County Semi Final on May 23rd with a place in the County Final in Semple Stadium up for grabs.

Tags: HURLING

We would ask any of you who have any old school photos from your time at Dualla NS to drop them into the office. Remember to put your name on the back of each photo. We plan to display all the old photos in the school for the Official Opening on June 15th.

Tags: Official Opening

Our Senior Hurling match v Kilcash will now take place on Monday 14th May at 1:30p.m. in Dualla. This is essentially a Co. Quarter Final. We wish our squad the best of luck for this game. Carpe Diem!

Tags: GAA

Hi Dualla NS, this is Deirdre from Dogs Trust! Sadhbh, Cónán and I would like to say thank you so much for inviting us to your school. We had a lovely day and we’re so impressed with all the different doggy facts you learned from the workshop! We love the photos too, Cónán thinks he looks extra handsome We hope to visit you again in the future.

Tags: Dogs Trust