GUEST BOOK ENTRIES!

Bridie McCormack, Pulgloss & South Carolina. Just checked the site and happy to see that it is still being updated.  Thanks for putting in the notice of Mikie’s death this past May.  He had considered not going to the reunion and decided at the last minute to attend and he had a wonderful time. I am looking forward to visiting Louisburgh next July. Thanks and God bless, Bridie Mc Cormack Mullin.

Mary Foy (Lyons), Accony & Cork. We had a visit from a second cousin from America just last week and he brought the photos of Accony village and the old school. My father's aunt Alice Lyons married a Jim Ward from Mooneen, in America (he was Mrs.O’Dowd’s uncle).  They had a son called Jim who was in the First World War. He came to Paris for some conference in 1927 and I think there were celebrations to mark the anniversary of the end of the war. He visited Accony on his way home and took those photos. His son (also Jim) came to Ireland in 1983 and left us some of his father’s photos.

Laura & Liam O'Malley, Doughmackeon & California. We had such a fabulous time at the reunion. I thought you might like to see some of the pictures I took at the reunion. I will be sending a few more in a additional email. It was so wonderful to see you at all the events. Thank you for your part and please thank all of the committee for a once in a lifetime memory. We both will savor the remembrance of this day for a lifetime! All the best, Laura O'Malley.

Bridie McCormack, Pulgloss & South Carolina. Just wanted to say thanks so much for all the work on the reunion project.  It was a great success.  I keep looking at the book and reading the articles over and over.  It is great to see the new additions to the web site especially the pictures. Are there any plans to keep the site active or any way to get email addresses for those that attended?  I know this is asking a lot and we should have taken care of it ourselves but the time went by so quickly.  Bridie [Mc Cormack] Mullin, Bluffton, South Carolina.

Robert O'Keane - Accony Thiar and Wisconsin. A great reunion and a great website. Thank you very much for your efforts. We had a great time. Hope you can allot space on your website for people from afar who would like to leave their name, contact information and a brief family line/history so as to get in touch with others in same line. Bob & Sue O'Keane.

Laura O'Malley, California. I thought you might welcome this picture which has made its way all the way to California. [See Gallery page] It is a picture of my husband Liam O'Malley and his little sister Grace O'Malley. Liam was born in 1951 and Grace in 1954, and both grew up in Doughmakeon and Emlagh and attended Accony School. Liam and Grace are the two youngest of Barbara and Pat O'Malley's eleven children.

We were at a family party yesterday and just found out about the event (reunion). We wish you all the best with it.

Laura and Liam subsequently travelled (at very short notice) from California to Accony specially for the Reunion!

Amanda Prendergast, Hemel Hempstead, England. I have just been reading on your website about your school reunion and was wondering if it were at all possible to purchase a copy of your booklet.

I am particularly intersted in the Prendergast family as my father in law and all his siblings used to attend the school.

His name was Redmond Prendergast and he came from Accony.

I can see from your committee list that some of his nieces and nephews are listed.

Amanda sent us several lovely pictures of the family in the 1950's. See Gallery Page

Brian Gibbons, Derbyshire, England I found your Accony School Reunion site a few days ago and was fascinated since my family came from the Louisburgh area and settled in Stockport , England between 1851 and 1853. I have visited Louisburgh on three occasions and recall driving up past the school. Little did I realise at the time that my ancestors may well have been taught there. SEE FULL TEXT IN 'STORIES' PAGE.

I am interested to know if there is a local tradition of keeping family bibles which record details of the baptisms, marriages and burials of relatives. If so perhaps somebody may be willing to help me with my research into my family history.  

Margaret Prendergast Marlow, Poway, CA, USA My great uncle Michael Prendergast was a National teacher in Louisburgh and was also a shopkeeper on Bridge St. with his wife Kate in 1901.  His brother Patrick Prendergast born 1853 was my grandfather.  My greatgrandfather was a Michael Prendergast married to Mary Gibbons and lived in Aghany. 

My inquiry is was Michael Prendergast a teacher in your school?  There is a photo with no date listing a Michael Prendergast.  Do you know the date of that photo?

I hope the reunion is a great success and will follow website.

Mr. O'Keane of Wisconsin will inform me of the Gibbons-Prendergast project.

Thank you.

Note from editor: The "Michael Prendergast" in our Gallery refers to Maggie Tommy Michael (Prendergast) who appears in the 1928 school photograph.

Pauline McGreal Chapman, Coventry/Doughmakone. I was reading the e-mails etc for the Reunion and decided to add my thoughts of the school. I started there in 1954 along with Jane and Irene O'Malley of Doughmakone, Ann Lyons of Accony, Rene McHale of Askelane and Maureen and Kathleen McDonough of Pulgloss.
My teachers were Pauline McCann from Clare Island I think and also Mary Gibbons of Accony and Tommy McHale of Pulgloss. I also remember the games we used to play like Hop Scotch, Jackstones, Rounders and Hide and Seek and the fun we used to have to and from school. It seemed a long walk to school about three miles I think though it seemed a lot further in bad weather. On the way home on a summer's evening we used to get a drink of water from Mrs Gibbons' spring well; she always left a cup or a jug out for us so that we could get a drink.

I am looking forward to the reunion and meeting everyone. It will bring back a lot of memories. 

Janie McCormack (Pulgloss) I remember my school days very well. I was delighted to see the letter from Betsy McGreal. She is one of my classmates I think about, also Sal and Kathleen and the others. I smile when I think of bringing the sods of turf and the unending games of jack stones. How little it took to amuse us. About thirty years ago we made our first visit with our boys when they were young. We showed them where I went to school, took a walk around the building and found an open window. We put the littlest one thru and he opened the door from the inside. I took the hook from the cloakroom where I used to hang my coat (shame shame) and it now hangs in my garage. Looking forward to seeing everyone.

Betty McGreal/Carey (Doughmakone & Coventry) I started in Accony school in 1945. Some of my classmates were Sal Prendegast(Accony), Kathleen McHale(Pulgloss),Janie McCormack(Pulgloss), Mary O'Malley(Doughmakone), Anna Kate Gibbons(Doughmakone), and Annie O'Toole(Doughmakone). These are the people foremost in my memory.

My teachers were Mrs O'Toole(Carrowmore), Paddy Gibbons (Lecanvey), Liam Coffey(Westport), Mary Gibbons (Accony), and Patrick Ball (Louisburgh). 

I remember we all had to bring a sod of turf to school every day in the winter to keep the fire going. I also remember cookery lessons and making soup and rock buns, we were to take these items home to show Mam but by the time we had walked all the way back to Doughmakone we had eaten the lot. I too remember playing jackstones on our breaks, simple things but good fun.
I look forward to meeting old friends and thanks to all the organisers for making it possible.

Nancy Bond (Roonagh & Chicago) I have just come across your site here in Chicago and am thrilled as my grandfather John O'Toole (1893-1960) was born and raised in Accony, along with most of my relatives (Scott's, Prendergast's, etc.). The two people in your gallery of photos named "Daisy and Mike Prendergast" are, I believe, the children of his sister Catherine "Kate" O'Toole and Thomas Lannon Prendergast. While my grandfather eventually came to America in his twenties, (after six of his twelve brothers and sisters died in Accony) he never forgot his home and always, always wished to be back (and as my mother tells it, talk of Accony was the only thing that would move him to tears). Like most Irish-American's I have been researching my family history for many years and have compiled quite a bit of info on folks born in Accony between about 1800-1930, and am always searching for more!

If there are any O'Toole's, Prendergast's, or Scott's left in Accony I would very much like to correspond with them about the family history, so please email me - Nanbo0758@aol.com. Thanks and good luck with your reunion, and when it is over please do post pictures from it, as there are people across the globe that are still interested in a little place called Accony!

Robert O'Keane - Accony Thiar and Wisconsin  Even though I am not an alumnus of Accony National School, I am writing a guest entry on your Accony School Reunion web site since I am the proud great-grandson of a "Katherine Prendergast" who was born and raised in Accony in the 1820's and 30's. (NOTE FROM EDITOR: READ FULL TEXT IN OUR 'STORIES' PAGE). Good luck in all your efforts and thank you for sharing this reunion experience. Note from editor: Bob and Sue O'Keane travelled to Accony for the reunion and kindly sent us many great photographs which we intend to publish here.

To leave a Guest Book entry, email us john@acconyschool.com