Cornamaddy NS to be Athlone's first multi-denominational primary school
Cornamaddy National School is to become Athlone's first multi-denominational national school, after Minister for Education Norma Foley today (Thursday) announced that it was being transferred from its Catholic patronage.
The change, which was first reported in this week's Westmeath Independent, means that the ethos of the school is to become multi-denominational, and that it will be under the patronage of the Longford and Westmeath Education and Training Board, rather than the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise.
In an announcement this morning, Minister Foley said: "Following engagement with the school community of Corr Na Madadh National School as part of the pilot process which I announced in March 2022, I am pleased to announce that the patronage of this school will be transferring to Longford and Westmeath Education and Training Board and the ethos of the school will be changing from Catholic to multi-denominational.
“I would like to thank both the school patron and the Corr Na Madadh school community for their positive, constructive engagement in the process and congratulate Longford and Westmeath Education and Training Board as incoming patron.
"I also wish to express my thanks to the facilitator appointed by my Department to engage with the school community for his diligent work in this regard."
The Minister said she was "delighted that this transfer of patronage will increase diversity of provision in the area and that there will be a multi-denominational primary school option for parents in Athlone."
Before Christmas, it emerged that a total of four schools in the Athlone urban area were engaging with the Department of Education about a possible transfer of patronage and a change from their Catholic ethos.
Cornamaddy was further along in the process than the other three schools on the Connaught side of the town - St Peter's NS, St Paul's NS and Dean Kelly NS - each of which is under the patronage of the Diocese of Elphin.
According to the Longford and Westmeath Education and Training Board (ETB) website, there are currently 27 community national schools under ETB patronage nationally. The nearest such school to Athlone is Lecarrow Community National School in South Roscommon.
Catholic children will still be able to make their Holy Communion and Confirmation after the change to a multi-denominational ethos, but responsibility for preparing children for the sacraments will transfer to their parish.