Colaiste Muire was at the centre of the Gaelic literary revival in the early twentieth century in the village of Tournakeady. It was founded In 1905 as Colaiste Chonnacht as a summer school by Conradh na Gaeilge. The principal was Micheal Breathnach and his assistant was Maire Ni Tuathail. The school became known as 'Cliabhran Conradh na Gaeilge' - the cradle of the Gaelic League.

Among the people who visited the school was Douglas De Hide, later to become the first President of Ireland. Padraic Pearse and Eamonn De Valera were also frequent visitors. Kuno Meyer, the renowned German gaelic scholar, Padraic O Domhnallain, and other Irish writers also visited the school frequently. Eamonn De Valera was later to marry Sinead Flanagan who had been a teacher at the school.

Colaiste Chonnacht continued as a summer school until the 1960's when the school was taken over by the Sisters of Mercy who ran a boarding school for girls. In 1960 De Valera opened an Irish Drama Festival in the village and it ran successfully for a number of years. The Sisters of Mercy left in 1990 due to a drop in vocations.
The school known as Colaiste Muire is now run as a community school.

Tags:   Tuar Mhic Éadaigh Tourmakeady Mayo Ireland Maigh Eo Éire Coláiste Mhuire Coláiste Muire

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