Sylane National School is very proud of the fact that we are one of the oldest national schools in the country having been established in 1852. The school was established to serve the estate of the catholic landlords the O’Conor-Donelans. In 2002 the school celebrated its 150th anniversary with the publication of a book celebrating its rich historical past.
The original building dates back to 1852 but thanks to the continued support of the school and local community the school has developed into the thoroughly modern building it is today. The original building of three classrooms still stands today but has seen many developments. 1994 saw the addition of indoor toilets followed by a staffroom in 1995. In 2005 the long awaited extension including two new classrooms with storerooms and en-suite toilets, an office and a large hall with kitchen, storerooms and toilets was opened. The latest work in 2009 reinvented the design of the old building to include two modern classrooms with storeroom and en-suite toilets and two support teacher classrooms. We are very proud of our school building and the wonderful environment it provides for our children to learn.
In 2008 the Golden Mile award was given to the area surrounding the school. Beginning at Newell’s Forge the mile continues by a cillín (children’s burial ground), towards the school and up the beautiful tree lined avenue of the O Conor-Donelan estate. There are some wonderful historical features along the avenue including the walled garden of the old house, an oratory and Clais an Aifrinn where catholic masses were celebrated in secret during penal times.