History of the Louis School

Deep gratitude is owed to the congregation of the sisters of St. Louis, a community of teaching nuns founded in 1842 by Abbé Bautain in Juilly, near Paris, for the establishment of the first girls’ primary school in Carrickmacross. The first sisters of St. Louis arrived in Ireland in 1859 and under Mother Genevieve Beale founded the Louis motherhouse in Monaghan town. By 1888 the sisters had acquired Essex Castle in Carrickmacross and established a St Louis National School for Girls in Farney Street.

Roll on one hundred years to 1986 our present school, Bunscoil Lughaidh Naofa, was opened in Cloughvalley. While there are no longer nuns teaching in our school our aspirations are just the same. We endeavour to devote ourselves to the education of our girls in all its aspects in a spirit of Christian charity. Our Motto as depicted on the Louis coat of arms is as relevant today as ever “Ut Sint Unum” “that they may be one” John 16 : 11 and “Dieu le Veult” “God wills it” . Again from John 4:34.  “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish the work he gave me”. Quite apt, in the context of the staff, Board of management and Parents Association of Bun Scoil Lughaidh Noafa.

Written by the school principal Maeve Callan.