Educational Endowments (Ireland) Commissioners: annual report, 1888-89, minutes of evidence and appendices

Back to Search Bibliographic Data Print
MINUTES OF EVIDENCE, 1888-89. 
25 

SLIGO DIOCESAN SOHOOL. 
William Christopher Eades, m.a., 
sworn and examined 748. 
Lord Justice FitzGibbon.—You 
are carrying on a school in the premises formerly called the Calry Endowed School ?—Yes. 
7-19. 
You also hold the position of diocesan school¬ master of Elphin ?—Yes. 
750. 
When wrere you appointed ?—At 
the end of I860. 
751. 
You held office at the passing of the Church Act i—Yes. 
752. 
And you still hold an annuity as the diocesan schoolmaster under the Act of Elizabeth ?—Yes. 
753. 
When you were appointed were there any school buildings belonging to the diocesan school as .such?—There 
were, I believe, at Elphin, because part of the annuity that I receive is derived from the worth of the buildings and land at Elphin. 
754. 
Is that paid to you by the Commissioners ?— 
Yes. 
755. 
How much did they pay ?—I 
could not say precisely, because it was all lumped in one sum under the Act, but I think it was between £40 and MO. 
The whole matter was settled in the time of my predecessor, Mr. 
Robinson. 
He applied to the Com¬ missioners frequently from time to time, and at last succeeded in getting the value of this land and house at Elphin allowed to him. 
It had not previously been so. 

756. 
You get your whole income as diocesan schoolmaster from the Land Commissioners as the successors of the Church Temporalities Commission ? 
-Yes. 
757. 
You have no premises belonging to any diocesan school ?—None 
at all. 

758. 
Do you know how the premises in which your present school is, were held ?—They 
were held under a lease from the late Mr. 
Wynne to certain trustees in Sligo for the purposes of the school. 
759. 
What is the term of that lease?—1 
believe thirty or thirty-two years; I know it expires in this year, 1888. 
700. 
You have purchased the reversion of the lease?—I 
purchased the lease as it stood. 
761. 
You have bought up your own rent ?—Yes. 
i 62. 
And you hold the premises now in fee simple ? 
—Yes. 
763, Was that purchased through the Landed Estates Court 1—It was. 
i 64. 
And the property is not now subject to any trust for education ?—[t 
is not. 
' 65. 
Except so far as you are bound to continue to teach for the annuity ?—Yes. 
i 66. 
And you provide yourself with the premises and appliances ? 
Yes. 

767. 
Dr. 
Traill.—What 
is the amount of the annuity?—£163 
7*. 
is the total. 
768. 
Lord Justice FitzGibbon.—Is 
there any other Intermediate school attended by Protestant pupils in the town of Sligo ?—Not 
that I am aware of. 

769. 
About how many pupils have you had in Sligo ?—We 
have had at the utmost, I think, in my time, about thirty, including boarders and dayboys. 
We have seventeen on the roll at present, all dayboys belonging to the town. 
770. 
You prepare them for the Intermediate ex¬ aminations ?—Yes. 
771. 
A nd for Trinity College ?—Yes 
; I sent up one last year. 
772.^ 
You are free to commute your annuity still? 
—I think not now. 
There was a time limited -within which I might commute or compound. 

_ 

773. 
Then you are bound to perform the duties of diocesan schoolmaster as long as you are able?—As 
long as I am able ; but I think the Act provides for an efficient substitute. 
774. 
Rev. 
Dr. 
Molloy.—Yon 
would be free to use the present building as your private property ?—Quite 
so. 

775. 
And if you did that how could you fulfil the duties of schoolmaster ?—I 
suppose I might rent any other place in the town if I did so. 

776. 
Would you be bound to rent a place?—Well, 
I don't know how I could carry on without some premises; but I don't say that I am bound to these particular premises. 
777. 
They could not compel you to keep a school in that particular house ?—I 
think not. 
778. 
Lord Justice Naish.—The 
whole arrangements in connection with diocesan schoolmasters are carried out, we know, under an Act of Parliament with which we have nothing to do. 

Witness.— 
Is there no possibility of retaining that endowment of £163 for the purposes of education? 
779. 
Lord Justice FitzGibbon.—The 
endowment at present consists entirely of your own life annuity. 
Witness.—Why 
should it stop with my life, 780. 
Lord Justice FitzGibbon.—That 
is one of the most extraordinary provisions of the Irish Church Act The diocesan schoolmasters allowances were a charge on the Church property for the purposes of education, and yet they were treated as if they were part of the Church property; since 1869 they expire with the lives of the holders, or on their commuting or com¬ pounding. 
I think there are now only three in exis¬ tence—yours, one at Ballymena, and one at Tuam. 
Even the composition balance is not liable to any trust for education. 

Orf. 
9, 1888. 

William Christopher Eades m.a. 

COLLEGE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. 
781. 
Lord Justice FitzGibbon.—This 
endowment is anaer the management of a Roman Catholic body, 

exclusively and is for Roman Catholic pnpils; it is therefore exempt from our jurisdiction. 

£