Roll Books for Ballyroe National School in County Kerry are now available for consultation by personal visitors to the Local History & Archives department of County Kerry Library in Tralee.
They date from 1872 to 1971, when the school closed due to the declining numbers of pupils in the small community.
Tina Cronin of County Kerry Library told Irish Genealogy News that the books hold a great variety of information useful to family historians. "In addition to each named pupil's attendance record and date of entering the school, the books record the pupil's date of birth, residence and religion, as well as the occupation of the parent or guardian. If the pupil had previously attended another National School before Ballyroe, this was also noted.'
The whereabouts of the Roll Books had been a mystery for years. They were discovered when a former pupil was arranging a school reunion and mentioned the search for the books during a radio interview. She was contacted by the Christian Brothers School in nearby Clounalour, where many of the 1971 students transferred when the Ballyroe School closed.
Although an appointment to view the Roll Books may not always be necessary, it is recommended that researchers contact Archivist Michael Lynch in advance of a visit to arrange a date and time. Phone number: (066) 7121200. Email: archivist@kerrylibrary.ie.
