Gilson's memory to live on in Oldcastle

The inaugural Laurence Gilson Summer School will be held in Oldcastle from Friday 25th to Sunday 27th May next. The summer school will have an educational theme each year and the title for the inaugural event is: 'Gilson to Google: the changing face of education in Ireland'. It is being established to commemorate the legacy of Laurence Gilson and is expected to rival many of Ireland's already well-established cultural, literary, music and political summer schools. Despite Ireland's reputation as an 'island of scholars' and our pride in our educational system, this will be the first summer school devoted entirely to education. The organisers are planning a weekend which will be attractive to a wide range of people with an interest in education - academics, students, parents, teachers - as well as the many adults in the country who have a general interest in education, either as current or would-be learners. Spokesperson Tracey Holsgrove said: "We plan to make the weekend an interesting, stimulating, educational and fun event which will be based around the Laurence Gilson Endowed School in Oldcastle. Eventually, we would like to be able to attract an international audience - but that's down the road a little from now!" The line-up of speakers and events is still being finalised. Laurence Gilson was born in Boolies, Oldcastle. His father, Magilsinan, was a farmer from the area and, on the death of his father, Laurence was given a portion of land. However, he turned away from farming, sold his property and dedicated his life to education and learning. For a time, he established a school and made a living by teaching. As a consequence, his family and relatives began to despise him so he headed to England where he earned himself a substantial fortune. He then returned to Oldcastle dressed as a pauper in order to test his family's sincerity and they immediately rejected him. When he put on the clothes and manner of a man with wealth and affluence, they accepted him and, as a result, he returned to London. Gilson married a wealthy woman and, when she died, he inherited all her property. Laurence Gilson himself died a very wealthy man in April 1810 but, before his death, he arranged for the building of the school on the green in Oldcastle. He instructed that the school would be maintained, admit Protestant and Catholic pupils from every social background and be free of charge. He also left all his books to the school's library. Gilson Endowed National School was erected on Church Street on a site donated by James Lennox William Naper. In the early 1820s, the first lessons took place and the first schoolmaster was Philip Hyde. By 1940, there were three schools in Oldcastle - one for infants, one for boys and another for girls. In 1976, a decision was made to amalgamate all three schools and build a new school on a plot of land, just adjacent to the main building. The new school was officially opened in 1977 and is still referred to as the Gilson Endowed National School. A life-size bronze sculpture depicting a man presenting the key of knowledge to two young children was unveiled at the school in his memory in May of last year by the Bishop of Meath, Dr Michael Smith, who is also a past pupil of the Gilson Endowed School, and Bishop Richard Clarke, Church of Ireland Bishop of Meath and Kildare. The sculpture is the work of local sculptor, Ann Meldon Hugh. The open-air ceremony was attended by hundreds of people, including past pupils and former teachers, some of whom travelled from the west of Ireland to take part in the celebrations.