O ldcastle Chamber of Commerce

About Oldcastle - Gilson National School

The Gilson Endowed National School

'Gem in the crown of Oldcastle's architecture!'



The Gilson National School's trust & building owes its existence to the generosity of Laurence Gilson, a native of Oldcastle Parish.

Laurence Gilson was born in Boolies, an adjoining town-land near Oldcastle.  His father's name was Magilsinan; he was a farmer from the area.  Upon the death of his father, Laurence was given a portion of land.  However, he turned away from farming, sold his property & dedicated his life to education & learning.  For a time, he established a school & made a living by teaching.

As a consequence, his family & relatives began to despise him so he headed to England where he soon earned himself a substantial fortune.  He then returned to Oldcastle dressed as a pauper in order to test his family's sincerity.  They immediately rejected him.

Laurence then decided to put on the clothes & manner of a man with wealth & affluence.  As soon as he did, his family & relatives immediately accepted him and, as a result, Laurence returned to London where he married a rich old lady.

Upon his wife's death, Laurence inherited all her property.  Laurence himself died a very wealthy man in April 1810, but before his death he arranged for the building of the school (one of the directives in his will from 1809) on the Green of Oldcastle.

With this money, Laurence instructed that the school would be maintained, admit Protestant & Catholic pupils from every social background & be free of charge.  Laurence 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; the first schoolmaster was Philip Hyde who earned £120.00 per year.

By 1940, there wee three schools in Oldcastle; one for infants, one for boys & another for girls.  The numbers attending the three schools up until the 1970s, averaged between 320 & 370.

In 1976, a decision was made to amalgamate all three schools & build a new school on a plot of land, jut off the main building.  The new school was officially opened on 8 July 1977; this new building is still referred to as the Gilson Endowed National School.

Today, the Gilson School continues to function as the primary school for the children of Oldcastle Parish.