1653 
1657 
1700s 1653
The Clonmel Grammar school.
The Grammar school in Clonmel grew from a Jesuit school set up after the dissolution of the monasteries, this school was damaged by fire in 1640 and was closed under the penal laws in 1650, it was reopened in 1653 under protestant control but had closed again by 1681.In 1685 the building was revived as a Grammar school where the children of Protestant freemen in Clonmel were entitled to a free education as an endowed school supported by the rental of lands around Roscrea .
1657
Abbey School Tipperary Town
Founded in 1657 by Cromwellian merchant Erasmus Smith on the site of an Augustinian Abbey, the present school building dating from the 1950s is the fourth school on the site (see photo). It replaced the previous building, which was a protestant boarding school until 1920. This third school was damaged by fire in 1941 (see photo).
After a long struggle to allow Roman Catholic boys take advantage of the Erasmus Smith Educational Endowment, agreement was reached in 1938 and the Christian Brothers were invited to manage the new school.
In 2000 President McAleese visited the school and unveiled a memorial marking the school’s unique history (see photo).
The Abbey continues to benefit from the endowment.
1700s
Hedge Schools Early 1700’s – 1860’s
In response to a ban on Catholic education hedge schools started to appear around the county from the early 1700’s,and were the most common form of education by the end of the eighteenth century. Read more