by Trevor Sargent, T.D.

ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH:
An early account of St. George's Church is to be found in 'A History and Topography of Dublin City & County' by Samuel Lewis, first published in 1837. Prior to this church being built, the main place of worship for members of the Church of Ireland in the area was St. Peter's Church, Balrothery, now deconsecrated and restored as a heritage centre.
1837 Reference:
Samuel Lewis in 1837 writes that 'the chapelry of St. George, Balbriggan, was founded by the late Rev. G. Hamilton, of Hampton Hall, who in 1813 granted some land and settled an endowment, under the eleventh and twelfth years of George III, for the establishment of a perpetual curacy; and an augmentation of £25 per annum has been recently granted by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners from Primate Boulter's fund. In 1816 a chapel was completed, at an expense of £3,018.2s. 2d., of which £1,400 was given by the late Board of First Fruits, £478.15s. 2d. was raised by voluntary subscriptions of the inhabitants, and £1,139. 7s. was given by the founder and his family. This chapel, which was a handsome edifice with a square embattled tower, and contained monuments to the memory of R. Hamilton Esq., and the Rev. G. Hamilton, was burned by accident in 1835 and the congregation assemble for divine service in a schoolroom till it shall be restored, for which purpose the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted £480. The living is in the patronage of G.A Hamilton Esq.'
Cul de Sac Location:
With the construction of the Dublin to Drogheda Railway between 1840 and 1844, George's Street was dissected to become Seapoint and Church Street respectively, the latter becoming a cul de sac. Most recently the gates of the church have been replaced and pillars repaired following knocks from vehicles doing three point turns.

Church Grounds:
Inside the gates the well kept grounds feature interesting flora and fauna and two graves. On the south side of the church are buried Gertrude Uhthoff Hamilton and Alfred Ormsby Hamilton who both died in 1935. West of the tower is buried Rev. Daniel Henry Maunsell, 'Curate of the Chapel of Balbriggan' who died of cholera, aged 42 in 1834. It is said that the only man who had the courage to touch the body was the son of Rev. George Hamilton of Hampton Hall, T.C.G. Hamilton, who coffined the body and buried it. The grounds were not consecrated for general burial as the church stands 'too close to the town for burials to be sanitary'. However, a burial vault lies beneath the east end of the church.

Spire & Transepts:
After the fire of 1835 the church was restored as a Gothic style plan building with the addition of transepts and the brown sandstone battlemented parapet with crocketed finials and animal heads at the corners topped with a spire. The biblical text above the main door reads 'I will not suffer mine eyes to sleep nor mine eyes to slumber, neither the temples of my head to take any rest, until I find out a place for the temple of the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob'.

Stairs & Gallery:
Inside the church the staircase and gallery were added in 1862 to the design of the Ecclesiastical Commission's architects, William Welland and W. Gillespie, who most likely carried out the work on enlarging the church after the fire also.

Memorials:
In the entrance porch a memorial to honour those from the parish who died in the First World War has been erected. The north transept contains the oldest memorials however. Baron George Hamilton died aged 63 years on 14 November 1793 and Samuel Lewis (1837) credits him with turning Balbriggan from a 'small fishing village to a place of manufacturing and commercial importance'. His memorial was most likely erected first in St Peter's Church, Balrothery, before being moved to St. George's Church where it can be seen today. The most elaborate memorial honours the memory of George Alexander Hamilton, who died on 17 September 1871 and whose wife Amelia Fancourt Hamilton is remembered on a similar memorial nearby. A quote from this memorial reads 'Her clothing and coal clubs were for many years a great benefit to the poor of this neighbourhood' and her establishment of an infant school in 1836 at Hampton Gates is also mentioned.

A number of other memorial tablets refer to tragic deaths such as that of Richard Lucas Baker who died aged 22 as a soldier in Guernsey in 1848. In 1918 Desmond Maurice Macartney Filgate, (whose ruined home can still be seen at Lowtherstone from King's Strand) was in the R.A.F. and died in a plane crash.

Windows:
One of the stained glass windows commemorates the drowning at sea of Desmond's father, Charles Alexander Hume Macartney Filgate in 1906. Desmond's mother, Tryphena Elizabeth Seymour Macartney Filgate, having lost her husband and son in two tragedies, died herself in 1919.
The main window behind the altar illustrates the Resurrection and was created in memory of Thomas Edward Taylor who lived in Ardgillan Castle. He lived between 1811 and 1883, was M.P. for Co. Dublin over 42 years and his remains are buried in the vault beneath the church. another stained glass window was created in memory of Richard Taylor Woods who lived in Whitestown House on the Naul Road after his death in 1937.

Pulpit:
The wooden carved pulpit was provided in 1899 by Sarah Scriven, daughter of Henry Hamilton originally from Tullylish, Co. Down. Sarah Scriven lived in Hampton Hall locally and her son, Rev. Roland Scriven who was curate in the parish, must have made his mother very proud as he preached from her pulpit. Sadly she was to die soon afterwards in 1901.

Organ:
Rev. Samuel Percival Warren who was rector from 1865 until his death in 1902, undertook many projects to improve the church. One of these was the organ which was installed in 1901 under the watchful eye of Gertrude Uhthoff Hamilton, who insisted it be located in its present location.

Bells:
The peal of eight bells was installed in 1909 in memory of Warren St. Ledger Woods by his family after his death in 1908 aged 59 years in Whitestown House. Simple hymn tunes and Christmas Carols can be played by a single operator on the peal, but the volume is not as great as the large
cast iron bells which hang in the belfry above the peal.

Falls for Altar Frontal, Pulpit & Lectern:
These beautiful vestments were embroidered by Dorothy Whyte in memory of her son Alan, who died aged 24years on Christmas Day, 1936.

Lights:
Various phases of light fittings have been installed down the years. Most recently, George Cooper presented two lights in the sanctuary in memory of his wife Elizabeth who died in 1992, aged 82 years.

Cross:
A simple wooden Celtic cross was presented in 1995 by the family of Kathy Keenan and it stands behind the altar, throwing three shadows when the lights are on, evoking thoughts of Calvary.

Font:
The ornate marble font bears the date 25 December 1862 and the name Amelia Fancourt Hamilton. Apart from being a Christmas gift to St. George's Parish from the wealthiest woman in Balbriggan at that time, the font also emphasised the keen intrest shown by Amelia Fancourt Hamilton in children, which included her establishment of an infant school in the town as referred to earlier.

Later the font was enhanced by the addition of a colourful tiled floor on which an affixed bronze plaque reads 'To the Glory of God and in loving memory of The Rev. Samual P. Warren, M.A., who entered into rest 7th October 1902. The Baptistry has been tiled by his children. February 1904'. The improvements in St. George's Church undertaken by Rev. Warren during his life continued in this instance after his death as well.

Books, Bibles & Church Records:
Some of the oldest books in the church, like the oldest memorials, have come from the original parish church in Balrothery, St. Peter's Church. A Book of Common Prayer was presented on 30 June 1878 by Henry Alexander Hamilton according to his own handwriting on the title page. However, the book cover is inscribed 'Balrothery Church, 1845'. Other copies of the Bible and records survive from the 19th and 20th century alongside the most modern of ecclesiastical publications and current records.

ST. GEORGE'S SCHOOL - SCOIL SHEOIRSE NAOFA:
As with St. George's Church, an inscription is to be found above the main door of the parochial school on Hampton Street, Balbriggan. It reads as follows: 'This Schoolhouse was Erected by George Woods Esq. of Milverton Hall for the benefit of the town of Balbriggan and neighbourhood and as a small token of sincere regard for his friend George Alexander Hamilton Esq. M.P., Proprietor of the Soil, A.D. 1859'.

Designed by Mr. Sandham Symes, the schoolhouse is of limestone from Milverton quarries with the window surrounds and chimneys of red brick. It has a hipped slate roof. The original sash windows in the classrooms were replaced using the original design in 1986.

Pre World War I:
St. George's School in the early years of the 20th century was in a much smaller Balbriggan where almost everyone walked to school, to work, to church, or to the shop. The nearest source of running water was the pump on the corner of Pump Lane. The schoolhouse collected 'soft water' from the roof for washing. Two semi-detached sheds behind the school which still stand had dry toilets, one of boys, the other for girls. The excrement (a valued substance in agriculture at the time, known as 'night soil') was removed from hatches below ground level in the field behind the dry toilets.

Nearby Houses:
Pupils generally lived close by and walked to school. The houses in Hampton Place beside the school were known as 'Quality Row' as they housed skilled workers in the mills who were brought over from England to train local people and therefore were paid more. Children living in 'Quality Row' also attended the school while their families had work in Balbriggan.

The Era of Mr. & Mrs. Douglas:
The school in the early decades of the 20th century had two teachers. Mr. J. Douglas taught the senior classes and Mrs. Edith Douglas taught the juniors. The junior classroom was in the present Parochial Hall behind the main building and the seniors were (and still are) in the classroom beside the garden. The other front classroom, which is today used by junior classes, was in bygone days the dining room of the Douglas family. In the residential part of the building lived Mr. & Mrs. Douglas, their two sons and three daughters, and a housekeeper who also cleaned the classrooms. One of the daughters, Lucy, grew up to marry a Mr. Robinson who worked in the Irish Times. Their son Nicholas is best known as the husband of former-President, Mary Robinson.

Background of Other Pupils:
Apart from other children whose families worked in the factories of the town, a number of pupils lived on Hampton Estate and on other nearby estates where their parents had occupations such as gardener, steward, caretaker, herdsman, etc. The school hours were similar to today, 9.30 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. However, the half hour lunch break, 12.30-1.00 p.m., allowed pupils who lived nearby to go home for lunch.

Scripture:
A half hour, 2.30-3.00 p.m., was given over each day to the teaching of scripture and this was keenly encouraged by the clergy who urged pupils to enter scripture exams and prizes of books were given to successful candidates.

Visiting Clergy:
Every Friday, it was customary for the rector or his curate to visit the school to question the pupils about scripture. The most fondly remembered visitor was Rev. Dr. Charles William Benson, who was rector from 1903 until his death in 1919. Affectionately known as 'Daddy Benson', this white bearded friendly man was much more than a cleric. He had a deep interest in education, had written several textbooks and trained teachers. He also had a passionate interest in ornithology and would be considered nowadays as a 'twitcher' - given his interest in spotting rare birds. Dr. Benson was well liked by the children in Balbriggan generally, as he was known to offer a penny to anyone who knew where a rare bird could be spotted. This allegedly led to pranksters studying bird books to memorize names of rare birds which they could then pretend they had seen in the hope that Dr. Benson would given them a penny in return for their fictitious reports. Other visiting clergy such as Rev. Newman Lombard, Rev. Scriven and Rev. Hunter were less popular and felt more at home with the gentry that chatting with children. Later on however in the 1950's, Canon Frank Blennerhasset who was a great storyteller and a teacher of English, Irish and Latin himself, was very popular with pupils. Since then clergy have continued to be much more child-centred than in Victorian and Edwardian times.
Sunday School:
Mr. Douglas also taught Sunday School which took place at 10.15 a.m. every Sunday in the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) Hall beside the church in advance of the 11.00 a.m. Morning Service when the pupils would rejoin their parents in church.

Music Classes:
Mrs. Douglas was a renowned music teacher. So much so that a concert was a regular feature once or twice a year for many pupils. Tickets were sold in advance for these concerts, which were held in the YMCA Hall. The best remembered feature was whenever Harry Reynolds sang from Italian Operas. One past pupil, George Cashell, remarked how the trained voice of Harry Reynolds sounded like Luciano Pavarotti does today. The difference is that Pavarotti is never likely to become a world champion cyclist like Harry Reynolds.

Nature Walks & Art:
A vivid memory of the school at that time was Primrose Day. This entailed the pupils being walked through Hampton Estate to gather bunches of flowers which were then sold for charity in Dublin. The scarcity of wild flowers nowadays makes such an event hard to imagine. Such walks also inspired pupils to draw and paint. It is regrettable however that contemporary pictures of life at that time are not more widely available. Another vivid memory of the school was the immaculate rose garden which was private to the Douglas family and to be allowed to walk in it was a real treat.

Languages:
Mrs. Douglas had a good knowledge of French which she taught as well as the usual English poetry, grammar and composition. Like many other national school teachers at that time, 'an Ghaeilge' was an unfamiliar languge. Mrs. Douglas, along with many teachers, availed of the three month courses in the Gaeltacht to gain proficiency in the native language so she could teach it the following September. However, Mr. Douglas was too near retirement at that point and never became a teacher of Irish.

Arithmetic:
Pounds, shillings, pennies, halfpennies and farthings, as well as all the various units of distance, area, volume and weights presented a hugh challenge for pupils. With blackboard and easel and mental arithmetic games, a number of past pupils from the school went on to have very successful careers in banking and accountancy.

History & Geography:
The original beading on the wall remains today to remind present day pupils of how history and geography were taught with various hanging maps of Ireland, Europe and the World. These lessons required much more imagination than is required today, given the large part now played by video and CD-Roms in education. Whatever about knowing how to work a compass, if a senior room pupil was asked what direction he or she faced in class, the initial response would probably be 'I sit with my back to Hampton Gates'. Although now gone, the importance of the Hampton Estate had a huge influence on the lives of these pupils.

Sport:
The field behind the school today is invaluable space for sport. In the first half of the 20th century it was generally either grazed by animals or was in tillage, often potatoes. The annual sports event was therefore widely anticipated. For many years the Children's League, as the event was known, was organized by Louis White, Managing Director of Smyths. It was open to children from the town in general and took place in Hampton Estate.

Retirement of Mr. Douglas:
The retirement of Mr. Douglas coincided with a fall in the number of pupils in the school as state independence brought a reduction in the number of Church of Ireland families in the area. St. George's School from then until 1985 became a one-teacher school. Mr. Douglas' old classroom became a store and the old dining room eventually became the sole classroom as the parish made more use of the old junior classroom, or the parochial hall as it is now called.

19th Century Schoolhouse Becomes Modern School:
1985 saw increasing enrolment which included two traveller families with Church of Ireland backgrounds. As a result the Department of Education made Scoil Sheoirse a two teacher school once again. In 1987, the teacher's residence and and garden was transferred to the school which allowed the construction of indoor modern toilets, a meeting room and a computer/music room. This latter room is now used also by a remedial teacher which the school shares with Balscadden N.S., Hedgestown N.S. and Corduff N.S.

ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH & SCHOOL - EPILOGUE:
Both the church and school feel valued by the wider community in Balbriggan. The church is frequently a venue for concerts and from time to time the Flower Festival reminds the parishioners that they are the custodians of an important and beautiful part of Balbriggan's built heritage. There was a time in the 1960's when efforts by Government were made to close the school. A decisive factor in averting that threat was the upsurge in support for the school from the wider community in Balbriggan. The point was well made that a town of such a size with such potential needed a diversity of traditions and choice in education. St. George's Church and School is striving to develop its potential in co-operation with the wider community and wishes to express its appreciation for all the goodwill it has received from all people of various traditions in Balbriggan.

TREVOR SARGENT, T.D.

Trevor Sargent T.D. is a member of the St. George's Church Select Vestry and a Parish Nominator. He was appointed Principal of St. George's N.S. - Scoil Sheoirse Naofa in 1983 and is currently seconded to Dáil Éireann.