Bishop Kevin Doran has announced the name of the amalgamated primary school in Roscommon.
It is to be called St Coman’s Wood Primary School.
According to a statement from the Diocese of Elphin, “As announced last September, Scoil Mhuire NS and Abbey NS are to amalgamate following a recommendation made by the two school boards to Bishop Kevin Doran, and with the support of the vast majority of parents. Today, Bishop Doran has announced that the New Primary School that will be formed in Roscommon Town following the amalgamation of Scoil Mhuire NS and the Abbey NS in September 2017 will be called St Coman’s Wood Primary School.
The announcement follows consultation with all the stakeholders involved by the Amalgamation Steering Committee which was put in place by the Diocese of Elphin last year to oversee the development on the two existing school sites in Roscommon Town of the new co-educational primary school.
Saint Coman mac Faelchon studied with Saint Finnian at the monastic school of Clonard in County Meath. Around 550, after completing his education, he founded a monastery on the bank of the River Suck, at a wood (Ross) which was called after him – Ros Comain. It is from Coman’s monastery that the current town and county take their name. Coman was linked with other foundations in Ireland and the rule for monks attributed to him influenced many religious houses throughout the region.
St Coman’s Wood Primary school will be, in the tradition of its patron, Saint Coman, a welcoming centre of learning where every student will be cared for as they develop physically, spiritually and intellectually during the early years of life.
The new co-educational school, under the patronage of the Diocese of Elphin, will open its doors on 1st September 2017.
Welcoming the new school name, Bishop Doran noted how “the name roots the new school in the rich tradition of faith and learning that lay at the heart of the development of Roscommon Town and County. Coman was a man of prayer with a strong commitment to community – all of these things make him a suitable role model for young men and women.”
