Former Schoolhouse (East of 197) Derrytrasna Road Derrytrasna Lurgan Co Armagh BT66 6NR

This is a long, gable-ended former schoolhouse located within the grounds of St Mary’s RC Church in the small settlement of Derrytrasna, approximately 9 kilometers north of Portadown. The building’s earliest section dates to 1844, with significant alterations and an addition of an upper storey and porch occurring in 1898. The façade is rendered with a dry-dash finish, and the roof is covered with natural slate, featuring brick chimneystacks. A relatively large gabled porch is situated on the front (south) elevation and includes decorative bargeboards and a marble datestone reading “Derrytrasna National Schools 1898” alongside the initials ‘E.McC.’ A ground floor window on the left-hand side has been converted into a doorway, now covered by a modern roller shutter. Rear extensions, single and two-storey in height, are present. Most windows have been boarded over.

The original schoolhouse was constructed within the National system in 1844, as evidenced on the revised Ordnance Survey map of 1858. The 1898 alterations, including the added upper floor and porch, notably changed the fenestration of the front elevation. A small central projection to the rear was also part of the 1898 remodeling, according to the 1905 Ordnance Survey map. Further rear extensions were added later; one to the east between 1953 and 1965, and others between 1965 and 1983. Originally, a boundary wall separated the school from the church grounds, reflecting the legal separation of National Schools from religious institutions. The school ceased operation with the completion of a new St. Mary’s Primary School in 1969. The building subsequently housed a charity shop, which closed around 2011, and appears to be in a state of disrepair.