School clean-up reveals 18th century sword – hidden in teacher’s drawer!

Date Published: 30-Jan-2013

Mystery surrounds the discovery of an 18th century sword in a North Galway secondary school – and now an appeal has been made for information about the weapon.

The unusual discovery was made while clearing out a room in the old Colaiste Sheosaimh School in Glenamaddy. Nobody seems to know where it originated.

It was found in a drawer in the old vice-principal’s office and could have been there for several decades.

Information is now being sought about where the sword came from and who might have given it to the school all those years ago.

The sword is in a poor state of repair and was presented to the National History Museum who believe that it dates back to the late 1700s. They have now asked Glenamaddy Community School to try and find out more information about it.

History teacher, Ollie Conway has taken on the task of trying to find out how the sword, similar to that used by a British officer at the time, came to be in the old school.

Just over ten years ago Colaiste Sheosaimh, Glenamaddy and the local St. Benin’s Vocational School amalgamated into a community school and moved into a state of the art new building.

The discovery was made by a caretaker who was cleaning out the office at the old school and presented it to Mr. Conway who never knew of its existence before then.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.