The Presentation Sisters community at An Gleann Mor, Carraroe, Co. Galway was founded in August, 1959.  It was founded from St. Joseph’s, Tuam.  The founding Sisters were Sr. Rita O’Toole, Sr. Nora Somers and Sr. Mary Fahy. At the request of Archbishop Walshe (Tuam Archdiocese) the Sisters set up a Secondary School to provide Post Primary education for boys and girls of the area.. The Sisters lived in portion of a house rented to them by a local lady.  Later, they purchased a small two-storey house and bungalow, situated side by side on Bothar a’ Chillin.

Carraroe, a Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) area of high unemployment, depended on the “dole” (unemployment benefit) or money sent home by those who had emigrated to England or U.S.A.  Only those who had means or scholarships could attend boarding schools and study for the Intermediate Certificate and Leaving Certificate examinations.

At the time of the foundation, houses had just one tap which supplied cold water only. There was no bathroom or indoor toilet in either house or bungalow.  These facilities were added later.  Sound proofing or insulation were not the norm.  A converted bedroom served as an Oratory. A room downstairs served as a Community Room/ Parlour.  Sisters took meals in the kitchen.

In 1965, the houses and site were sold to the Department of Education to establish one of the first state-owned Comprehensive schools in the Republic.  Sisters joined the Tiernea community and commuted by car from Tiernea to Carraroe from 1965 to 1970.

The secondary school dates from the 1st September, 1959. It was called Colaiste Nano Nogla The school was established in an old disused Primary School building owned by the Parish, which had been vacant since a new Primary School was built.  The building itself contained five classrooms, varied in size and two cloakrooms cum entrance halls.  The toilets were outdoor.  Rodents were frequent visitors to our Academy and sometimes devoured the books!  There was no central heating – instead, open fires were the norm. One of the Sisters would go in to the school on the way home from Mass in the Parish Church to light the fires. Pupils who waited for the bus the evening before would have taken out the ashes and set the fires, ready for lighting the next morning.

In September, 1959 there were 36 pupils, 19 girls and 17 boys.  Pupils came from a catchment area of approximately a 10-mile radius.  This was before the era of free transport, which began in 1969.  Bicycles, hired minibuses and public bus service which ran twice daily, morning and evening, were used.  The teaching programme followed the curriculum laid down by the  Department of Education.

As the numbers in the school increased, other Sisters joined the group.  The following Sisters came and went, or stayed during the years 1960 to 1970: Srs. Mary O’Regan, Nuala Courtney, Nano Brennan, Nuala Newell, Martha Greaney, Kathleen Hallinan, Attracta Heneghan, Carmel Raftery, Kieran Meeneghan, Miriam O’Malley, Mary O’Gara, Mary Whyte, Ursula Mannion, Patricia White, Genevieve Kilbane and Katherine Burke.

Three after its foundation, in June 1962, the first pupils sat their Inter Cert exam.  The first students to sit for the Leaving Certificate exam at the school did so in 1964.

In 1965, the two storey house and bungalow were demolished to make way for the building of the new Comprehensive School.  Sisters purchased a Ford Zephyr 4, did the Driving Test and commuted from the Convent in Tiernea, 10 miles away.  A small prefab was erected behind the school.  It contained a staff room, toilet and store for the convenience of the Sisters.  The Sisters had lunch in a local guest-house.

In September, 1966, Colaiste Nano Nogla was amalgamated with the local Vocational School, moved to the new building and became Scoil Chuimsitheach Chiarain.  Sr. Ursula Mannion became Vice Principal of the new Comprehensive school.  Mr. Piaras O’ Conaire was appointed Principal.  Srs. Patricia Whyte, Genevieve Kilbane, Nuala Courtney and Kathleen Hallinan joined the Staff.

On the Feast of the Holy Family in 1970, the Sisters moved in to the new Convent opposite the Comprehensive school on Bothar an Chillin.  The Sisters were glad to be back in residence in Carraroe.  The Convent was used for evening classes, prayer groups etc. and the Sisters were involved in Youth Clubs, Adult Drama Groups and after school activities.

On December, 3^rd 1987, the Convent was closed as only 3 Sisters were left in the community.  It was subsequently sold to the Department of Education and is now part of the Comprehensive School. As a result of this move, Sisters re-joined the Community in Tiernea and once again commuted to Carraroe each day.

In August, 1986, two Sisters were given permission to rent a bungalow in Carraroe.  They continued their ministry in the Comprehensive School, classroom teaching and voluntary home school liaison work as well as parish work e.g. visitation of sick and elderly, preparation of liturgy.

The current ministries involve community and parish groups e.g. Community Alert, Pastoral Council, provision of training for Readers, Eucharistic Ministers, Parish Newsletter - reflection for same and printing, Liturgical Services when priest is absent, Communion to sick, handicapped and housebound, activities for elderly in Nursing Home and involvement in School Completion Programme.