placenamesCorrandrum
Cor an Droma
Church ruins beside the Tuam road and the history of Corrandrum National School trace local worship, education and community fundraising.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Cor an Droma · Irish · main form · validated name
- Corrandrum · English · main form
- Currandrum · English · main form · local name
Place & story
St Cathaldus’s church
The ruined church near Corrandrum school retains large stone blocks in the lower walls and the remains of an east window. Joe McDermott’s architectural account suggests an eleventh- or twelfth-century date, while emphasising the uncertainty caused by lost features. Burials occur within the building and around it; a separate children’s burial ground lies to the southwest. The dedication to St Cathaldus survives, although its particular connection with this site is unexplained. [2]
Opening the national school
Corrandrum National School opened in April 1907 on land donated by John Burke’s family. It initially brought children from Cummer, Lackagh and Annaghdown parishes into one room with two teachers. Demand exceeded the building’s intended eighty-pupil capacity. Inspectors called for another classroom in 1909 and 1910, but the additional room arrived only much later. Parents supplied turf for heating, while water had to be carried from a local well. [3]
Carnivals help build a replacement
A replacement school was constructed in 1964–65 on the old playground, land made available when Kilcahill holdings were divided in 1936. Local carnivals raised the community’s contribution to the building costs and left a surplus earmarked for future playing-field land. Another major extension followed in 2007, providing classrooms, learning-support space and a general-purpose room. Archbishop Michael Neary formally opened the enlarged school on 29 May 2008. [3]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Corrandrum. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- St Cathaldus’s Church, Corrandrum, Winter2019 newsletter article · Joe McDermott; Annaghdown Heritage Society
- Corrandrum National School: grants, school inspection and community history · Gerry Coen; Annaghdown Heritage Society
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2017-12-01. How this page was prepared.