St. Mary’s Parochial School, a Charter school for Protestant orphans was located in Silversprings supported by the Incorporated Society. It closed in 1824 and the funding was given to the Parochial School which was located in Mary Street on the site of the current Sisters of Charity School opposite Old St. Mary’s Church.
On the 3rd of July 1849 the government opened the Model School in the Western Road. The building contains classic examples of the 19th century stone masons’ craft in Tudoresque style. This was a training school with undenominational rules. It was not well supported by the Protestant or Catholic churches and the numbers eventually declined.
The condition of the Parochial School building in Mary Street deteriorated and it was closed in 1930 with the pupils attending moving to the Model School and the Model School became St. Mary’s Parochial School and has remained so until today In 1933 the Irish Christian Brothers got accommodation in the old Model School and in 1940 some government offices such as the Inspecotorate of Forestry and the Revenue Investigation Office were situated there.
In 1965 the Irish Christian Brothers moved out to their new school. Today St. Mary’s Parochial School shares the building with NEPS.
