Presentation Primary School Midleton was founded by the untiring efforts of Fr. Stephen Coppinger, a member of a prominent Midleton family. On April 29th 1834 three sisters arrived in Midleton from the North Presentation Convent, Cork. The annals relate that several poor children accompanied the sisters to Midleton, where they were hospitably received and put up for the night. They returned to Cork the next day.
On May 12th 1834, the sisters opened their school for the children of Midleton and great numbers turned out. During the awful years of the Great Famine the sisters, from their meagre resources, and with the help of contributions from benefactors provided daily meals for over 200 children.
By 1850 there were 700 pupils in the school and 29 sisters. In 1852 the foundation stone for a new building was laid. In 1961 the infant school was built. In 1978 the school on the Youghal Road was built on the site known locally as the Dean’s Field. In 1984 a magnificent P.E. hall was built on the site with no financial support from the Department of Education. Many other alterations have taken place within the past few years in an endeavour to keep pace with the new curriculum.
