Fisherman’s School, Ireland

Fisherman’s School is an abandoned single classroom building in Ireland, that has been used to store old fishing gear. There are piles of green netting dotted around, and there are also a few brightly coloured buoys scattered around. Against one of the walls is an orange life ring, propped up and making an interesting photography subject. The failing roof has created an opening for plants to enter, and thrive. The decaying wooden floor is now home to many ferns and sprawling ivy. Even a sapling tree has found a home here!

There is an adjacent schoolmaster’s house that has a very photogenic organ in front of the fireplace. The school was built in the 1840s, and closed sometime in the 1960s.

I visited this location during my spring 2023 Ireland road trip(s).

Note : This was a state-run primary school, not a school specifically for fishermen. I adopted this name due to the fishing gear inside, as a little nickname (hence, Fisherman’s School).

Stumbling upon the abandoned Fisherman’s SChool

The discovery of the Fisherman’s School is a fun one to share. My road trip routes often have sizable drives between the locations. Often, these routes take the road less travelled by many, winding through rural roads and over rolling hills. Sometimes, I am lucky enough to spot a location en route to the planned points. It has been a little while since I had a glorious spontaneous find. I mean, I find places frequently in this fashion, but they are usually trashed or uninteresting. Sometimes they are amazing, like a pristine mountain hotel in Bulgaria, but mostly they don’t warrant me pulling my camera out of my bag.

Driving along the country roads, I passed by the planned point. Sadly, it was partially demolished and is now used as a farmer’s storage shed! Disappointing, but it happens. I was already short on time on this road trip, so I decided to find a spot to park up and plan my onward route. I found a spot to turn, coincidentally in front of these two dilapidated buildings. Clearly, a little Irish luck had found me on this day!