Letters, Lessons, and Legends

Tullokyne School: A Legacy of Learning and Athletics

Tullokyne School first opened its doors in 1862, beginning a journey that would see it become a remarkable breeding ground for athletic talent. Against all odds, this small rural school produced not one, but three Olympians, each representing different nations on the world stage.

• John Joyce became the school’s first Olympian in 1904, running the 800 metres for the United States at the St. Louis Games.
• Mathias Hynes followed in 1912, competing for Great Britain in the Tug-of-War event at the Stockholm Olympics, winning a silver medal.
• More than a century later, Fiona Murtagh carried forward the tradition. Competing in rowing, she made her Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games in 2020, winning bronze, and returned for a second appearance in Paris 2024, each time proudly representing Ireland.

This extraordinary record gives Tullokyne School a unique place in Olympic history.

The Boundary Wall and Its Stories

The school’s limestone walls hold stories of their own. Many stones reveal fossil imprints, including brachiopods and a striking example of colonial coral embedded beneath the modern post box in the front boundary wall. The origins of the stone used in construction remain a mystery, but its fossil record adds another layer of heritage to the site.

The Post Boxes of Tullokyne

Set into the same wall is a rusting Victorian post box, painted green but still bearing the VR insignia of Queen Victoria. This was post box number GWY0033A, where letters were collected daily at noon, though never on weekends or public holidays.

After Ireland gained independence in the 1920s, the new state inherited thousands of such royal mail boxes. Instead of replacing them, they were simply repainted green—many still in use today, carrying the initials VR (Victoria Regina) and ER (Edwardus Rex, for Edward VII).

The production of traditional wall boxes was discontinued in the 1980s, as the costs of removing and repairing them, along with rebuilding walls, became too high. The surviving examples, like the one at Tullokyne, remain cherished reminders of history embedded in the everyday.

Tullokyne School’s walls preserve not just the memory of learning and sport, but also fossils, royal relics, and the everyday history of Ireland.

 

Site Location: 53.380149, -9.152239
Site Accessibility: Public