The History of St. Edward’s Secondary School

In 1922, Father Michael O’Connor was the first principal and father Mulcahy, who was in Mobe in Sherbro land transferred to Freetown to help him. In June Father O’Connor had to leave Sierra Leone due to bad health and father Mulcahy became principal. He became very well-known figure in Sierra Leone. St. Edward’s became so well known in sports, scouting, and education during his principalship that Father Mulcahy’s name became a household figure in Sierra Leone. He died in 1941.

 

In 1943, the school was divided into houses such as Blanchet, O’Gorman, Wilson, and Brown.

 

In 1946, the secondary school moved to army huts at Brook fields. Most of the huts had been pulled down and St. Joseph Secondary School now stands on the site. The primary school continued at Howe until 1960 when it moved to Fort Street. The new and present secondary school was completed in 1959 and St. Edward’s moved to King tom.

 

The name “May Park” was born.  In pursuance of his burning for an active sporting life for boys, Father Mulcahy considered it of vital necessity to obtain for his school a field of its own and in 1934 he entered negotiation with the owner of a huge piece of land in King Tom, Mr. A Golley, a very prominent builder to purchase part of this land. The purchase was finally concluded in May and the piece of land were cleared and made into a sporting field. Father Mulcahy named it “May Park”. In January 1945, Father Kearney acted as principal and Father Holly went on leave in 1948 and O’Dwyer arrived to join the staff. In January 1952, Father O’Brian joined the staff.

 

The proprietor of the school is the Catholic Mission and the local head since the 1940s has been a Bishop or Archbishop:

 

• Bishop Ambrose Kelly (deceased)

• Archbishop Thomas Brossnahan (deceased)

• Archbishop J.H Ganda (Emeritus)

• Archbishop Edward T. Charles, the current head.