Murhur National School in Moyvane is named after Murhur (Muig Airthir – the eastern plain, named for the civil parish of Murhur which, with the civil parish of Knockanure, constitutes the Catholic parish of Moyvane, or Moyvane/Knockanure as it is commonly referred to now).
The original Murhur NS was built in 1888, consisting of a boys’ school and a girls’ school adjoining each other. The principal of the boys’ school was James Barry, a Corkman. The principal of the girls’ school was Miss Joanna Hederman. She died on November 30, 1889 and was succeeded as principal by Miss Lizzie Gleeson. An outbreak of typhoid fever closed the school from June 3, 1898 to June 30, 1898.
In 1919 , Tom O’Connell became Principal of Murhur Boys N.S., his wife, Mary, becoming Principal of Murhur Girls N.S. circa 1926. A National School was opened in Kilbaha in the Parish of Moyvane in 1929. Mr. Tom O’Callaghan who was teaching in Knockanure N.S. came in as Principal Teacher of Kilbaha. He transferred to Murhur Boys N.S. as Principal in 1944 and retired in 1969, whereupon Murhur Boys N.S., Murhur Girls N.S. and Kilbaha N.S. amalgamated, Cormac O’Leary being the new Principal. The 1888 school was closed in 1975 when the present school in Moyvane opened with Cormac O’Leary as Principal. Cormac O’Leary retired in 1982 and was succeeded as Principal by Mrs Nola Adams, daughter of Tom O’Callaghan.
At its peak, in 1990, there were 8 teachers (7 female, 1 male); now there are 6 (5 female, 1 male). A Learning Support teacher, Mrs Brenda Fitzmaurice, divides her time between Moyvane National School and Tarbert National school. In 1993 there were 217 (121 male and 96 female) pupils in the school. In the 1998-1999 school year, there were 163 pupils.
