School: Killea (roll number 3219)

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1. A Hedge-School

   

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   A Hedge School (1)
   In a wood which was growing beside the boundary river between Glenkeel and Soughafonts a hedge school was held long ago. There was only one teacher in it as it was in use and only from 1835 to 1840. His name was Master Bradley and he was a native Irish speaker from Co. Mayo. He lived in the pupils' houses staying for about a month in each house and the people considered it a privilege to keep him. His only pay was his food, clothes, and lodging. The school was in the middle of the wood now known as the "Magpie's Meat" which is now diminished to half its former size. It was made of planks or trunks of trees fastened between the growing trees while the overhanging boughs and matted ivy formed a natural roof overhead. Each pupil was seated on a block of wood or stone. Each rested his slate which was taken from a nearby quarry on his knee. There was about seventy pupils attending the school and their ages varied from fourteen to twenty four years. School was held at night in the Summer time and in the evening in Winter. The subjects taught were Arithmetic English (grammar spelling and writing) and a little Irish. As the teacher was a native speaker he taught Irish when he could The pupils had no books nor was there any blackboard. There was a fire in Winter and the branches lopped off the neighbouring trees were the fuel but it was never allowed to blaze very high.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. buildings
            1. schools (~4,094)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Nellie Gallagher

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Glenkeel, Co. Leitrim

   Informant

   Owen Regan

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Glenkeel, Co. Leitrim