School: The Downs (roll number 8875)
- Location:
- The Downs, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: S. Molloy
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0730, Page 127
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- Hedge Schools.
Long ago there were many hedge schools in this district.
They were mostly situated in the fields.
The hedge schools were the dwellling houses of the teachers, they were very small with two rooms in them.
The subjects taught were English writing and Arithmetic and Grammar and English readings.
In those schools there was no Irish taught.
The children brought small sums of money to pay the teachers. About twenty children attended those schools daily.
Generally strangers taught in the schools in this neighbourhood long ago.
The pens they used when writing were quill pens which they made themselves. In Winter time the pupils would have to bring a sod of turf each to make(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Betty Dunne
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- The Downs, Co. Westmeath
- Informant
- Michael Dunne
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 64
- Address
- The Downs, Co. Westmeath
