School: Cruachán
- Location:
- Croghan, Co. Offaly
- Teacher: T. Ó Cuinn
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0803, Page 317
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- Long ago there were Hedge Schools in this Parish. One was at The High gate in the Townsland of Ballybeg. Mr. Killian and Mr. Dunne taught in this little house or school about 150 years ago. Mr Killian was an ancestor of Mr. Killian from Ballybrien. Mr Dunne came from Ring near Tyrrellspass, Co. West Meath. At that time the teacher lived in the school because it was his own house. Grown up people attended this school. Some of them came a long distance to be educated. The teacher taught school at night sometimes and the only light they had was Dipped Rushes. The men worked during the Summer and Autumn so that they would earn enough money to pay for their education during the Winter. They had to pay the teacher a penny a day and bring one sod of turf each day for the fire. The Parish Priest examined the scholars from time to time and he put the best educated of them to teach a hedge school somewhere else. There was another hedge school in the townsland of Coole. Mr. Burke was the teacher's name who taught there.
He was a small farmer and he started(continues on next page)
