School: Listowel (B.) (roll number 1797)

Location:
Listowel, Co. Kerry
Teacher:
Brian Mac Mathúna
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0405, Page 624

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0405, Page 624

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  1. XML School: Listowel (B.)
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  3. XML “Hedge-Schools”
  4. XML “Hedge-Schools”
  5. XML “Hedge-Schools”

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  1. There was once a hedge-school in Tuanach's hedge in Newtown. Their pencils were soft pieces of stones from the bed of the river. The blackboards were of a flat stone and the chalk was a piece of clay-pipe. The hedge was very thick and shady. In the winter they used to make a shanty there and have a fire and the only lights they had were splinters. Sometimes in summer nights they used to make a fire of heath and there was a great blaze out of it and the scholars used to lie down in front of it so as to have light to do their lessons. Often they used be chased from the school and had to run for their lives.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
  2. Once upon a time there was an old hedge school near the chapel in Duagh. The master's name was John Mahony. The black board they used was the side cut out of a tea chest and painted black, nailed to two sticks and laid up against the wall. The children had to write on slates with stone pencils and the master slapped the boys with a sally twig. They had to pick the blackberries and bruise them into a crock and let it there for a few days. This was their ink.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.