School: Cluain Fhada (roll number 15091)

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1. Hedge-Schools

   

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   There still remains the ruins of an old farm house in my district in which school was taught in the olden times. It is situated about a quarter of a mile from Hillstreet. My Grandfather and Grandmother (R.I.P.) were taught there by Mr. J Birne a native of Ballagh. At night the teacher returned to his home.
   The Standards taught there were from Infants to Sixth Standard, and the teachers were paid according to the results of the examinations. No pupil could present himself for the examination unless he had completed one hundred days of school. The subjects taught were English, Geography, Arithmetic, Grammar, Bible and Catechism. Irish was not taught or spoken then. Books were very cheap, being form a half-penny to sixpence. The Infants had only a half-penny to pay for a book, the first class a penny, the second class twopence, and so on, increasing a penny for each standard. The Infants and First Standard used to write on slates, the Second and Third on Headlines, while the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth, wrote compositions, letters and inscription. There were no pens then, and the pupils wrote with quills. They made ink from the berries of the ozier. The teachers made the quills for their pupils to write with. There was a seat and desk for the writing-class, and when they had finished, another class was put in for writing.

   

   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

   Ellen Connolly

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Toomore, Co. Roscommon

   Informant

   Teresa Connolly

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   54

   Address

   Toomore, Co. Roscommon