School: Castlepollard Boys (roll number 5513)

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1. Hedge-Schools

   

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   Little is known about hedge schools in this area. About eighty years ago a Paddy Kelly of Green St. taught in a barn at night time. The people sat on the clay floor, on flat stones or stood while working. They used rough slates and slate pencils or "cutters". The subjects taught were reading, writing, and arithmetic. No Irish was spoken although the master when in a temper burst into the native tongue. The text book used was one called "Reading made easy" and usually pronounced "Reeda may daisy". There was a spelling book also. Bernard Dalton, Packenham Hall St, (Aged 82)

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   Topics

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

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Bernard Dalton

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   82

   Address

   Castlepollard, Co. Westmeath

2. Hedge-Schools

   

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   There was a hedge school beside Gallagher's Mills at Gilbertstown and at the back of Wade's house. There is no trace of the place where he taught. The teacher's name was Flynn but even the oldest person has little information on the subject.

   A man named Simon Bacon taught in a barn at Milltown. He was a native of the area and was afterwards the schoolmaster in the national school at Milltown. This was situate at Milltown X Roads but there is now no trace of the building. The teacher's son , a man now over 70 years of age, Tom Bacon went to school there.

   There is supposed to have been a school at Grangestown and inhabitants of Kiltoom tell how their grandfathers went to school there. It was run by a teacher named Flood but little else is known

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit