School: Inch, Borris

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1. Local Schools

   

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   In the townland of Newtown there was a hedgeschool. It was there in the late art of the seventeenth century. The school was taught in an old thatched cowhouse. The seats they had there were stones. Each pupil when he was going in brought in a stone to sit on.

   The subjects he taught were Irish writing, Irish and Arithmetic. He taught all those subjects through Irish. The teacher was a local man and his name was Mr. Murphy. The teacher was not paid for his work, but he got presents at Christmas and Easter from the people for teaching their children.

   The pens they used were quills plucked from the geese and the ink was water coloured with soot. The master had no house of his own, but he was kept in a neighbouring house.

   Sometimes he would go around to the houses and teach a class each night and those houses were known as night schools. During the day each pupil in his turn would go and watch the soldiers and tell the others if they were coming near the school. There was a rock behind the school where they used to hide because the soldiers were trying to catch the master to kill him.

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   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

   Bridget Foley

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Gowlin, Co. Carlow

   Informant

   Owen Foley

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Gowlin, Co. Carlow