We had many hedge schools in Ireland in the past. They were called hedge schools because they were generally situated at the back of a hedge.
There was one situated on the top of Smear hill beside "Aesops lane". It was a byre in which cows were kept where it was held as no other place was available. The seats were the manger and there were little stones for pencils. With these stones the children wrote on slates. For pens they would split quills and write with them.
The children had pins in their coats to count with. Before school time the cows were let out and the byre was cleaned.
The man who taught in the school was called Mc. Caffrey from Granard. This man would go each evening with