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Post by Guest on Jul 31, 2011 17:20:14 GMT
Hey all, just came upon this fantastic site in the past week. Congratulations and well done to all concerned. I attended the girls school from 1964 till 1972. The teachers were Mrs Collins Miss O'Brien Mrs Roley Mrs Kavanagh Mrs Kempton
I have spent the past few days wracking my brain and searching the old grey matter for my classmates and have come up with the following list. Apologies for any omissions or incorrect names. Please feel free to add or delete from the list.
Helena Barry Bridget Brennan Patricia Brennan Urusula Brennan Isabel Burns Brid Cadogan Deirdre Cahill Deirdre Dempsey Niamh Dempsey Geraldine Duhig Ann Farrell Margaret Gough Margaret Hanley Philomena Hughes Sheila Jenkins Anne Lee Patsy Mackey Mary McCormack Veronica McDonald Bernadette McGrath Olive McNamara Rita McNamee Elizabeth Moran Patricia Poole Margaret Price Theresa Quinn Maria Rainbow Anne Ryan Mary Ryan Maria Rowley Jennifer Stacey Tina Sheridan Vickey Wellar
Some of the highlights were taking part in the Corfheile once in Miss O'Briens class when we did a routine involving a cobbler, if memory serves me right, Olive Mac had the part of the cobbler. Another song involved fans and we had all the women whose husbands had returned from Cyprus dammed for the loan of a fan. We didn't have much luck and had to make do with fans made from wallpaper instead. The second Corfheile we participated in was in Mrs Kempton's class where we did a play about the 1798 rising, we had to learn the Croppy boy for that one and am happy to say I remember nearly all the words to this day. Mrs Kavanagh had us build a scale model of the Curragh Every building standing in the Curragh at that time was lovingly made by the class, girls taking responsibility for their own Barracks. I think it was on display in the school for a number of years.
Maybe others from the class can add their own memories. Again sorry if I've left anyone out.
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Post by maryfarrell6 on Aug 5, 2011 17:31:08 GMT
Hi Guest, Lovely to read your post you did really well remembering all the girls names from your class. My younger sister Ann Farrell,(Curly, from Pearse) was one you mentioned along with all her friends she used to hang around with. Maybe if you leave your name(I'll be able to let her know and then some of those girls will reply to you to as well if they know who you are! Your memory of the Corfheiles and the croppy boy were lovely I'm sure you have more to add to that so don't be shy we'd all love to hear. I think I remember Ann making something for that model wonder what ever happened it? or if its still in the school? MaryF
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Post by rose5mcdonaghtce on Aug 26, 2011 23:39:45 GMT
Hi All,
By the end of next week, all the chisslers will be back in school, was on the town to-day and the busiest shops were those selling school books. My eldest grandaughter started secondary yesterday (I must be getting really old), not a bother on her, the other lady is back to 4th class on Monday and while not a big fan of school, she says she is kind of looking forward to it.
Well when I was returning to the Girls National School, Curragh Camp, after the summer holidays, a deep depression would descend on the Monday of the last week. The Ma would be busy getting us ready, not out buying Adidas school bags or uniforms, she would be clicking away on the needles knitting the jumpers and cardigans, up to Kennedys for the tricel skirt, and two chipmonk blouses, the school bag from last year would be redeemed with the same horrible smell inside. Off to Newbridge for the shoes, me begging all the way there for a pair of black patent louie heeled shoes, would as ever return with the brown clarks with the strap, I had to wait until my confirmation for a pair of them. The Da would be busy taking the brown paper covers off the books Paddy Dillon had covered the previous year for Pat (rest in peace), who always coloured in all the o's, which got me into trouble now and again with Teacher. On the first day back the teacher would appear to have some human qualities, busy with book and copy sales, by the end of the week you would be in no doubt about the cut of their hatchet.
I suppose the kids are looking forward to meeting up with pals again that they won't have seen through the summer holidays, that was'nt a problem for us, we had the freedom and did'nt need lifts and chaperones to see one another.
It was a long school year, we got no mid term breaks, think about it we did the whole month of September and October without a break, All Souls Day, the Annunciation in December, half day for the party, XMas hols, Paddy's day, Easter Hols, Whit week-end the Monday only, and then summer hols. The highlight of every fourth Friday was missing Irish to go to confessions for Sodality on the Saturday morning.
Getting a day off to be brought to the clinic because your mother thought you were dying (and she would have to think you were dying to go to see the Doc) was worse than a day at school, because you usually ended up getting a needle. A morning off for the dentist I won't even go there.
Rose.
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Post by kathyo on Aug 27, 2011 8:03:17 GMT
Hi Rose I must admit i hated school but wasn't life less complicated back then we didn't have the peer pressure to have our hair a certain way or have the best of clothes and shoes,we were all dressed the same My poor mam (rip) worked so hard knitting and sawing for nine of us and the da trying to mend the shoes Anne beck done a good trade before we went back to school.I think she dressed must of the camp.Looking back it must have been a very stressful time for our parents . take care rose all the best kathyo
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Post by rose5mcdonaghtce on Aug 27, 2011 15:04:06 GMT
Hi Kaytho,
Hope you are keeping well, was talking to Kathleen O'Neill last Saturday night, it was a special birthday for Helen this year, a great party was had, she sends you her regards.
I suppose it was a stressful time for our parents, trying to get everyone kitted out for school, and as you say we were all the same, could not see the kids of today head back with ammunition bags for school bags and clothes handed down from one to the other. I suppose once they got us back and settled that was it, don't remember looking for money every day for different day trips, or trying to raise funds for the school. 2d or 3d for a copy now and again was the most I remember asking for during the school year, now every day its requests for money to keep the school going, and extremely expensive to get them sorted with books and uniforms, they change the books every five minutes here so no getting second hand now. We did'nt need a wheelbarrow either to carry them to and from the school.
Rose.
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Post by andybrennan on Aug 28, 2011 7:36:26 GMT
Hi Rose / Kathyo
I was not in the class of the above years, but the sentiments aired are or were no different. The second hand books were always welcome, how some lads kept them as new beats me, mine were well thumbed , scribbled on and chewed to bits not a corner in sight, they resembled round books and could never be sold on. The ritual was the same when it came to time for covering the books.. Up to Collins for a lash of brown paper which came from a huge roll, home where the paper was laid out , designs and cuttings for the books made so as to have the least waste. The thick books were a bit harder to cover, the bind needed a little cut left and right of the bind and this was tucked into the bind bottom and top, the rest of the cover neatly done with some fancy creasing inside. The Ruler and pens then used to carefully write the names on the cover. The books and copies then piled on each other and held down by a weight till the covers settled. After all that a week or so later the books would start to be chewed for various reasons, a wad of paper well chewed and flung from a wooden ruler was a good pass time as were little rolls and folds of paper fired from an elastic band, not to mention the chewing out of boredom, so the books were not only educational but mini weapons and some thing to chew while waiting for a gobstopper. The smell of the books that were new still lingers to this day, and the New Catechism with all the fine pictures in colour. The only money I remember needing was for , a new nib, (also great weapons), new copies either sum copy or writing one, blotting paper, or boo boo. The teachers press apart from housing all those fine instruments for inflicting pain , were like mini shops
Andy
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Post by rose5mcdonaghtce on Aug 28, 2011 9:43:23 GMT
Good Morning Andy,
A lovely morning it is too, I was'nt in this particular class either, just posted here the memory of the dreaded first Monday in September, it was'nt good returning after seasonal breaks, but after the long summer holidays and facing into a new teacher, (the divil you know is often better than the divil you don'nt know) was the pitts. The smell of the new books soon took on the smell from the school bag/case, whether they were brand new or not they soon took on the whiff of the school, which smelled of damp coats, amonia from the jacks, dusty and airless even though they were cleaned daily. I did enjoy rubbing my pen through my hair and picking up little bits of paper with the static, thought we were magicians.
We got no half days the first week, teachers did'nt have In Service Days, parent/teacher meetings, babies got no concessions either, you started and did the day until 2.30 and that was it, when the bell went they all walked out of the class, same as the rest of the kids, no coralling them in one room until all were accounted for and collected, we brought no notes home from teacher about anything, you were his/her business during school hours and that was that, if you were struggling with lessons, tough, no communication about that either, really when you think about it, school was a place where you were on your own. Parents did appear now and then, but usually the way JJ describes, and then only because they saw a mark, not necessarily because a child said they were having a hard time.
I must say I sound very negative about what are supposed to have been the happiest days of my life, as my mother used to tell me, when trying to take the long face off me and get a bit of co-operation, while trying to plait my hair as I moved my head from side to side, deliberately, after having every disease known to man, and a few more I had made up myself, to try and wrangle a day off.
Rose.
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Post by andybrennan on Aug 28, 2011 11:09:52 GMT
The top of the morning back Rose.
Mention of the bell, now that brings back a very painful memory to me.
I was in a class up stairs the teacher shall remain nameless.
The bell used to be rung twice in the afternoon and wasn't this gob sh..e day dreaming and hearing the bell grabbed me mála and headed for the door to be followed by a bellowing crimson faced mad looking yoke, who up ended me with a left hook and I sailed down those concrete stairs, I was in the twilight zone, he dragged me back upstairs where he grabbed me around the throat lifting me from the floor and shaking me like a rag doll all the time screaming at me, who do you think you are etc, after a thorough trashing I was dumped like a lump of sh..e in the corner.
Jays us if one had a kidney problem that man could fix it in a flash pee for Ireland one could and did
God, but that man had an anger management problem.
I also remember DE mammy on about school being the best years of my life, in later years I tried to persuade her to return to school she never fell for it.
The smell of the damp coats another aroma that has followed me through life
I did enjoy the tech though, different breed of teacher there.
The Flute Flynn what a quite man among others, in contrast to some of those in Primary School..
Andy
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Post by rose5mcdonaghtce on Aug 28, 2011 17:22:55 GMT
Hi Andy,
I had one very happy year in school and that was in the tech, your right a different breed of teacher, saw you as another person and not a punch bag. Dreary miserable days spent in primary, most of us educating ourselves in later years, too much time spent on dishing out punishment instead of knowledge.
Rose.
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Post by jjcurran on Aug 28, 2011 19:34:17 GMT
Hi all. I was in the school in the 50s but your posts puts me in mind of one such occasion which typifies the regime under which we suffered. My father had just finished wallpapering the front room with a cream paper which had a lovely white flower embossed on it and as he had a roll of paper left over he decided to cover my new school books with it. I thought they looked grand. Well I was sitting close to the front of the class when the head teacher came and announced that we all had to purchase from him a missal (Latin mass prayer book) . He was just leaving when he noticed my richly covered school book. He immediately went into a rant as if I had committed a crime of the most unholy nature and demanded that I tear off all my covers and told me to come to his class the next day with my books covered in brown paper. Well the story gets worse. I had an uncle serving with the RAF in Jordan who sent us a beautiful missal which had wooden covers engraved with ornate carvings. It was like a mini book of kells. Guess what, the head teacher decreed that it was not suitable and I would have to buy one of his ones. I remember remarking that the ones he sold had plain black covers and the pages were like tissue paper. Nibs and blotting paper also had to be purchased from him as he decreed that they were the only ones suitable. We were a nation with a slave mentality. It is hard to credit that we put up with this ‘iron fist’ regime for so long. I recall an occasion when we were playing with a football in the school yard and the ball went into the girls section. The procedure was such that we had to go to the head teacher and ask permission to enter the girls section of the playground to retrieve the ball. The head teacher sent one of the senior boys down stairs to ‘oversee’ the retrieval, after first reading the riot act to us and threatening to confiscate the ball if it went into the girls section again. There must have been some good days in school, I just can’t think of any at the moment. Regards JJ
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Post by andybrennan on Aug 28, 2011 22:20:25 GMT
Rose
That is exactly when I enjoyed my first year at school in the Tech, oops I lie there are two others that stand out from primary school
in babies or infants with Miss or Mrs O'Brien and also my time with Miss Flanagan both stand out in my memory as civilized kind people,I think Miss Flanagan married Mr Costello.
I also enjoyed my time back in the Tech with the Army Class's
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Post by andybrennan on Aug 28, 2011 22:24:46 GMT
Hi J.J.
I also remember using the wall paper, I thought it was grand unlike the powers that be or were.
As the old saying goes
There are only 3 ways, for anything The right way The wrong way and their way
Andy
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Post by rose5mcdonaghtce on Aug 28, 2011 23:19:02 GMT
Hi Andy,
I had Miss Reynolds in babies and she was quite nice, Mrs Rowley was alright too. The school tour I suppose was a good day.
Have to say while in secondary in Newbridge, while I was'nt getting thumped, slapped or scalped I hated it even more than primary school. The secretarial course in the tech was fab, had a brilliant time and still all the class got their exams at the end of the year.
We did'nt have it easy in the girls school, but life seemed even harder in the boys, having no brothers I was'nt aware how bad it was until the posts here on the forum.
Rose.
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Post by maurakearney on Aug 29, 2011 13:39:32 GMT
Hi Andy I also loved the Teck great memories and all good. Maura Kearney
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Post by rose5mcdonaghtce on Aug 29, 2011 16:06:44 GMT
Hi All,
This morning at Educate Together School on the Green Road, there were balloons and banners of welcome back to school for the kids, teachers all smiles and welcoming, could you picture that scene in the yard of the old school, more like Welcome to the Back of my Hand and I'll soon burst your bubble.
Mons class were a lot braver than most, Peggy Lawlor had them for three years and always reminded us they were the worst class she had ever come across, might I add there was a Miss Carmel Kearney from Pearse in the class. I can remember them in the toilets up against the big radiator singing the latest hits from the Musical Express which had the words of the top ten, I was in third class at the time and thought they were so cool, they never went out to the yard at sus and Mrs Collins did'nt seem to have the same control over them she had on every other class.
Rose.
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