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Post by rose5mcdonaghtce on Oct 9, 2008 23:43:54 GMT
Hi Rose yes i remember Miss Flanagan very well, and to this day still rem my hand after she slapped me, it was dreadful, my hand was so swollen , and to think she got away with it, back then. She gave a girl a very severe beating one morning and while it went on we all sat there no one thought to run for help but then again she was the teacher. That afternoon I remember Father Brophy and a large number of angry mothers outside the classroom, was one of the huts facing Ceannt. She did not remain long after that. Have to say though, I had Miss O'Brien in 2nd and 3rd and Mrs Lawlor (Peggy) in 4th 5th and 6th they took no nonsense poor Miss O'Brien would give you a slap with the stick barely brush your hand but hop it on her own leg, her arthritis effected her aim, but boy could she thump. Peggy Lawlor very rarely slapped, but when she did you knew all about it. Still no bad memories of these ladies they certainly were'nt the worst.
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Post by rose5mcdonaghtce on Oct 10, 2008 0:14:27 GMT
60's Pressies brought home from Congo: Tribal masks, Bracelets, A real pineapple, dolls bought this side. Watches also bought this side. Pressies brought home from Cyprus: Pencil cases with map of cyprus (everyone one had one) Dressing gown with map of cyprus (everyone one had one) Coffee sets with map of Cyprus (every home had one) still have the one my Da brought home 41 years old now. Cyprus dolls China Faces not worth a curse you could not brush or cut her hair as it was glued to her head all over. Watches, bracelets, fancy slides, transistor radios, silver smoking sets i.e. tray for fags, lighter, tray for matches and ask tray all in one with GUESS! MAP OF CYPRUS Bottles of OUZO no map of Cyprus, but probably seeing all sorts after a few glasses. Going to the house of whoever had been overseas to get a small pressie and the customary bottle of Mahons Red Lemonade and partake in the 1lb of mixed biscuits bought in honour of the occasion. If it was your Da coming home the half day off school.
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Post by Kentgal on Oct 10, 2008 0:19:28 GMT
Hi Rose yes i remember Miss Flanagan very well, and to this day still rem my hand after she slapped me, it was dreadful, my hand was so swollen , and to think she got away with it, back then. She gave a girl a very severe beating one morning and while it went on we all sat there no one thought to run for help but then again she was the teacher. That afternoon I remember Father Brophy and a large number of angry mothers outside the classroom, was one of the huts facing Ceannt. She did not remain long after that. Have to say though, I had Miss O'Brien in 2nd and 3rd and Mrs Lawlor (Peggy) in 4th 5th and 6th they took no nonsense poor Miss O'Brien would give you a slap with the stick barely brush your hand but hop it on her own leg, her arthritis effected her aim, but boy could she thump. Peggy Lawlor very rarely slapped, but when she did you knew all about it. Still no bad memories of these ladies they certainly were'nt the worst. THEY WERE!!!! Speaking from a relative position and Professional prospective Mrs Lawlor especially was not fit for practice.
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Post by magi on Oct 10, 2008 18:34:47 GMT
Mrs Lawor, was my teacher in 5th & 6th class and i only have bad memories.
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Post by rose5mcdonaghtce on Oct 10, 2008 19:12:11 GMT
Hi Kentgal,
Have to say that after being with Miss Flanagan, Miss O'Brien and Peggy Lawlor were like a breath of fresh air. Although I did not relish the odd thump and the kane now and again, at least I did not sit in mortal fear that I would be brought up to the desk and punished for absolutely no reason other than I was there. Was any teacher or anyone involved in education really fit for practice. No remedial teachers then. Dyslexia never heard of. Children who found it difficult to keep up just left, a lot of children left primary school with very poor literacy skills. Children who were left handed forced to use their right hands. Little or no communication between teachers and parents, if a child stayed back a year the decision was made by either teacher or parent in most cases without the two ever meeting. Everything learned parrot fashion. Religion most important subject, kids who did not know their alphabet knew the ten commandments the angelus etc., The shame if your Mam or Dad appeared at the school "dead trouble" most likely would have nothing to do with your progress. If they made enquiries re: punishments your life only got worse after they went, so you kept your mouth shut and put up, at least that's what I did during my time with a woman who should not have been allowed within a mile of a child. If a teacher beat up a child now like she did on that horrible day, they would most likely be looking at a goal sentence.
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Post by Aisling on Oct 10, 2008 20:10:31 GMT
Hiya everyone,
Reading the postings about the teachers brought back some memories. Although I don't know the teachers you are talking about. Does anyone remember Mrs. Cox that used to teach in the girls school. I was there from 1979 I think to 1988, Mrs. Cox used to teach high infants, when I was there, don't know exactly when she left. I had her for two years coz I stayed back a year. And I meet her about a year ago and went over and stopped her, after I told her my name, I was amazed that she remembered me after 26 years. Which was lovely. Anita, know there is a couple of years between us, but would say you remember her.
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Post by rose5mcdonaghtce on Oct 10, 2008 20:41:16 GMT
Just wondering who was the caretaker in the boys school, Mrs. Loakman looked after the girls school in my day she moved up to the new school with us , Mrs. Heffernan (Essie r.i.p) McDonagh took over after she retired. Mrs. Loakman always had her navy berry on and her navy wrap around apron. Was Mrs. Cox a tall woman with short dark hair, think she may have arrived around the time I finished 6th class'68.
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Post by rose5mcdonaghtce on Oct 10, 2008 21:19:47 GMT
Going to the baths, girls 3.30 to-day boys 6.00 to-morrow boys 3.30 girls 6.00. Back to school for 1.30 string bag in your hand, towel knickers, vest and bathing cap tucked neatly inside, togs on under your dress. 3.30 the bell rings massive exodus to the baths, wait outside folding door, looking inside to see who is on. Could be Pete Madden, Maxi Hannigan or Mr. Gilman. Doors open big rush inside over to dressing rooms, struggle to get the bathing cap on, rubber catching in your hair quite painful. Grab a slide on the wet tiles, if caught whistle blown in your direction sometimes told if you are caught doing it again your father will be up on a charge. Into the water great fun for an hour which seems like ten minutes no rest for Pete or whoever is on, constantly blowing on the whistle trying to keep law and order in the pool. Whistle blown out of the water back in again, keep an eye to see what direction he is looking in, and if not in your direction in again. Into the dressing room crippled trying to get dressed and keep your modesty covered at the same time. 5.45 An army of Arabs heading towards baths, towels on heads with swimming trunks on top.
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Post by rose5mcdonaghtce on Oct 10, 2008 21:50:23 GMT
Going to the baths, girls 3.30 to-day boys 6.00 to-morrow boys 3.30 girls 6.00. Back to school for 1.30 string bag in your hand, towel knickers, vest and bathing cap tucked neatly inside, togs on under your dress. 3.30 the bell rings massive exodus to the baths, wait outside folding door, looking inside to see who is on. Could be Pete Madden, Maxi Hannigan or Mr. Gilman. Doors open big rush inside over to dressing rooms, struggle to get the bathing cap on, rubber catching in your hair quite painful. Grab a slide on the wet tiles, if caught whistle blown in your direction sometimes told if you are caught doing it again your father will be up on a charge. Into the water great fun for an hour which seems like ten minutes no rest for Pete or whoever is on, constantly blowing on the whistle trying to keep law and order in the pool. Whistle blown out of the water back in again, keep an eye to see what direction he is looking in, and if not in your direction in again. Into the dressing room crippled trying to get dressed and keep your modesty covered at the same time. 5.45 An army of Arabs heading towards baths, towels on heads with swimming trunks on top. GAMES THE GIRLS PLAYED ON THE BLOCKS: All in together Girls Skipping. Ball two played against the wall Elastics Hop Scotch Queenie I Oh Red Rover A tasket a Tasket Statues Marbles School Hospital House Shop Chasing Hide and seek Ring of Roses Roman Soldiers London Bridge Some of the rhymes we chanted while we played: Pretty Polly. Gypsy Gypsy Caroline.Billy Boland. 1 2 3 O'Leary. A Packet of Rinso. Salt, Pepper, Mustard, Vinegar. All in together girls this fine weather girls when I count to twenty the rope must be empty. Mrs. ink fell down the sink. Red Rover Red Rover we call so and so over. Not forgetting the odd concert we put on for one another.
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Post by magi on Oct 10, 2008 23:19:25 GMT
My worst school memory is of Mrs Collins, giving me a back hander into the side of the head she hit me so hard I fell over the desk in front when I got back on my feet she continued to slap me round the face. My crime was to draw a picture in the dust on her car
On a more positive note Mrs McCormack was a fantastic teacher I had her in 4th & 5th
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Post by rose5mcdonaghtce on Oct 11, 2008 0:07:10 GMT
Did not have Mrs McCormack as my teacher, but as Mrs Lawlor was not musical she took my class for singing, she was always in good form and pleasant. As bad as it was for the girls the boys seemed to have it a lot worse judging from some of the posts on the forum.
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Post by rose5mcdonaghtce on Oct 11, 2008 0:26:12 GMT
Anyone remember Miss Millar or Miss Reynolds had Miss Reynolds in Babies (junior infants) remember lamh lamh eile a haon a do, your clairin dubh agus cailc. Dragging a bag to school with huge hard backed OES copies, army pencils that turned blue when you put them in your mouth (talk about lead poisioning) they were great for playing hospital, if you sucked at it enough you could get enough dye to apply to your patient so that it looked like genteen violet. Hospital mostly played down on the bank at McDonagh on the beds. Hospital ash bins located near the Morgue, Dead House to us then, gather up any used bandages, cotton wool, broken thermometers that did not make it into the ash bin, all to be applied to patients. Nobody got sick or appeared to have any ill affects from playing with hospital waste. What were we like!!
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Post by Kentgal on Oct 11, 2008 0:29:36 GMT
Hi Rose My comments are not about Special Ed Needs, and you are correct that there was no remedial input - no different than the rest of Ireland at that time. Also I too had first hand knowledge of the children who were left at the back of the class and never taught......not entirely due to IQ, some were medical and social needs. I myself ended up sitting in Mrs Collins class for 4 years having been made skip classes all through primary, then being too young to be accepted at the secondary.... Made me do my 'primary cert' at 8 years old just because I was sitting in the class and they didn't know what else to do with me. Told mother it was just for practice!!. Then got a shock when I passed and wasn't allowed do it again when my own age group arrived.!!! And I sat and sat ..........and looked on. I could critize Mrs Collins for being a bully too as physical punishments and bullying appeared the norm at that time. However there was a culture among 'some' teachers (at that time) particularily wives of officers who were socially judgmental in respect of soldiers rank. (The left hand side of the church is a good example...and THE CHURCH ALLOWED IT!!!!. Mrs Lawlor would be on the Child Protection Register and even in jail today for her tatics. Two name but two in addition to her other crimes she deliberately locked one girl into the classroom at dinner times for a whole week while she went home to Newbridge for her own lunch. Take one of the many days we were given six leather hand straps for talking in class while she went to the loo, 'the daughter of the CO' and two others who's fathers were officers were excused. With hindsight her parents probably paid for her Teacher training, she not being bright enough to achieve it on her own merits. Even then I'm sure the basic TT modules covered respectful communication and sociology which she (like some others) no doubt missed out on.
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Post by rose5mcdonaghtce on Oct 11, 2008 2:07:44 GMT
Hi Kentgal,
Have to say my memory of Peggy Lawlor is not that bad, I enjoy reading and I have to say she was the only teacher I met in primary who encouraged us to actually read a book as opposed to the comics of the day. Don't remember getting that many slaps either, the ones I did get I do remember, and if you held back she added to the number. She did not have a strap while I was with her it was a bamboo cane which she kept in the press, it was not constantly on the desk. She did the usual chant " taught your sister for three years and she would not hand up work like that etc.," when I know for a fact that my sister and her classmates drove her crazy, quite a few rebels in that group. Agree with you entirely on the subject of rank and children of soldiers being seen as second class citizens. However I must add after primary I headed of to Newbridge to the Holy Family Secondary School, now you can talk about the social divide there was in the Camp but even Officers daughters were not exempt at the convent. The level of your intelligence was based on the size of the business your father owned. Fact you really were'nt wanted there. A lot of the girls in my year, not my class as this was broken into two sections A and Alpha 1A for the toffs and 1Alpha for the plebs as they saw us. There was one officers daughter who started out with me she was in my group. The daughters of the so called gentry looked down their noses at us. Coming near exam time being told by one nun in particular that she had never failed an exam and she did not know how we were going to cope when we did. Now thats what I call encouragement, now it was not just the girls from the Curragh who were treated like this, it applied to all girls whose daddies did not wear a suit to work or run his own business. Two girls in my class who read with great difficulty and their writing skills were so poor as to be nearly non-existent left at the back of the class again, both got themselves an education after they finished secondary and are doing quite well, no thanks to the nuns. One of the well-heeled girls (we were better dressed, had our books on time, brought in money straight away for activities) asked me how I lived in the Camp all those red bricked buildings must be very depressing speaking about it like it was a slum (one of the ladies who used to cycle in on their bicycles to the eight oclock sessions in the baths with their gear in the basket on the handlebars looking down their noses as they passed, cheek, anyway I digress, informed her that without the depressing Camp and the money it generated around Newbridge they all might not be doing so well. The plebs did as well in their exams as the well-heeled. I had two daughters and did not enroll them in that particular school as every day I was there I cannot describe how much I hated it. Had two teachers there who encouraged learning and worked with girls who struggled who knew confidence building was the key to success with young people, unlike one teacher who informed the class on a regular basis that we did,nt have the intelligence of a chicken between us.
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Post by magi on Oct 11, 2008 10:47:48 GMT
I can remember Peggy lawlor locking a girl in the class room during play time, when the girls mother discovered what had been done she march up the play ground knocked on class room window and told her to get her belongings and climb out of the window, when Peggy returned from her break and discovered what had happened the look on her face was priceless.
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