My childhood memories of prison school
“I am an octogenarian - 88years of age with my memory etc. now failing.”
At 2002 reunion seated 1 to r. Maisie, Bridie, Bridie, Chris and Tommy Kearns and Mae Lyons. Standing at rear Seamus Kearns. PRIZON SCHOOL REUNION 2014
I started my education in the “Old” school in Prizon - it was an old building and very basic. We had an open fire and the Dads brought a cart of turf on their turns to keep it going. When that ran out, we were told to bring a sod each. I went off to school with a sod under my arm - we had no carrier bags in those days. As I neared the school, the clever boys from New Prizon would take mine and break it in two or three pieces - they had further to walk than me and they wouldn’t carry a sod from home - no way! I was left in tears with just a clod to bring in after all my efforts and hard work.
Our Infant school teacher was Miss Glynn and she was a lovely lady - very quiet. She prepared us for our first holy Communion and I remember there was a drink and a biscuit afterwards in Conway’s in Balla.
We moved to the “New” school when I was 8 or 10 - it was a very exciting time and such a great improvement on the old building. We had a toilet (with a door) and hooks to hang our coats and a place to leave our things. Our Junior school teacher was very different to Miss Glynn - the cane and shouting and jumping up and down Oh dear. She could make things hard at times.
Nora Ruane
I have spoken to one of my younger brothers, Bernie, since I started writing this and what he can remember clearly of his days at Prizon school is the Junior teacher hitting her head on the ceiling after jumping on the floor! After a couple of days, she was back to her old ways - shouting and screaming and the cane flying.
My youngest sister, Lena - all she can remember is coming home from school with two stripes across her legs from the Junior teacher’s cane - not sure what led up to that punishment. When dignitaries came to visit - Canon Reidy, Fr. Canny or Guard Vaughan she could be a lovely lady - so very polished.
I had an older brother Paddy (RIP) leading the way for me - I did what he said - “never tell anything at home”. Once my Mum (RIP) was worried about Paddy and she went and spoke to the Junior teacher - she must have mentioned that “Paddy was nervous” - well, we never lived it down - “Paddy is nervous” on and on and on.
The Junior teacher was devoted to the Irish language. Our Maths tables, History, Geography and prayers - we learned the lot in Irish. We seldom - if ever - had an English lesson. She had a teacher from the Gaeltacht come for quite a while to help both her and us with the Irish.
Tommy and Gerry Kennedy and Con Lyons
My brother Tommie (RIP) was very reluctant to get ready to go to school in the mornings and it was often a struggle to get there on time, when my youngest brother Michael started - 10 years after me - it had improved, and he has far better memories and is very fond of our childhood home.
One time, one of my younger sisters, Bridie (RIP) wasn’t at school as she had a sore foot. The Junior teacher sent Guard Vaughan over to our house to investigate - my Mum called Bridie and of course, she came running - my poor Mum - she was mortified!
Mrs. Reilly (Beezie) (RIP) told me many times that she could hear the Junior teacher roaring at us and she was so worried - she thought she was killing one of us - and she lived about 150 yards from the school.
Once, for a homework assignment, I can remember going to see Tony Ansbro, our nearest neighbour with a pencil and paper trying to record the history of the area - the chimneys etc. He was a little reluctant to give me too much information as he thought the people that wanted this should come to him themselves. This was called “folklore” I think, and I understand that it is all now stored in the archives in Dublin.
When I was 13, I won a scholarship to the Convent in Balla - the Junior teacher was very proud of me then! I studied there for 5 years - although it was still primarily in Irish, we also had an English lesson.
My memories of my childhood education are sadly tinged with hardship - not many happy memories but we made our own fun and are here to tell the tale!