Hedge-School
Paddie Gallagher taught a hedge School which was in the village of Loughill, in the parish of Straide, Co; Mayo, about eighty years ago.
He was a very famous teacher. He taught all the subjects in Irish. His pupils used to write with slate-pencils on slates instead of pencils and jotters.
This school was held under a hedge. There were about 60 pupils going to this school. There was as much taught in it as in any National school, namely Irish and English reading, sums, and history. They spoke all Irish both master and pupils. They loved Irish.
The master was a native of Loughill. He had a house of his own and he went to the school from it. The pupils used to pay their fee once a week to the master which was sixpence or eight pence a week. The pupils used to buy their own books and make their own pens with quills. People have some of the old books stored up yet.
“INFORMANT: John Murphy, Age 50, Tawnagh More, Co. Mayo”