Education

Off to School!
This is a photograph Edward Phelan, on his way to school. This was taken in the 1940s.
Source: Con Phelan.

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Balleen School

Geoff Brennan told us that the school was built around 1840. He heard old people say that before that, there was a thatched school up near Balleen Castle, but he is not sure about this. Balleen School had one room, with two teachers at opposite ends of the room. The classes would go outside in fine weather. There was a stream flowing along one end of the playground. Beside the stream was a big tree. In sunny weather one of the teachers would take her class out under the tree. Some of the children came from three miles away. They walked through the fields. Their feet were always wet, winter or summer. Some children came in bare feet.

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Balleen School Attendance Blackboard
This is the attendence blackboard from Balleen School. The school was opened on the 1st of November 1832. It was closed in 1932, and was replaced by Clontubrid National School which was opened on 25th of April 1932. The school which closed in 1932 was not actually in Balleen. It was in the townland of Tenniscarthy. The name Balleen School probably means that the school which was openeed in 1832 was somewhere in the Balleen townland. The school must have moved to a new building in Tenniscarthy, sometime around the end of the last century.
Source: Kieran Costelloe.

Balleen School, 1924
The pupils in the photograph are: (from left to right) Molly McGree, Nellie Brennan, Mary Foley, Robert Slattery, Lizzie Brennan, Kathleen Fitzpatric, Julia McGree. Teachers: Mrs. Katie Dunne (nee Holland) Mrs. Hannah Maher (nee O'Connor).
Source: Geoff Brennan.

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Balleen School Photograph 1924

This photograph of the teachers and the senior pupils was taken in 1924. The children were dressed in their best clothes, the Diocesan Examiner, Fr. Hunt, was coming to examine them that day. As the photograph was being taken, the priest's car came up the road. Some of the pupils can be seen looking down the road at the car. Geoff Brennan thinks that the priest would probably have been driven by a hackney driver.

Balleen School Religious Report Book
The following page, from the Religious Report Book of Balleen School shows that Fr. Hunt's visit took place on May 26th, 1924.

Balleen School Photograph 1930
This was the year the school closed and it is probably the last photograph taken in the school.
Source: Geoff Brennan.

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Purdon's Party

Mick Grace, Rathbeagh and Geoff Brennan, Balleen remember that once a year, Doctor Purdon of Lodge Park gave a party for the children of Balleen School and later for the children of Clontubrid School. The party was usually some time before Christmas, perhaps around Thanksgiving. There would be presents for all the children. Some times the presents were hanging from the trees and each child picked one. Sometimes the presents were handed out through a window. Many of the children got dolls or toy cars. The children sat down in a cobbled yard for lemonade and cake. Then they were taken into the house where each child performed a party for the Purdon family. Meanwhile, the local Church of Ireland minister, Rev. Fowler, would meet the local priest Fr. Murphy and be taken into the house for a glass of whiskey.

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Leave of Absence Register

This page is an example from the Leave of Absence Register of Balleen School. The Register begins in 1911. The principal of the school at that time was Mr. Renehan. If the pupils left the school early they had to sign the Register, and give the reason why they were leaving school. In one example, Geoff Brennan and his brother John left the school early to drive cattle for their father. Geoff still remembers the day well.

They had to drive two heifers to Kilkenny. Their father took a horse and cart with them and the boys took turns sitting on the cart and driving the cattle. The most common excuse in the Book is "Fell in River". This was a stream called the Balleen River which flowed beside the small playground at the school. Children often fell into it when they were out playing. John Costelloe and Geoff Brennan also told us that they remember pupils jumping into the river on purpose to get off school.

Another excuse was "Gone to an entertainment". We do not know for sure what this meant. It could have been a circus in Freshford - but a circus wouldn't have been on at that time. It could have been a threshing . It could have been a "Purdon's Party" but Geoff Brennan says that if it was, all children would be gone.
Source: - The Leave of Absence Register, Balleen School.

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Balleen School Register

This page is from the Balleen School Register. The register was printed in 1872.

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Clone School

Clone School was a long building that had a teacher's residence. At one time, early in the last century it had about 200 pupils. The school closed down early in this century. Mick Grace thinks it closed about 1906. Gerry Bergin told us that his father and uncles went to school there. Also Betty Dunne has told us that her parents went there. Mick Grace said that his father went to school there and his grandfather taught there. Gerry can just remember Miss Emerson. She was the last woman to teach there. Jim Costigan and his sister Ann lived in the teacher's residence after the school closed. The building was knocked down about 1930. Betty Dunne told us that the stones were used to build Clontubrid School, Nicky Mackey still has the school clock!

Clontubrid N.S. Third and Fourth Classes, 1937

Source: Mick Grace.

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Lisdowney School

The old school in Lisdowney still stands in Kenny's field. It was built in 1829. Margaret Thornton remembers that when she was going to school there, there were three teachers, Miss Coughlan, (later Mrs Kenny), Mrs Maher and Miss Savage. There were 105 pupils. She walked through the fields to school. The teachers used a hazel stick for slapping. The pupils had only two copies, a sum copy and writing copy. The only heat in the school in winter was a turf fire. The pupils had to bring a sod of turf every day. They had ink pens, ink wells and blotting paper. They often ate turnips that they pulled on the way home from school.

School Books and Writing Set

The first book is an English reader for senior classes.

The second book is a book of Aesop's Fables translated into Irish with a second version of the Fables as they would be pronounced in Irish.
Source: Mary Walshe.

This set of writing materials is from about 100 years ago. The set includes ink bottles, an ink pen with a nib and some old pencils. They were all kept in the box.
Source: Lily Nolan.

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