"…….Dillonstown School had no central heating in the 1960's. There were coal stoves. The big boys had to light these coal fires every morning . The school would be very cold on a frosty morning. By afternoon it would be nice and warm especially when Master Boylan opened the glass stove doors……….."

"………My mother’s favourite memory of school was knitting her first teddy. She knitted him in red wool and sewed him together with help from the teacher………"

"…………My mother’s favourite school memory was when they used to go way up the back of the school and pull up lots of long grass and build grass houses. They would use the ditch as the wall but the rest of the house was made from grass. If you did not like someone you would not let them into your house………."

Mark Dunne

"………My father’s favourite memory is marching from Willistown, the old school to Dillonstown, the new school on the opening day because it was very exciting and also like a new beginning………."

Rory O’ Neill

"……..My mother went to Mrs. Maguire. She used to sew with them. My mother made her first nightdress with her ……."

Nadine Cleary

".......On facing the school the shelter to the right was the boys and the one to the left was the girls, strictly. They never mixed and if the boys ball went onto their playground the girls could not pass it back……."

Johnny O’ Neill

"……….In sixth class each one of us used to be allowed out of class to cut the lawns and prune the roses by the headmaster Mr.Boylan…….."

Martin Young

Standing L & R : James Corrigan and Thomas Callan
Back Row Peter Sharkey, John English, Willie Stephens, Paddy Stephens, John Caffrey, Jim Sharkey, Tony Caffrey.
Middle Row Peter Matthews, Jim Lynch, Hugh Corrigan, Jack O'Neill, Paddy Caffrey, Brian Sharkey, Kevin Callan.
Front Row Charlie Fay, Joe Callan, Benny Rue.

"My favourite memories of my primary school days at Dillonstown School would be Christmas time . .....We all looked forward to the arrival of Santa and we would discuss in class what we all had asked for . I remember Mrs . Maguire telling us how Santa would watch us from the " Big Press" in the classroom ......We believed every word she told us, as if it were gospel, she would tell us stories of how "he" could see "every move we made" at home or at school. Therefore, we were to be on our best behaviour..... The day we got our holidays she would tell us that she knew for sure Santa would come to each and every one of us.....that made our day!......."

Regina McGee

George, Dolores and Desmond Rogers
Dillonstown School 1972

".........I still remember my first day at school. I was barely four years old but I had pestered my mother into letting me start as I missed my older brother who had started the previous year. It was a few weeks before the summer holidays and I wore a blue dress with two pockets on the front of the dress. Mrs Maguire was the infant teacher and I can remember that she put a penny in each pocket and I thought that school was a great place altogether ! ........There were three classrooms and around eighty pupils. The Principal was Mr. Seamus Boylan and Mrs. Róisín Maguire also taught there during my time . The third room was staffed by various teachers who came and went during the duration of my schooldays. Mr. Boylan was very keen on gardening and he taught his pupils a lot about the subject and gave them plenty of practical experience as well! There were two large well kept lawns at the front of the school and a beautiful rose bed directly in front of the school. The pupils were not allowed walk or play on the front lawns and during the summer holidays, the boys and girls from fifth and sixth class had a rota for lawn cutting and weeding duties......... Boys from our school along with the other schools in the parish won the school league under the management of Fr. Paddy Kennedy who was a curate in Dillonstown during the sixties. This team included Mick Fairclough who went on to play first division football with Huddersfield in the seventies. The most famous sporting pupil that attended our school was Noel Carroll who went on to win a medal for Ireland at the Olympics......... ......My grandmother and mother attended Willistown School and I am delighted that my own five children have had the opportunity to keep up the family tradition by attending Dillonstown School......."

Bernadette Shevlin