Going to school in Castlebar in 1922
By Tom Gillespie
IN the 1992 Castlebar Parish Magazine, retired De La Salle Brother Damian Brady recalled his school days in Castlebar, 70 years earlier.
Brother Damian was brother of Gretta Brady, Westport Road, Bridie Reynolds, Mountain View, Nan Lyons, Westport Road, Castlebar, and Aggie Griffin, Cork.
Brother Damian wrote: When my father married my mother in Castlebar it was the rule that members of the Royal Irish Constabulary were transferred to another location. He was transferred to Loughrea, Co. Galway.
Prior to his transfer he had his eye on the house in which my sister Bridie Reynolds, her husband John and son Cathal lived in Mountain View. It was his intention to buy the property when he retired.
When the house came up for auction he was the highest bidder. Later he had improvements carried out to the house.
My brother and I enrolled in the Brothers' School in 1922. We were introduced to the Head Brother, a Bro. Albeus. I was placed in junior infants and my brother Jerry was placed in first class.
The name of my teacher was Mr. Cassidy. My first brother teacher was Bro. Leo, who was killed in a motor accident on the Westport Road.
Bro Leo was a very holy man and on the stroke of the hour he would say: “Let us remember we are in the holy presence of God.” We bowed our heads for a few seconds and then carried on with the work.
Bro. Leo kept us on the move in the classroom and by the time the fire was lit he had the less fortunate lads seated near the fire and the well-headed on the outside.
The average contribution for the turf was 2/6 for the poorer lads and £1 for the better off.
A stove was the means of heating in second class and where the smoke blew from a certain direction we were smoked out and the classroom had to be vacated.
Prior to catechism time, Bro. Gabriel had the stove at full blast. He often lifted the lid and the flames shot out. “This is what Hell is like, so keep out of it,” he would warn. He was an elderly man and a genius at mending watches, clocks and Rosary beads.
We had John Hoban as teacher in third and fourth classes. He had a motto written over the blackboard: 'Be the matter what it may, always tell the truth'. He was a great teacher and it was he who sparked my love for music.
It was customary for the Brothers to return to Castlebar after the summer holidays on the Saturday before the opening of school in late August. We knew the time the train arrived so we took up vantage points to see if there were any new Brothers.
The gods be with us, Bro. Albeus failed to turn up and was replaced by Bro. Florence. He taught fifth and sixth classes in the one room, but when the going got tough he employed another teacher to take fifth class.
This teacher was Jimmy Deffley, better known as ‘Cargo’. He taught one way and Bro. Florence the other. Both were excellent teachers.
The Department of Education introduced rural science into the school curriculum. The Brothers' garden was divided into two and my helper was Mike McAlpine from Moneen, well-known to Castlebar people as a great character.
New altar boys were formally introduced through a form of baptism. After Benediction they were ducked under a tap in the sacristy and water was liberally poured over their heads.
The church organist at the time was Miss McDonnell and the choir consisted of one member, her brother, who was deaf.
Stephen Garvey succeeded Miss McDonnell. Stephen was a wonderful musician and had one of the leading dance bands in the country for many years. Indeed all the Garveys were great singers and musicians.
With the help of the late Fr. Gibbons we learned the Mass for the Dead.
Brian McCormack and I undertook the task of serving morning Mass at the Convent of Mercy church on alternative weeks.
I was not on friendly terms with the Kerry Blue owned by the sisters so I concealed an ash plant for protection. Surely it was the survival of the fittest.
We also went to outlying rural areas for country stations. Myself and Brian travelled with Fr. Geoffrey Prendergast, a great man who did a lot for Castlebar and Mayo. Fr. Geoffrey was tops. He always gave us 2/6, a great deal of money in those far-off days.
The altar boys and choir were taken on an excursion in Paddy Cusack’s charabanc. This was a long, open type of vehicle. Our first outing was to Enniscrone where we dined in a hall owned by a Mr. Kennedy.
I was one of the first boys to join the Boy Scouts. Bob Kilkelly was scoutmaster.
On one outing to Mulranny gale-force winds and rain levelled our tents but a kind lady with a lamp came to our assistance and put us up in a grain store. She was an aunt of Seamus Daly, Spencer Street, a great Mitchels and Mayo footballer.
The garda barracks was sited in Ellison Street in 1922 in a house later opened by James Chambers. Because of the troubled state of the nation, a curfew was in operation. But this did not deter my father from frequenting the Pioneer Hall, in Market Square, for a game of solo. The finals of big card games were played in the Courthouse.
I remember the military barracks being burned and pots and pans being thrown over a wall at Spencer Street.
When a member of the De La Salle Order visited Castlebar I sat for an interview and he was satisfied with my answers.
My date of departure was August 25, 1930. On Monday I was taken to William Irwin’s for my first long trousers.
On the day before I left for Castletown, Laois, my mother told me never to be lonely. I would find change but it would pass.
She said: “You will always have your home to come to but you must go away to test your vocation.”