School: St Mary's, Bridge-End

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1. Old Schools

   

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   Old schools existed in this district long ago. Hedge-schools was the local name given to them.
   Where were these schools.
   I have heard that there was once a hedge-school ar Aileach. At first these hedge-schools used to be in a little hole in the hedge and that is how they were called the name "Hedge-schools". There in that little hole the teacher taught his pupils, in the midst of the cold and wet winter. The teacher did not give up teaching because of the coldness but, he suffered on. Then they got up a step and they used to teach in old barns. They taught in these barns for some length of time. Then they rose up still higher and people took them into their homes. When a an would hear that a teacher had come to the district he would go out at once and search for him. When he would find him he would ask the teacher to teach his children. This the teacher would do and the man would take the teacher with him to his own home.
   School was carried on in farmer's houses and the teacher would lodge in the houses while they were teaching in the district.
   How were the teacher's paid.
   The people used to keep the teachers and they gave them a present an odd time according as the people could afford it.

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. buildings
            1. schools (~4,094)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Rita Quinn

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Aileach, Co. Donegal