School: Gleann na gCoileach (roll number 1583)

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1. The Signum

   

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   The Signum

   Many years ago when schools were first built pupils were punished for speaking the Irish language. The old Glownaguillagh hedge school was built in the present playground and the teacher's name was the Ballán Bán. When he died a teacher whose name was Mac Hugh was appointed in the old crumbling school. His instructions were not to permit a word of Irish to be spoken in the school. The signum, or notched board was hunged around the neck of each pupil and each time the pupils spoke a word of Irish a notch was put on the board and then the pupil was punished. Irish was the spoken language of most of the people and the children knew very little English. Whatever English they did know was very bad and only a translation of the Irish. One day the teacher met one of his pupils and he was anxious to know where the boys father was and he asked him "Where is your father working to day my boy." The boy hardly understood him, but began to say in his mind in Irish. Cá bhfuil t-athair ag obair indhiú a bhuachaill. The boy repeated the answer in Irish a few times in his mind, but was afraid to say it out loud for fear he would be punished for talking Irish. What he would say if he were not afraid would be . Tá sé shíos ag bun an gáirdín ag piocadh

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Languages

   Irish

   English

   Collector

   Síghle Aherne

   Gender

   Female

   Informant

   M. Moriarty

   Age

   80

   Address

   Cromane, Co. Kerry