School: Moyaugher (roll number 4523)

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1. Moyaugher National School (continued)

   

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   after the school was opened, some Protestant ladies from Athboy visited the school, heard the pupils read and questioned them on various subjects. One of them took out a copy of the New Testament, and giving it to one of the boys, asked him to read. He started, but on perceiving that he was reading what he believed to be the Protestant version of the Bible, he suddenly stopped, and much to the horror of the pious ladies, deliberately gave the book a kick and struck the ceiling with it saying "I'll take my religion from my own clergy, not from the likes of you."
   Hugh Newman, a man now 86 years of age told me an interesting story which shows the lengths to which those who forced the English language on the people were prepared to go to carry out their plans. When old Mr O'Hare was teacher of the school, the manager, who was also Lord Darnley's agent, called to the school one day. He told O'Hare that he was informed he had been instructing the pupils in Irish, contrary to the terms of his appointment, and asked the teacher if he had any Irish books in the school. O'Hare admitted that he had some. The manager insisted on his producing them, and then ordered him to bring them out to the yard in front of the school. Here he had them burned in view of the pupils and issued a grave warning to the teacher, that severe measures would be taken against him, if it was known that he ever taught Irish again in the school.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Mary Collins

   Gender

   Female

   Occupation

   Múinteoir