Irish School Memories
© Tony Fallon.2017
My memories are not
the best of days in Irish schools
With teachers breathing down your neck and archaic rules
I didn’t need rods or leathers to increase my dedication
I wanted teachers to give everyone a decent education
Simple explanations were sufficient not the rhetoric of preachers
I think the parish priest was afraid of National School teachers
I pitied children who dared to come in late or unprepared
For them, there was no mercy and the rod wasn’t spared
That child may just have seen a little rabbit or some other surprise
Instead of sharing it with others they were severely criticized
Anything happening outside school hours was not for sharing
And you were definitely going to hell if you were caught swearing.
In the National School, very few left without the hands getting hurt
And you couldn’t leave the National School before the Primary Cert
In The Brothers, you had better know all your prayers
Or there would be ear wringing or pulling of the hairs
If they had debating teams that the only time you could talk
Or when you solved problems on the blackboard with chalk.
Many a time I got yelled at for not knowing my Latin
A lot of good it does me now that I’m living in Manhattan
We didn’t have as many rights as a prisoner in Mountjoy jail
At least a prisoner had his sentence shortened or got out on bail
With teachers breathing down your neck and archaic rules
I didn’t need rods or leathers to increase my dedication
I wanted teachers to give everyone a decent education
Simple explanations were sufficient not the rhetoric of preachers
I think the parish priest was afraid of National School teachers
I pitied children who dared to come in late or unprepared
For them, there was no mercy and the rod wasn’t spared
That child may just have seen a little rabbit or some other surprise
Instead of sharing it with others they were severely criticized
Anything happening outside school hours was not for sharing
And you were definitely going to hell if you were caught swearing.
In the National School, very few left without the hands getting hurt
And you couldn’t leave the National School before the Primary Cert
In The Brothers, you had better know all your prayers
Or there would be ear wringing or pulling of the hairs
If they had debating teams that the only time you could talk
Or when you solved problems on the blackboard with chalk.
Many a time I got yelled at for not knowing my Latin
A lot of good it does me now that I’m living in Manhattan
We didn’t have as many rights as a prisoner in Mountjoy jail
At least a prisoner had his sentence shortened or got out on bail
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