Mayo memories: Caurane school closed in 1969

By Tom Gillespie

IN the historic publication Parke & Turlough - Yesterday and Today, 1911-2011 past pupils of Caurane National School in Parke, which closed in 1969, recall their school days.

Kate Boyle penned the article on the school which first opened in 1887. Previous to this the children were educated in a stone thatched cottage situated in a field at the back of Mick Jennings' house, Ballingarden, hence ‘Pairc na Scoil’, the name of the field that still holds today, and the stones of that school, now in ruins, became the cornerstones of Caurane School.

Walking to school in hail, rain or snow, the students took the quickest route, as the crow flies, across fields and bogs not only on foot, but in summer time bare-footed. Kids came from as far away as Crilluane, across the bog, and along Derryhick lake shore.

The annual heating bill came in the form of a cart load of turf per family stacked neatly by the children behind the sliding doors in the entrance porch.

Towards the end of the year, as supplies ran low, each child had to bring two sods of turf daily and it was at this time that children, for no other reason other than sheer mischief, helped themselves to sods from stacks of turf along the way, knowing fine well that it would create a stir with the owners.

The pupils met every morning in Jordan’s carthouse to put the finishing touches on their homework. All present and correct, they felt ready to face any cross-examination. Meanwhile, a half-mile away children from the campsite at the edge of the lane, their address in the roll book - o áit go h-áit - munched on a dry scone waiting eagerly to strike up a conversation with children from Doovin.

Playtime was full of imagination and improvisation. The happiest moments were spent on the rocks in the adjacent field at playtime, and happier still the last bell of the day, although work on the farm that awaited them was enticement enough to prolong the journey home.

Mary McHale, the last house in the corner of the village, kind and generous knowing the children would be hungry and still a long way from home, gave them bread and butter.

As well as the three Rs and catechism there were other regular routines in the day, like going for coals or turf to Matt’s house to help light the fire while the older children would draw water from the well. The boys sowed vegetables in a plot at the back of the school while the girls sewed garments, knitted and mastered turning the heel of a sock.

Tummies rumbled and mouths watered as they watched demonstrations on how to make such dishes as stews, potato bread and slims.

All of the above domestic skills resulted in some paid employment at Mrs. Filan’s house in the summertime after school. The girls cleaned while the boys did the gardening. They got paid half-a-crown and a lift back home at eight o’clock, and oh, how rich they felt.

Dancing was taught by Marcus O’Flaherty, a friend of the master.

Past pupils recalled the notes produced by the tuning fork on the desk as they were taught songs like ‘Boolavogue’ and ‘Anois Teacht an T-Earraigh’, etcetera.

Opportunities to act presented themselves in such plays as ‘Murder in the Red Barn’ and ‘The Dentist’. All of this culminated in a spectacular concert on Christmas night for all in the locality and audience participation was encouraged. Past pupils were invited back to perform, especially if they were good singers. Poems such as ‘Mise Raifteiri’, ‘An Gleann Inar Tógadh Mé’ and Eannach Cuiuin’ are still on the tips of their tongues. Not being able to sing was no excuse to be idle; girls discovered the properties of salt in removing ink splatters from Mrs. Filan’s shoes.

Mrs. Ward taught the junior boys while Master Kilgallon taught the senior boys and in the same fashion Mrs. Gibbons and Mrs. Filan taught the junior and senior girls respectively on the other side of the school. The girls wore white bibs as uniforms, all handmade by their mothers, but by the 1940s boys and girls were mixed and the bibs had long gone.

Later Mrs. Durcan, Miss Hande, Miss Togher, Mr. Goulding and Mrs. Mayock all taught in Caurane School.

Boys, in particular, were kept at home to help on the farm and therefore dreaded the regular visit of the guard who questioned their attendance.

The priest was feared too, expecting them to recall what was said at Sunday Mass and it now Wednesday. At least with the Cigire there was a chance to earn a few bob if you excelled at Irish.

A highlight of the First Holy Communion was being allowed a 6p scoop of ice cream as opposed to the regular 3p one in the shop after Mass.

The Corpus Christi procession, where all the boys and girls who had made their First Communion and Confirmation, walked from the church to Maggie Moran’s, dropping petals on the ground from a basket they held.

The boys were occasionally called upon to help push Mrs. Filan’s car. Wishing that the car would let her down in the morning, they were sometimes tempted to cause some permanent damage, but usually common sense prevailed.

There was no formal enrolment, instead the pupils would be talking for weeks beforehand about their siblings about to start. There was, however, a formal leaving - . This was the Primary Certificate, a State exam, although not everyone sat it.

In 1960 teachers and pupils transferred to Parke School on a temporary basis while Caurane School was renovated and modernised, notably the dry toilets were replaced by flushing ones, and the only work outstanding was to install a central heating system.

Some years later, with £5 collected from each household and plans in place for a heating system, it came as a great shock that the school was to amalgamate with Parke School. This took place in 1969. Numbers had gone from 140 in the 1940s to less that 50 at this time.