I really enjoyed talking with my mother-in-law, Anna, at Christmas about her Primary school days. As we talked her son and daughters listened as well and I can safely say they learnt things about their mothers school days that they hadn't known before. It was a great opportunity for the family to find out more about their mum's childhood.
Anna went to the Faithful Companions of Jesus National School in Bruff, Co Limerick, with her sisters and brothers. She is the youngest child and can remember being so keen to go to school that one day, aged almost 4 years, she followed her sisters, Gracie and Tessie, to school and the nuns allowed her to stay until lunchtime!
When she did eventually get to school, Anna remembered going to Herr's Bakery each lunch time hoping to be first in line to buy a penny bun with a sugar crust for her lunch. The corner crusty ones were the best, they had lots of sugary crust and might even have some currents if you were lucky:) She also remembered that before lunch each day a box of jam sandwiches would be sent down from the convent kitchen and the sandwiches were handed out to the poorer children who had no lunch. After school these children would sweep up the school yard and get more sandwiches before going home for the day. These girls often went "into service" because they could not afford to pay for secondary school.
I'll keep some more of Anna's stories for another time.
Mrs L
