Mary Dynan

I started school in Cloughmills Public Elementary School on my fourth birthday. I always felt my mother had taken her first legal opportunity to get me out of the way but she assures me that she felt like the mother in this poem, which was one that we heard many times as children and of which we were very fond. There always seemed to be someone starting school among my numerous siblings and cousins, and at that time and in our little two room school there did not seem to be an official starting day.

He's gone to school, wee Hughie
An' him not four.
Sure I saw the fright was in him
when he left the door.

But he took a han' o' Dinny
an' a han' o' Dan,
Wi' Joe's oul' coat aroun' him ...
Och, the poor wee man!

He cut the quarest figure
More stout not thin
An' trottin' right an' steady
Wi' his toes turned in.

I watched him to the corner
o' the big turf stack
an' the more his feet went forrit,
still his head turned back

He was lookin', would I call him -
och, me heart was woe ...
Sure tis lost I am wilout him,
but he be to go.

I followed to the turnin',
when they passed it by,
God help him he was cryin',
An' maybe, so was I.

There was not anything particularly Gaelic about the curriculum in the school when I was there, though we did sing some Irish songs, mostly Moore's melodies and we had to learn the Ár n-Athair and Sé do Bheatha, a Mhuire before Fr McNamara came for our Religious Inspection, to examine us in our catechism. Miss Mitchell was not that interested, though she did join in the Irish classes that Uncle Sandy ran in our house for a few of the local teachers.

My aunt Mary Jo came to the school after Miss Mitchell, and I, had left. I envied my brothers and sister the exciting things they got into like Irish plays and scéaliocht and Irish history competitions at the Feis. I had to wait until later when in Kilkeel one of the highlights of our year was Feis an Dún and all the competitions. At Feis na nGleann I only ever took part in the dancing competitions. And my first extensive introduction to the Irish language was when, before I went off to boarding school, it was decided that it was time I spent the summer in the Gaeltacht. So Aunt Mary Jo and I went off to stay in Teach Mary Jamie in Derrybeg. I got the measles and spent most of the time in bed!