'… this boy had seen me and sent me a letter via his sister who was in my cousin's class so she would bring the letters to me and they would be read in the toilet at lunchtime'

'… this boy had seen me and sent me a letter via his sister who was in my cousin's class so she would bring the letters to me and they would be read in the toilet at lunchtime'

Margaret recounts her first boyfriend and her time with her friends during school.

Margaret McLoughlin

Trinity College Dublin

1948

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Margaret McLoughlin

Adolescence and Early Adulthood

Life Story

Dublin

1970s

The only time Auntie got mad with me was when Olive O'Hara a girl from school and a few other class mates decided to row up to the Holy Well to do the Stations. We had to go up the river and then skirt a bit of the lake. I wouldn't mind but I was terrified as every time one of the girls had to row and change places I was terrified we were going to drown. It was very late when we arrived home so there was hell to play. My Aunt was out of her mind with worry. I had my first boyfriend in Sligo. After school we used to walk around Woolworths and the boys from Summer Hill College would also be there. Anyway this boy had seen me and sent me a letter via his sister who was in my cousin's class so she would bring the letters to me and they would be read in the toilet at lunchtime. I was also invited to his house for tea. We would go to the pictures but I would also be chaperoned as Auntie would send Mary or Rose with me. When I later went to Dublin he was in Blackrock College and I visited him there a few times. Then he decided to go for the priesthood so he went to Maynooth. He wanted me to visit but I decided against it so. He is still a priest but I never got to visit.

Irish Research Council for Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)