'The people of the Markets were the salt of the earth and I got to know many of them very well through their children.'

'The people of the Markets were the salt of the earth and I got to know many of them very well through their children.'

Rosemary remembers her first teaching position after she finished in the Novitiate. She worked in inner city Belfast and she remembers the children and their families fondly.

Rosemary McCloskey

Trinity College Dublin

1975

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Rosemary McCloskey

Work and Employment

Life Story

Sussex Place, Belfast

1970's

At the beginning of September I was assigned to St Malachy's Convent Primary School, Sussex Place where Sr. Ann McKeever had just been appointed principal, to succeed Sr. M Vincent Donnelly who had been a legend there. I was given a Primary Seven class many of whom had special needs. I loved those children and they were very loyal to me. The people of the Markets were the salt of the earth and I got to know many of them very well through their children. The Troubles were still happening and there were often bombs and bomb scares in and around the city centre near which the school was located. After C&A was bombed in Donegall Place, I was presented with a beautiful black coat. The clothes were all thrown out after the bomb and someone had kindly thought that I might be able to use a black reefer coat. I accepted it gratefully, once I was certain that it was quite above board and had not been looted or stolen. The families in this area did not have much of this world's goods, but they were always willing to share what they had. They were very caring most of the time towards one another. It was a small vibrant community in the city centre, and they were very grateful to the Sisters of Mercy who had worked with them in the school and with their families down through the years. At one time the sisters occupied the convent, but with the advent of the Troubles and the shortage of sisters, it was deemed wiser for all to go to live in Crumlin Road convent and travel out each morning. Sr. Ann and I had the use of a Renault 5 car. She had her own particular brand of driving and made copious use of the indicator, so much so that I told her one day that I would bury it with her when she died. I did not manage to do this however! She died after a long serious illness, some years after she retired. Sussex Place school is no more, since the parish amalgamated boys and girls in a new school in Eliza Street. Sr.Deirdre McGlinchy succeeded me in Sussex Place when I was changed to Immaculata School in Whiteabbey. When the Convent school closed, Sr. Ann retired and Deirdre continued in the new school for a while.

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

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)