Gladys Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 I went to St Mary's from the age of 5 until about 8 or 9 when I was pulled out by my parents due to the humiliating treatment by one young (of the fire and brimstone Irish persuasion, needless to say) female teacher; she may have been called Miss McBride. I went to the old St Mary's and moved to the new one when it opened, but I was only there for a year or so until I moved to St Francis's. I have no fond memories of the school at all and remember the nuns as being amongst the worst disciplinarians. My father always thought that the heavy Irish catholic influence manifested itself in bigotted treatment because my parents were of mixed religion. Hard to believe now, but that was the reason we left Northern Ireland in the early 60's; my mother was a qualified biology teacher but could not get a position in a secondary school in NI because she was catholic; only primary school positions despite her qualification to teach to what was then O level. Funny really, how things go in full circle as I now work overlooking the site of the old school and often try to remember what it looked like; all I can visualise is the educational equivalent of 'dark satanic mills'. Possibly telling on the discipline front, the old St Mary's was the only school I ever played hookie from, playing at the bottom of the road way past 9 only to turn into school and face the music! Happy days, my arse! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whateverfloatsyourboat Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 I attended St Mary’s in the 60s/70s. Sister Mary Rita was without doubt the scariest teacher ever (but no match for my mum). Never had a problem with any of the others - just the very large Cook Mrs McFee who took it as a personal insult when her food made me vomit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinnieK Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 I was pulled out by my parents due to the humiliating treatment by one young (of the fire and brimstone Irish persuasion, needless to say) female teacher; she may have been called Miss McBride. That sounds about right; even in old age she had a vicious tongue on her. If it's the same person, she's one of two teachers I still harbour a grudge towards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonan3 Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 A poem I composed about it some time ago HAIL THE SCHOOL Thief of my childhood. What pleasures were found in seeing that edifice razed to the ground! My heart filled with joy as each red brick fell and I wished your spirit condemned to your Hell. "Hands up those who weren't at mass!" Strapped in front of mocking class and told that its a mortal sin. My tears may fall but, deep within, I feel no fear in threats of Hell; I live it here and know it well. The purgatory you dared to call a school, where learning was imparted by the rule that only what the church taught could be right, will never have another mind to blight! Bend the knee and make confession - join the communal procession; just like dogs who must be wormed, queue-up ad wait to be confirmed. Step right in. There's no escape from faith installed by mental rape. Your stone-cold heart is pounded into dust as demolition hammers do what's only just and I, one victim, celebrate your death with joyous 'tear it down!' beneath my breath. Even though they seem absurd recite the answers word for word just as the catechism says - clause for clause and phrase for phrase; intimidate and teach by fear - they had no room for questions here. Bleak corridors flattened, steep stairways felled till nothing remains of the terrors they held; no more desks to bend at, no more thunderous clap, no more lessons of perfect love taught with a leather strap. Dip the pen into the well - today we're learning how to spell: "Hail, Mary! Write that down... one's a verb and one's a noun! So that's the English lesson done, its time to talk of Mary's son." Uprooted railings are taken for scrap and its hard to resist an impulse to clap. That screeching I hear... is that you, in pain? I hope that it is! Let me hear it again! A knuckle-rap with wooden rule for anyone who comes to school with dirty nails, or dares to choose to step inside with mud-caked shoes or, worst of all - complete disgrace - a soul not in a state of grace! They've levelled you, now, and brought you to naught, but I pray you will hear this last, heart-felt thought: 'Curse you for wasting those years of my youth... and curse you for teaching your twisting of truth! Hail the school I won't forget! Hail the feel of fear-filled sweat! Hail religion.. left behind! Hail, at last, some peace of mind! Hail that stinging leather strap. Hail St Mary's... full of crap! *** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grianane Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 I remember being carried thorugh the large lower school doors on my first day and hammering on them to get out, quite early on I escaped and was marched back by my dad to be rulered on across the knuckles with the thin edge of the ruler by Sister Mary-Rita. Mr Daughen the head used to carry a leather strap up his sleeve which he would drop down to let you know what the punishment for any bad behaviour would be. The classrooms were seperated by partitions and you had to walk through each class to get from one end to the other. I remember there were two playgrounds and the older upper school kids would spit through the railings on those below. I also remember seeing the new school site before it started and being bused with the whole school to attend a requium mass for a child who had died of leukemia - I think I was about 7-8 years old and I have hated funerals especially catholic requiums ever since. Mrs McBride first arrived as Miss Fahy I think around 1967. I didn't know about the facebook page but will look it up. Fond memories aaaaaaaaaaaaaagh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topaz Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 Love the poem, Lonan. Didn't Benny Lynch have a son called Alan who took over as head master at some point? There was a Miss Mc Clusky in the reception class, before you got to Miss Holland. So maybe some of us are mixing her up with the other Miss Mc. Does anyone remember Monsiegnier (sp) Turner ? He is buried in the garden at the front of St Mary's church. I'd forgotten about the May processions...bring flowers of the fairest..Hail queen of heaven... Then ,of course, first communion and confirmation. Catechism, rosary beads, stations of the cross, lighting candles. Then there was Father O Sullivan who used to lift the curtain up in the confessional and give you a bollocking. How many sins do you have when you're seven ? I used to make them up. I went to Ballakermeen after the eleven plus, but we still had to have religious instruction in the dining room while the rest of the school had assembly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Last Ten Posted August 19, 2010 Author Share Posted August 19, 2010 Guys all your posts are so brilliant and have brought back so many, dare I say it, bad memories of that torture chamber, Lonan3 fantastic poem mate! Still looking for some piccies though! Last Ten Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cronky Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 What a truly horrible school and thank heaven the like does not exist today. However, I was wondering what people think of todays school culture. For my own money I think the culture has gone to far the other way. I would never advocate a return to corporal punishment but I gather todays miscreants get sent to the 'nurture room' for time out . The whole ethos has gone too soft in my opinion with the emphasis more on entertainment than education. Employers I speak to complain that kids out of grammar school use a calculator for single digit calculations and cannot construct a basic letter. I hope the current Education Minister pulls the system up by it's bootstraps. The previous Education Minister was, in my opinion, ineffective and let the Department run itself. They need to get back to the basics of a good education and, yes, can the nurture room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tameelf Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 i have a first holy communion pic of all that year 62 or 63. whats your timescale on your project ill try and find it. sunday mornings me and brother getting a tanner each for the collection plate we would skip church go to mar hortons shop just off windsor road buy 5 park drive penny book of matches and 2 penny chews to eraze the smell on our breaths. it seemed the whole world evolved round monsenur turner i rember his buryal. i done confessinal 3 times first was compulsery the second and 3rd times were dares when we had nothing to do. as kids we found that we could get free dinners in the building that now houses a libary next to tnwald st swing park.it was pea soup and spuds most days and a pudding or somtimes more .it came across very oliver twist wooden benches and bare tables. mr lord ran the show very victorian looking fat guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gladys Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 How many sins do you have when you're seven ? I used to make them up. So did I, or there would be nothing to talk about. I also committed one of my worst felonies by lighting lots of candles in the racked offeries, without putting a penny in the honesty box! Haven't been struck down yet. My father went to a Jesuit school in Sligo and although he never talked about specifics, it seems to have been hell on earth. I often wonder what he experienced there; I suspect it wasn't good and also believe it had a huge hand in making a person who was at the core a good father into, at times, an absolute monster. Makes you ponder, doesn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surgerysessions Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 i went to the new school for four years from 1990... had loads of fond memories. still friends with two of the teachers... and their wives. and still know most of their names... ok there were stricter teachers and softer teachers, but certainly no corporal punishment etc... doesn't sound like the same Manx Catholic school to me... Admittedly everyone seems to be talking about a different period, but how times have changed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempus Fugit Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 how many emotionally scarred people there seem to be around, by comparison Rushen Primary was heaven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonan3 Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 How many sins do you have when you're seven ? I used to make them up. We were taught to go through the ten commandments silently. At the age of 8 I was confessing to many counts of adultery - and failing to understand the suppressed giggle from the other side of the grill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefly Posted August 20, 2010 Share Posted August 20, 2010 Last Ten, I am on the St Mary's FB page. I will have a look for any relevant pics and will email you/text you if there is any. I think there is one of my year on there - fortunately my experience there was considerably better than some of you. I still won't be sending my daughter there though...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Last Ten Posted August 20, 2010 Author Share Posted August 20, 2010 Nice one Firefly, I agree that the school is probably so much better run today but as you can see from all the posts this school early days has left a big, big scar on some of us! Oh and I am still giggling about Lonan3's poem Heee...heee Last Ten Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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