ICA news: Marking a memorable year in history of Irish education
Two Cappamore ICA ladies have organised a special school reunion in Tipperary today — the event will also mark a pivotal year in the history of Irish education.
Limerick Federation vice-president and Cappamore Guild PRO Maura Walsh and former Cappamore Guild secretary Joan McLoughlin have teamed up with classmates Pauline Treacy and Mary O’Donoghue to organise the reunion for the 90 girls who started their education at St Joseph’s Convent Secondary School, Doon, in 1967.
“The year 1967 was historic in the annals of Irish education,” commented Maura.
“It was the last year that sixth class students sat the Primary Certificate. This was also the lastever year of the County Council secondary school scholarships.”
Maura also points to “an even more important and revolutionary change” that took place in September 1967 — the introduction of free secondary school education and school transport.
“This opened the doors of second level education to hundreds of students. It was just a few pounds a year to go to secondary school but it was a few pounds too much for many families.
"School transport coming on stream made it easier. People didn’t have cars then. Girls who started secondary school the year before me cycled four miles of a bog road from Cappamore to Doon in hail, rain and snow – there were no sheltering ditches on either side!”
The idea of the school reunion first occurred to Joan McLoughlin, who – says Maura – was the group’s “own Sherlock Holmes” when it came to tracing long-lost classmates.
“One-third of the girls were boarders who came from all over Ireland. We had difficulty tracing them because if they married they changed their names.
"But if Joan knew a boarder was from, say Cahirciveen, she rang the post office and maybe the Garda station and maybe the parish priest in Cahirciveen saying she was tracing this person.”
The ladies also had photos of the three 1967 first year classes.
“These ‘snapshots in time’ helped us draw up a list of the girls. By putting our heads together, using local knowledge and Facebook, we managed to find the present whereabouts of well over 70 ladies.”
The foursome concentrated on the girls who were first years in 1967 out of a sense of fairness.
“In those days, a lot started school but didn’t see it through. They often left after Inter Cert. We thought it very democratic to invite everyone who started school together – and because that was such an important year in Irish education.”
The school reunion takes place in Ballykisteen Hotel. For more info, email doonreunion1967@gmail.com.
