School Daze: Niamh Dunne remembers very happy days from her youth

I’m from Limerick originally, I come from a family of two girls and we are all musical — my Dad is a musician too, so it’s in the family. I was sent to a primary school that was a country school in our neighbouring village. My parents wanted me to go there because they were known for an interest in music and drama and that sort of thing.

Every child in my primary school played the tin whistle and it was amazing. It was called Caherline and it was a very special place to attend. The headmaster was really into making sure that all the kids came away with some music and songs. For me, who had been playing since I was very small, it was a wonderful experience. Being musical did not make me stand out in any way at Caherline, simply because everyone else played.