Matt Travers

Matt Travers was born in Lisgullane in April 1902. He had two brothers and three sisters. Matt went to school in Killaraght for a few years, he then transferred to Kingsland School - he started in third class. The following are some of his memoirs of his time in Kingsland. School started at 10.00 a.m. - some pupils came late - up to 10.30 a.m. The boys who got to the school first looked after the fire - they "took out" the ashes and put some turf on the "coals" that had survived from the previous day's fire. 

Master Kelly was Matt's teacher.The master bought the textbooks in a bookstore in Boyle and sold them to the pupils, the price was usually 3d or 4d per book. A Mr. Donnelly came to the school for one hour each week. Matt's favourite subject was Geography. Master Kelly considered the writing of compositions a very important part of the child's education. Children had to write a composition three times a week, this writing was done IN SCHOOL.

While the master corrected the compositions, the children were "sent to the Map", which was hung on the wall. Children wrote with a pencil and sometimes with a pen. The pen had a wooden handle and a nib holder which held a "silver" nib. These nibs were bought in the school; 3 nibs for ½d.

The Master, with the help of two or three boys, made the ink in the school.A "Bar" of ink was placed in a container of water, this was dissolved quickly and then filled into two five naggin bottles, (This was done in the yard). The bottles were corked, and a goose's quill was put through the cork. This was used to pour ink into the inkwells, this "job' was done each morning by the first boy into the classroom.

Children were allowed a half-hour to eat their lunch and have a time to play. On wet days the lunch was eaten in the classroom and children were trained to march, "Left-Right, Left-Right ". 

Matt remembers the inspector's visits to the school. Mr. Shannon was the area inspector and Mr. Cregg was the "Head" Inspector. They would always "take out" a class and examine them. On one of his visitsto the school, Mr. Cregg asked that the boys and girls from 6th class would come together in the Girls School. While examining them, Mr. Cregg noticed a big bulge in the pocket of Matt's jacket. "What's that in your pocket young man?" asked the inspector. "A penknife, Sir", replied · Matt. (Matt had found it the previous day, buried in the garden and used lamp oil to "free" it). 

The Religious Examiner visited the school each year. On one particular visit Matt remembers getting home early from school (each class was allowed home as soon as the priest had examined them).

On arriving home, he found his parents getting ready to go to Horse Races in Boyle. They brought Matt with them - great was his excitement as he boarded the trap for the Races and remembered that his brothers and sister were still at school! Matt enjoyed that trip and had much to relate when he got home at eight o'clock.

When asked if he remembers any particular thing about his classroom Matt said "Yes, I remember a hole in one of the floorboards – this hole appeared when a knot was taken out of the wood. I remember a lad put the Master's cane down in the hole. Lucky for him the Master never heard what happened to his cane".

When boys misbehaved in the yard, (i.e) sometimes they took apples from Neary's orchard or threw stones at Roger Cregg's house) the Master gave them a few slaps with the cane. Parents were known to have visited the school to complain about big boys hitting boys on their way home from school.

Some boys only came to school in Winter. During the other seasons they were kept at home to work, for example to save extra turf and sell it in Boyle.

The local priest visited the school once in every two or three weeks. Matt remembers the pressure of work when preparing for Confirmation, he was scared of what the Bishop might do to him if he missed a question, "I really believed he would and could put horns on me", said Matt.

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