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Strolling to School

By Joe Callaghan, Grangemore, Boyle

I fondly recall walking to and from school in the sixties and now looking back it seems simple, adventurous and above all safe. There was lots of company, the road was free of the present-day traffic, the main mode of transport being the bicycle. There was less worry amongst parents then and the word pressure was unheard of. Returning home late was rarely questioned, for the reasons might only vary from robbing an orchard, wandering curiously into a field to see what the farmer was at, being entertained and question ed about your day at school by the men working on a road clear of water and without potholes. 

Volunteering to ride the local man’s jennet was a challenge before and up to my time, and usually proved unsuccessful. To come home cross country for a period had to be considered due to fear, when a white enamel bucket was treated as a football. The same bucket was used to milk the cow and carry water from the nearby well. 

Now those were the days, when the horse and donkey did the bulk of the work and some livelihoods depended on this. In Springtime we frequently met the well approved ploughmen on their way to turn the sod. Later on, in the year the men carting turf to Boyle, by then this had narrowed down to two suppliers and most days we met them going in our opposite directions. Going to the bog with the donkey and cart on a school day was a thrill, lying face down in the cart when passing the school drive the donkey, and avoid being spotted by the teacher. 

Also, one or two tractors were slowly making their way onto the local scene. These pieces of machinery were regarded with caution and curiosity through lack of knowledge of their mechanical workings. 

In the mornings you would always expect to meet numerous people doing their routine jobs. Around the crossroads one man most 'likely' to meet was Jack making a great effort to round up cattle which had strayed during the night.

Travellers trailed the roads then, frequently camping around the crossroads and not always welcomed by the farmer. We got a chance to get acquainted when the children sometimes attended the school. 

Returning home on Friday evenings often times tempted to delay around John's Pub, amazed at the carnival atmosphere. Whereby you had the Pub, Post Office and shop attached. Because of this, it catered for a considerable amount of old age pensioners, shoppers and those partaking of the pint of stout. On occasion there was often three or four delivery vans parked out front unloading their goods. 

Recalling one Friday in particular, a good session of traditional music was in full swing. Obviously, the house was full as there was a man step dancing outside on the street. There were lots of characters around then and it was through listening to their tales and stories that later in life I came to realise the abundance of talent, wit and humour which existed then. 

Well we always tried to find an opportunity to get into the local shops, as usually somebody treated you to a "bullseye" or a 1d bar. Ice cream made its debut around this time where the cheapest variety retained in Mahons and Johns for two old pennies. Sometimes we managed to have the purchase price. 

We strolled there and back at an easy pace, speeding up only by the appearance of Master Finan's Volkswagen Beetle. When raining he would offer the small er children a lift, which was not often since the weather was more favourable then. 

Now in the nineties children are ferried to and from school by car as a result of dramatic changes in road safety, weather and social conditions.

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