In Reply to: Physical abuse in Castlebar posted by Local on June 02, 2009 at 11:50:26:

I too have read the postings with a great deal of sadness. I attended St. Patrick's back in the fifties and while there were some teachers who were excessive in doling out physical punishment, there were good people there too. Bernard Halligan referred to Br. Conleth who was a gentleman, so was Br. Damien ("Birdie"), so was Br. Leo. There was also a layman in the school who could match any brother when it came to caning. I saw the cane used (not savagely, I hasten to add) by a female teacher when I was in High Infants. I saw fathers and mothers beat their children - sometimes very savagely. I saw guards trounce travellers. I saw farmers beat the living daylights out of donkeys. I saw an amazing amount of cruelty meted out to animals. I saw so-called paragons of virtue throw relatives into St. Mary's hospital. I saw a very important man in Castlebar treat his sons (with the full knowledge of neighbours) worse than he would animals. So what am I getting at? I'm saying that Ireland in the fifties was a pretty primitive place where cruelty was part and parcel of life. Many abhorred it and never practiced it but it seems now that the majority tolerated it. If we're into the blame game let's be honest now and stop being selective with the accusing finger - Irish society was to blame. So much for Dev's vision of comely maidens etc etc.