In Reply to: Re: Physical abuse in Castlebar posted by Sensitive little thing on June 13, 2009 at 13:08:12:

a cara.....i remember in my first couple of months in st.geralds myself ...frank tonra and peter murray opened the windows in the class room ...before class....it was a saturday morning...yes we had to go school on saturday mornings back then......as we sat in the class room bro cyril came in .....the pictures on the wall were shaking a little with the fresh breeze that was coming into the class.....he zeroed the window openers to myself ...frank tonra and peter murray.....he marched us to the office in a wild rage.......then he unleashed his fury.....we were flogged.....you reminded me of profeesor ryan.......well i remember his chant .....show me the beads.....then he would go around the class....some of us poorer types....had maybe a piece of a rosary....he would hold it up and in a condescending fashion ...would poke humiliating remarks....then out popped the strap......custom made at pat lavelles....saddlers on castle street....it was athree layer strap...with metal strips inserted between the layers....another degrading rirual was his examining ....nails....those that bit their nails got slapped brutally across the tips of the fingers.....using red ink for margins and other features was another fetish....not having red ink pens was another punishable offence.....he would also look into your ears to see if they were clean....or if you had a ring around your neck.....well i grew up without the luxury of a bathroom...as many did .....and sometimes a quick lick on the face was a morning wash.....but we would be put down ...humiliated ....destroying any smidgen of self esteem we might have had....i remember very well many of bull nallys....wild rages......when he lost it he went crazy.....we were terrified of him....i remember year 1 in st.geralds.....lar lyons....and michael devanney {from sionnac}were having a joke ....he got them laughing....he brought them to the front of the class made them sing a song....they treated us {the class} to hello patsy fagan....as they sang he flailed them on the backs of the legs....we wore short pants in those days.....then he gave them the cane across the hands.....and with a lion roar sent them to their seats.....tommy horkan came in to teach for awhile..nally also was responsible for the wednesday afternoon sports....we used to imagine wednesday as ...a half day......beware if you did not return after lunch.......he was light and easy......and in fact introduced a debating society....and cycling group.....going to moorehall was one of our favourite outings....a short..intermission in the horrors...sadly his tenure was short....
to all those puppets that want to smooth over these atrocities.....forget it...these brothers ...and lay teachers were ....animals.....nothing short....for those that want to pray for them ....i say shame on you ....to hell for them....when i meet them there they might need to pray.
..tog go bog e.....