Jack O'Neill's Pages from The Past

Wednesday, 9th February 2011

Waterford news 1936 from harvey's directory 1876, recorded in waterford news 1936 

Continued from last week Waterford's "Climbing Boys"

The description of Waterford's own institutions is reserved for the back pages. The historical sketch commences on page 118 and is given nine pages, being mainly a condensation of Ryland's history. There is then a list of Corporation and other officials. One society has the arresting name of "Society for superseding the necessity for Climbing Boys" - this was a pathetic plea on behalf of the cruel system of employing children to sweep chimneys. The public is advised to use instead, "sweeping machines". We are told that in Waterford "the names of the men who work the machines for the same charge as the boys are Patrick Molloy, Keyzer's Lane and Patrick Byrne, High Street.

Schools ancient and modern

Bishop Foy's Schools are described as Boys' Blue Schools: and this historic note is of interest: "The first schoolhouse was erected at teh corner of Barronstrand Street, on land granted by the Corporation: but funds increasing . . . the present commodious premises were taken at Grantstown . . . There are 55 boys in the shool. Francis Reynett, Master."

We are then told that the Girls Club School is "a plain building with the arms of the Mason family in front." It was maintained by the Corporation that £900 was bequeathed by the Mason family, and £1,000 bequeathed by Counsellor Alcock "The institution," it is added, "is under the management of the Carew family." It contained 26 girls in 1839 and the mistress was Maria Quinn.

The above schools have, as readers of the 'News' are aware, been re-organised in recent years, and are maintained as public schools on up-to-date modern lines. A school that has disappeared is one for the "education of Protestant ophans of both sexes," which had recently been re-erected "about a mile from the city at a place called Gaul's Rock." The site was a grant from John Fizgerald, a donation of £100 being granted by the late Sir Franc is Hassard (an ancestor on the maternal side, we think, of Sir Ernest Goff, Bart.).

"The one in Barronstrand Street"

The reference to the Presentation Convent is quaint. "There is" we are told, "a very large girls' school kept at the Presentation Nunnery, Hennessy's Rd." Here, it is added, about 800 girls receive a gratuitous education. There were no Corporation or State grants for this "nunnery." There is a goodly section of the book devoted to the Protestant Cathedral and churches, but the reference to Catholic places of worship is given thus, in two and a half lines:- "There are four Roman Catholic chapels in Waterford, one in Ballybricken, one in Manor Street, one in George Street and one in Barronstrand Street." The one in Barronstrand Street was of course, the present Cathedral.