School Food

Margaret Heagney 21^st July 2017 Deerpark Social Services Centre, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway

School Food

Interviewer: Clare Doyle (CD)

Interviewee: Margaret Heagney (MH)

MH: I can remember back as far as the first day I went to school.

CD: And were you frightened?

MH: Yes, but I had two brothers older than me and they brought ne to the school, but when they left me in the classroom by myself the tears came down

CD: Right you were a bit shy, were you?

MH: Oh, I was, I was, coming from the country that time

CD: And where did you go to school?

MH: Athleague in Co. Roscommon

CD: Any were there many in your class?

MH: Oh, there were a lot, I can’t remember now, there might be forty.

CD: That’s a big lot.

MH: Yes, there was a big number.

CD: And that would be a big shock to get?

MH: Yes

CD: …to be in a class that size and you only…? What age would you have been going to school? Four?

MH: Yes, between four and five.

CD: Right. And can you remember for your lunch, during school time?

MH: I can and very well, because I didn’t ever eat it.

Cd: Did you not? Was it terrible stuff?

MH: Terrible, it was always brown bread, big slices put together with country butter. But the only addition he had, is my mother, God rest her, had a friend living in the village of Athleague, and she had a shop. So, three or four of us, used to go in there and she’d make the pot of tea

CD: Lovely

MH: Yeah. Yes, but I’d have no bread with it, just the cup of tea. The bread went to the birdeens

CD: You didn’t like the bread?

MH: No, it wasn’t too bad at home like, you know

CD: And was it just that you didn’t like the taste of it or it wasn’t made nice?

MH: No, it was just…bread within in your bag for hours and take out then to go eat it, it was just…

CD: It doesn’t sound very nice!

MH: No!