Scoil Naisiunta Rath Eanna

Mr Ingoldsby

I attended St Assams Primary School when Ingo, Mr Ingoldsby was Principal.

His son Pat Ingoldsby is a well known Dublin poet and writer.

Other teachers I remember vaguely are Mr Condon Swan,Toomey,Lundberg,Murphy and our terror of a singing teacher Mr Hanrahan who, to be fair, had to listen to us squawk tonelessly every day.

Mind you some of us ended up in the choir and sang with the girls from Manor House...a feat not to be sniffed at in 1964.

A few pics of St Assams school

Above you see the schoolyard entrance where we all got into our linas when the bell rang except for me who was always late.

I did'nt get where I am today by being punctual

Unfortunately I did'nt get where I am today by being bright either,oh well....sin a bhfuil.

I'll meet ya in de yard , right?
Above is the main gate through which a sea of kids passed every day....and still do.

The high ground opposite the schoolgate, the original Grassy Knoll in case you're from Dallas, is now no more and is the site of the modern Raheny Garda Station....appropriate enough I suppose considering this hillocks criminal history where many a melee ensued after school.

Ex pupils of St Annes, the girls Primary School will notice the entrance to their school at the top of the picture.

They'll remember that this door was never used and they entered at the back...segregation I call it or would have if gurls interested me then.

They grew on me later strangely....weird

... i before e except after c with the exception of "weird", right?...I was in that day

Below you'll see a pic of Mr Whites " Whitey " little memorial just by the entrance to the schoolyard

I remember him fondly.He actually got our whole class an audition in the old Radio Eireann building in Henry St.

His short play about North-South tensions set at a border railway station where two opposing hurling teams met would sadly be as appropriate today as 35yrs ago.....shameful when you think about it.

Dermot Bolgers play or monologue " In High Germany" about an Irishman based in Germany during World Cup '90 with a German wife but bitter sweetly supporting an Ireland he no longer feels attached to always reminds me of Mr Whites play regardless of the difference in the setting.

He was a stern man at times but his decency and interest in us always sticks in my mind.

He died on the 23rd June 1996 after 30 years of service

He ended his career as Principal.

Those that remember him may also remember his famous admonition....

"Suddenly I don't like you"

...and that's as harsh as he got.

....well to me anyway.

Here you can still see the school bell on the table in the hall.

Mr O'Hara, still teaching there in 2000 told me how Mr Ingoldsby went on about how a new bell could cost Ł10 and 10p.

That was in 1978,the year Ingo retired.

He was literally, "a gentleman of the old school".

Check out these old St Assams "Confo" photos from the 1960's.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

.........you could be in one !

In a class of our own

A short look at the History of Raheny

If you leave just use your back button to return....I'll leave the light on for ya.