From my previous post about Martin Kearney, I gave a brief history of the Great Blasket Island and how it lead to the life he had here in America. What I did not mention was the education system in place on the island. There was a single school house in place on the island. It was the only one in place to be used by all of the children (including the Kearney family). Both Martin and his brother Mike can be seen in this picture, along with their teacher Ms. Fitzgerald on the right. Due to the small size of the school, and relatively small amount of children, the school was a k-12 school. After the evacuation of the island on 1953, the school and all other buildings were abandoned, however some remained standing. The school and a few choice other buildings were left standing and even restored. It stands even today as part of the historical site on the island.
Photo credit: http://www.askaboutireland.ie
The curriculum taught would have been rather traditional for the time. The only specific text of note would've been "Peig", an autobiography written by Peig Sayers in 1936. This book characterized the decline of the traditional Irish culture as well as thoughts on Catholicism and the poverty rampant in Ireland. It also commented occasionally on the Great Blasket Island as well, as it was fairly near to her hometown in Dunquin.
Photo credit: http://www.askaboutireland.ie
The curriculum taught would have been rather traditional for the time. The only specific text of note would've been "Peig", an autobiography written by Peig Sayers in 1936. This book characterized the decline of the traditional Irish culture as well as thoughts on Catholicism and the poverty rampant in Ireland. It also commented occasionally on the Great Blasket Island as well, as it was fairly near to her hometown in Dunquin.