Frank Mockler recalls his days in Scoil Ailbhe, Thurles ahead of 70th celebrations

As just an ordinary Thurles man who, in the Spring of 1951, graduated from 4th class in the old CBS, some years before any of the celebrity guests for the Scoil Ailbhe night of celebrations in the Anner Hotel did, I am tempted to reminisce about our early days in the school.

Two years previously, we had been marched up to see Archbishop Kinane turn the first sod - I was only eight and remember it as a very cold day. Then, on our first day in our new school we felt so excited and privileged where everything was spotless and shiny. Long corridors, lovely level timber floors, desks for two with covered inkwells, the hall with curtains and stage lighting where we performed our Christmas plays, or were shown a film. There were long blackboards on the wall, proper cloakrooms, toilets that were such a change and, pardon the pun, such a relief . We had the long shed for our bicycles, surrounding the big quandrangle where we played, and that lovely dry little limestone field to play hurling in and Jimmy Doyle to show us how.

The teachers I remember mostly then with fondness were Brothers Chisholm, Boland, Duggan, Morgan and also Brother Grennan. We also had Danny Maher, and the very musical and pleasant William O'Dwyer. Br. Chisholm had much to do with the stage in the hall as it is today and he sent Willie Kenehan and myself around the town to find big biscuit tins he wanted for the lighting in the front of the stage - biscuit tins that are still there. About eight years ago, by chance, PJ Chisholm by then, and I met and with permission from the very obliging and genial Flan Quigney, he was delighted to do a tour of the school.
Gleesons shop was just outside the school gate and if we had a penny, or two pence, we could treat ourselves to come of the little niceties of the time like Peggy's leg, bullseyes or gobstoppers. We had spinning tops and conkers and marbles that we played on the footpath.

Now that we have moved from the ink well to the digital age, I know that looking back there was some poverty and hardship, but I'm not so sure that we noticed it much at the time. For us children there was almost no such thing as money but it was little we wanted and little did us.

The advice we got to practice self denial and mortification was easily adhered to! In school and at home we were very dilligent in our religious duties. I know that not every boy has happy memories of their schooldays but most of us who went to Scoil Ailbhe have countless good memories of those bygone days. Mine are much too numerous to mention here and perhaps my veneration for the place is influenced by the fact that the school is built on Mockler land. Anyway, after just over two years there, having passed our primary cert, got Confirmation and a long trousers, we returned to the old school for our secondary education. 

Photo Caption:  The Drill Display Team: Front row: Ciaran Fahy, Liam Ryan, TJ Semple, PJ Grace, Michael Wall, Michael Fitzgibbon. Back: Frank Mockler, Jimmy Doyle, Jennie Stiglitz, Mattie Ryan, Donie Moloughney.