Figure 1.--We note a mural depicting the hedge schools. "Liom" is hard to translate - it means to whet or sharpen as applied to a knife or pike. Thus - "Labhair an Teanga Gaeilge Liom" means - "I'm keen (sharp) to learn the Irish language". Hedge schools kept the language and other aspects of Irish culture alive in the 19th century. Again - accurate depiction of clothes I think - reeches, shirts, waistcoats, no shoes (for the children) and one real Irish hat like the "teacher" is wearing!.

Irish Nationalists founded hege schools to perpetuate the Irish language and culture and to provide an Irish view of history. I'm not sure when these hedge schools first appeared. They were called Hedge Schools because they were held in the country side, often in the open air in places like hedges away from prying English eyes. Hedge Schools were founded after the English implemented laws prohibiting instruction in the Catholic faith. Not only was Catholcism banned, but the legally authorized schools had religious classes designed to covert the children to Protestantism (Anglicanism) of the Church of Ireland. The Hedge Schools were in fact illegal. No all Irish children attended these schools. While there were usually no buildings, they were regularized to the etent that teachers were paid small sums. This meant that for the most part only children whose parents could afford to pay attended the classes. Without buildings there could be very little reaching material such as books. Teaching thus was mostly oral. We note a mural depicting the hedge schools. "Liom" is hard to translate - it means to whet or sharpen as applied to a knife or pike. Thus - "Labhair an Teanga Gaeilge Liom" means - "I'm keen (sharp) to learn the Irish language". Hedge schools kept the language and other aspects of Irish culture alive in the 19th century. Again - accurate depiction of clothes I think - reeches, shirts, waistcoats, no shoes (for the children) and one real Irish hat like the "teacher" is wearing!.The standing boy has proper long trousers and a coat - he may even be wearing shoes - I can't make it out. He may be from a slightly better off family - but all parents wanted their children to protect their Irish heritage. He may even be from a protestant family - some made common cause with the oppressed catholics - and many of the leaders of the rebellions were protestants (since they had access to weapons etc.).

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing School Pages
[Return to the Main Irish 18th century school Type Page]
[Return to the Main Irish School Type Page]
[Return to the Main Belfast Mural Page]
[Return to the Main National School Uniform Page]
[Australia] [England] [France] [Germany]
[Italy] [Japan] [New Zealand] [Scotland]
[United States]

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Page
[About Us]
[Activities] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries] [Debate] [Economics] [Garment] [Gender] [Hair] [History] [Home trends] [Literary characters]
[School types] [Significance] [Transport and travel [Uniform regulations] [Year level] [Other topics]
[Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Return to the Historic Boys' School Home]

Created: 10:20 PM 7/21/2004
Last updated: 10:20 PM 7/21/2004