Cabra History.Com

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Can’t you still imagine it all the same? Hundreds of young boys running about playing chasing and cowboys or kicking a burst ball around the yard. ‘Come on lads, you can all be in my gang…’ And you gulping down the milk that came in a little bottle and stuffing your sambo down your gullet before someone came along and snatched it out of your hand or mouth. And do you remember we used to have to line up at the poles at the shelter? I can still see Mister Byrne standing there with his pipe stuck in the side of his mouth chatting away in Irish to Mister Maguire. And when the bell would go off at nine o’clock we’d be bursting a gut to get into our classes out of the cold. ‘Now lads, line up nice and smart…‘ Sometimes as we marched into our class you might find yourself under the beady eye of Canon Burke. ‘Did you go to Confession last week…’? ‘Yes Father, and I got Holy Communion as well…’ No such thing of course but you had to play the game, that’s how we survived back then as kids…