New Research: Searching for Ireland’s Hedge Schools – Ag lorg na scoile chois claí

In this post, we ask for help from the public to gather and collate information on the locations of hedge schools across all of Ireland.

For some years now, I’ve been interested in the landscape and architecture of formal education in Ireland. With the establishment of the National Schools Act in 1831, there was a surge in the construction of school buildings across the island. However, prior to the 1792 repeal of the Education Act of 1695, only schools run by subscribers to the Anglican faith were permitted to operate, and the children of the non-conforming faiths (Catholic and Presbyterian) were largely forbidden from receiving formal education. In this context, Catholics and Presbyterians established secret and illegal schools that met in private buildings. These informal learning environments are now often referred to as ‘hedge schools’.

‘The soldiers are coming' by: Mason, Thomas Holmes, 1877-1958

Anyone who grew up in Ireland will be familiar with the lore of the hedge school. In the mind’s eye, one envisions classes being taught in an outdoor setting, in a secluded location, with a constant watch kept for the authorities. Arthur Young, travelling in Ireland in the 1770s [1], claimed that the most appropriate name for them would be ‘ditch schools’, for he had seen many ‘ditches full of scholars’. However, the term ‘hedge school’ came to describe this form of education not because lessons were literally held in ditches and hedges, but due to the rural nature of the practice.

The hedge school was, in reality, a method of education rather than a specific preferred location. Lessons were more often conducted within inconspicuous buildings known locally for their dual purpose. These buildings were typically situated in secluded spots and, according to some historical sources, beside ditches. They often (though not always) took the form of a roadside bothán (a type of vernacular building) or something similar.

Recorded by Kathleen Hurley, Ballymoe, Co. Galway in 1938 (Schools Folklore Collection - CBE_0485_CBE_0485_0267)

However, few hedge school buildings are documented today, and our recent research suggests that knowledge of their locations within communities is rapidly disappearing. With this in mind, we hope to contact and speak with anyone who has personal or community knowledge of the locations where these buildings once stood.

Our project is also seeking individuals with knowledge of these sites who would be willing to contribute to an oral history database by way of an interview.

Do you know of a locally or historically attested hedge school location in Ireland?—perhaps a building that was once used for informal education? If so, please get in touch at info@lirarchaeology.ie

[1] Young, A. 1897 A Tour in Ireland 1776-1779 Cassell & Company, Limited: London, Paris, New York & Melbourne.