Memories of Willmount School live on through past pupils…

An ancient oak tree near Drumquin holds fond memories for past pupils of Willmount School, a staple of local history since 1887.

The small country school, which was a hub of education for generations, left lasting impressions on many, with memories that range from joyful to less-happy thoughts of the strict teaching methods of the time..

Willie McLaughlin, a well-known Drumquin local, began attending Willmount School at the age of five in 1947. He recalls the very basic conditions of the school, which lacked modern amenities.

“There was no electricity or heating, just a stove against the wall,” said Willie.

“The toilets were ‘dry toilets’ with no flush, only the nearby river.”

He added, “The teaching back then was very basic. During my time there we were taught reading, writing and sums, but it wasn’t very much. Then you could leave school at 14 and go straight in to work,”

Despite these hardships, Willie says there was a cross-community element to Willmount, which he describes as ‘interesting for the time’.

The school had around 50 pupils which were split into two groups: the younger ones facing one wall and the older ones facing the other.

Lessons were taught simultaneously.

While Willie had positive experiences at the school, he also acknowledged that one of the teachers became stricter and even abusive over time.

“We were a happy bunch of kids but this teacher was very heavy-handed,” said Peter Thompson, another former pupil who attended after Willie.

“He was notorious for slapping us with his hands and with the stick.

“On one occasion he had a go at me, but I went straight back to my father that evening to tell him what happened. My father had a talk with him the next day and the teacher certainly never went at me like that again.”

Peter, who attended Willmount in the early 1950s, also recalls some lighter moments with the same teacher, like the time he attempted to teach the children how to swim in the river.

“He couldn’t swim himself, but he tried to teach us anyway,” laughed Peter.

In fact, the children had many outdoor experiences, from climbing the nearby oak tree to fishing in the river.

For Peter, who lived about three miles from the school, the journey was tough. However, one of his teachers, Mrs Fahy, would pick him up halfway on her way to school and drop him off on the way home.

The school also offered practical lessons, such as knitting for girls and woodworking for boys.

Peter remembers being punished for laughing at a girl who had dropped her stitches.

“The boys who laughed were forced to sit and knit ourselves!” he said. “I ended up knitting a three-foot-long scarf, but it was only about four inches wide.

“It was a fair punishment for a bit of amusement.”

As the years went by, discussions about merging local schools increased. Despite early talks beginning in 1935, it wasn’t until 1965 that the closure of Willmount School was confirmed. In 1966, the school officially closed, and its pupils were merged with other schools in the area.

Today, the old school building lies in ruins just outside Drumquin, but fond memories still survive in the minds of the few still around to tell the tale of Willmount.