The following day I was taken to St Joseph’s Primary School along with my sister Patsy who was almost four. This was my introduction to Sister Malachy who was in charge of the ‘infants’.

In retrospect Sister Malachy should never have been entrusted with the charge of small children. She was bad-tempered and given to the use of the cane for the smallest misdemeanours. Most of the children were terrified of her.

That first morning we entered a large classroom with rows of miniature benches and small bucket-shaped chairs. At the back of the room was a beautiful doll’s house, a rocker and several dolls and small toys. We were sadly disillusioned when they never reappeared after that first day. They were used as a ploy to reassure first-time parents as well as ‘babies’ on their first day of school.