Brother Con Higgins: Christian brothers, Education, Sport

Brother Con Higgins: Christian brothers, Education, Sport

Life History;

Brother Higgins describes his childhood and praises his education at the North Mon school. He later became a teacher at the school, and he comments on education and on religious life.
Brother Higgins (born circa 1956) grew up in Madden’s Buildings, Blackpool.
He comments that hurling rather than Gaelic football was the game played on the Northside, and tells a story about being fined in court aged 7 for playing it in the street.
He gives some details about his Communion and Confirmation.
He talks about the North Mon, about the sport played there and about the teaching of subjects through Irish. Generally, there was a pride in Irish culture and the achievement of the Republic.
He talks about the Irish language as a language, its richness and difficulties associated with using it.
Returning to the subject of the North Mon, he praises the standard of education he got there. Afterwards he went to a teacher training college, where he was again taught through Irish. He comments on the role of educationalists such as Edmund Rice and Nano Nagle, and he dates the establishment of the North Mon to 1816. He lists some past pupils who have become well-known actors and he comments that the school put on pageants during the 1930s and 1940s.
He describes the process of his training as a teacher and a Christian Brother, and he finishes with some comments about religious vocations and the importance of religion in society.

09 June 1999

CFP_SR00268_higgins_1999

Ireland; Cork; 1990s

Published Material:

Hunter, Stephen (1999), Life Journeys: Living Folklore in Ireland Today, Cork: The Northside Folklore Project.

Cork Folklore Project Audio Archive

Cork Folklore Project

English

Sound

.wav

69min 38sec

North Monastery Boys Primary School, Cork

Cassette

SH:   And did you play hurling?

BH:   Oh yes, I, yeah. Am, being from Madden’s Buildings of course The Glen Rovers was a madness for any budding hurler so we would have played street leagues, we would have played on Glen Rovers under-8’s, under-10’s right up along, so yes hurling was a very, very big part of our lives and even on the street. I do remember being fined two shillings and sixpence at the tender age of eight for playing hurling on Great William O’Brien Street.

SH:   What a guard came along and he fined you on the spot?

BH:  Not on the spot no, we had to go to court -- I can remember my father having to take the day off work.

SH:   Was it embarrassing?

BH:   Well I was-- I suppose I was, I was terrified. Am, my father was certainly embarrassed along with many of the other.  I think there were eight or nine of us before court getting a record at seven years of age but I suppose when you look back at it now, I suppose they could say you know that you’d be proud of what, what you had done, that you were playing your national game and were fined for it you know?