To be fair, Irish society was happy to look the other way.... part of our culture.
It was part of our culture, but long since passed, those days are long gone.
I can honestly say that none of my 5 kids were ever abused or bullied while
in school and if it did ever happen then it was because it was well kept from me.
My youngest daughter, now an adult lady and still 'Mad as a Hatter' was once
in play-school as a Three year old, "Perky-Poos" had No fear of anything,
she knew well that she had a big ginger ugly Dad right behind her and
that anyone who even looked sideways at her would draw his wrath.
As she was in her Play-school this ultra P.C. Bitch, whom I had taken a
total dislike to fer her over dramatic sense and put-on American accent,
gave out to her, so "Perky-Poos" up with her Three year old hand and
Fookin Whacked her ONE !
"Perky's" got Mangled, her Mom Mangled her, her Grand-parents Mangled
her, the school Mangled her and then when they were all done 'n dusted and I
was left alone to put the kids to bed after de ex-wife had went off to college.
I put all the kids off to bed with the usual short prayer and sometimes ultra
long story and kissed them all off to sleep and then I returned to 3 year old
"Perky's" bedside, I said to her;
"You were Right my Little Love, be No one
stand in your way" and I kissed her on the cheek, surprisingly she sat up and
kissed me back which was unusual fer her to show any type of affection
before falling off to sleep.
I could tell "Perky-Poos" stories all day long cos the girl was a walking Pantomine.
At aged 3 "Perky" was the Tiny Dot at the end of the Tiny Tots line in the Cinderella
panto in the Cat Club in Cork. "Perky's" had done her few very cute bits fer the
audience on the First few nights and I knew "Perkys" well enough to know that
she was only warming up. On the Fourth night the stage manager approaches me,
he sez to me;
"Isin't she doing so well ? I encourage her to do her own thing",I reply;
"No, No, Don't encourage her, ya don't know what your dealing with here !"