Chapter 15 — Daingean

Neglect

Dr Lysaght has criticisms not found in Kennedy, for example the inadequacy of medical records. The only criticism in Kennedy not also found in Lysaght is the condemnation of corporal punishment. Yet, the Oblates found Lysaght careful and balanced and ‘one would have to accept it’.

Apart from the issue of corporal punishment, they appear to have found the same things but reached a different conclusion about whether the School was fit to remain open. The Department of Education had enough information from their Inspector to reach a decision on the matter in 1966. What we do learn from comparing the two reports is that between 1966 and 1968 no improvements were made, and possibly matters had deteriorated.

The lack of teaching staff and teaching Brothers affected the level of education offered to the boys. Daingean, for the majority of its existence, never had an adequate teaching regime to cater for the requirements and needs of its pupils. The issue of education given to the boys in Daingean had always been a contentious and problematic one. The Department of Education wrote in 1967: the educational aspects of this reformatory school for boys in Daingean, Co. Offaly, has been shamefully neglected over many years. The boys were illiterate on entering the school and were given very little education during their two years of normal time in the institute. As a result of financial restrictions, the directors had to make use of them as labourers. It is proposed now to put an end this neglect.

The Oblates in their Opening Statement stated that the Brothers and other members of staff always provided certain classroom education in the usual subjects of the primary school programme. There was also vocational training in various trades and occupations given by Brothers of the staff, for example, carpentry, tailoring, shoemaking, printing, and farm and garden work.

For the majority of the School’s history, however, Daingean had only one or two lay teachers, paid for by the Oblates, to cater for the primary educational needs of its entire population of boys. Two lay technical teachers were supplied and paid for in 1946 by Offaly Vocational Education Committee. These taught the manual subjects in the School. A 1966 report, written in order to seek the establishment of a primary school in Daingean, gave the figures relating to the education of the boys: 30 boys received metal or woodwork instruction. 25 boys received secular instruction in a lay teacher’s class. The School had 112 residents in residence at this time. The remainder of the boys (60 in number) who do not receive technical or primary education spend their time working. This report concluded that every boy resident in the School was in need of a primary education, and a primary school for Daingean was justified.

Therefore, up to 50 percent of the boys in Daingean were not receiving any formal education in Daingean in 1966. This is reflected in the evidence given to the Investigation Committee, with numerous witnesses stating that the education they received in Daingean was poor to non-existent. Throughout the 1960s in Daingean, and in particular during Fr Luca’s period as Resident Manager, attempts were made to improve this situation.

Change in the school subjects developed on a modest level, and extra classes were provided. The Oblates said that this was done at the request of the boys to stop the boredom of the playground. A prolonged debate between the Department of Education and the Oblate authorities led to the recognition of a special national school in Daingean. However, it would close three years later. With the advent of the national school, the teaching numbers were increased, and it was proposed to recognise the School under the national school grouping and to pay the teachers. This was implemented on 5th January 1970, and Daingean was recognised as a special national school, with four teachers under the management of Fr Luca.

Fr Hughes blamed the State for this neglect of education: It did not supply any funds for teachers or for anything else, it was just left entirely to the school to find its resources from the capitation grant.

The boys sent to Daingean were older than the upper age-limit for national school education and, therefore, it did not receive a national school grant from the Department of Education until 1967. Many priests and Brothers lived in the community in Daingean, and were supported by the capitation grant, who did not contribute to the care of the boys, and it would not have added greatly to the costs of the School for them to have helped with the basic schooling of these deprived boys.

In his 1966 report, Dr Lysaght listed the following teaching staff: 2 lay teachers for technical subjects 1 lay teacher i/c Primary School. 2 part time teachers include Art drawing Mrs K...; Arts & Craft & Cookery Miss M.... The introduction of these women to the teaching staff has had I was told a very good effect on the boys.

Boys were in Daingean usually for two years and would be available for only one full school year, and, as a result, Fr Hughes told the Committee: ‘The boys did not have a great success in getting certificates’. Moreover, he added: the equipment was rather poor. The equipment of course had to be supplied by the school, again out of the capitation grant, it was never funded by the State ... Another big reason ... was the difficult of attracting good teachers. The teachers for the technical school were provided by the Offaly Vocations Committee ... That was the only element of the educational programme that was paid for ...

Fr Hughes agreed with counsel for the Investigation Committee that it would be fair to suggest that the educational aspect of the boys’ time in Daingean was not particularly enlightening. He continued: Yes. Again you have to remember the capacity of the boys too, it would be naïve to think one could achieve a great deal in that context.

By their own assessment, then, the Oblates did not provide vocational training in various trades and occupations. Over half the boys spent their time working on the farm and bog.

Integral to the whole issue of neglect is the question of finance. Financial Consultants, Mazars, were asked to analyse the financial position of Daingean, and their report and the Oblates’ submission on this issue, in addition to other relevant documents and a commentary, appear in Part IV. What can be stated is that the numbers in Daingean, right up until the late 1960s, were adequate to ensure that the capitation grant could provide a basic standard of care for the boys there. Taking into account the income from the large and productive farm and the work of the boys, especially on the bog, it is clear that lack of funding was not an excuse for the very poor standard of care provided.

The conditions of neglect and squalor described by Dr Lysaght and the Kennedy Committee were the responsibility of the management of the School. Inadequate buildings and the consequent overcrowding would undoubtedly have taxed the most efficient Manager, but dirt, hunger, shabbiness and lack of supervision were management issues, and these were all present at Daingean. Daingean represented a failure of the Department of Education to carry out its statutory function of supervision and inspection. The closure of Daingean and the move to Scoil Ard Mhuire, Lusk