Hardinge Street CBS

[Dickie]

Doyler I think I may have been in your class as I was in Pavlo and Bobby Campbell class.

[Doyler]

Hi Dickie. I don't remember anyone with that moniker so I'm guessing it was different at school. Do you still live in North Belfast? I didn't stray very far in fact I live much closer to the old school now than I did then. Both my kids went to Park Lodge and now my granddaughter does.

[belfastmapleleaf]

From my time:
S Hicks English
M Crossey Art
M Rafferty Maths
P Catney French
H Largey TD
B Monaghan Nut
P McKenna Geography
M Wynne Arts
B Gibson
B Beausang
E Magennis? WW
McMahon PL

Great help to me, even if I did'nt think it at the time!
Classmates too many names Tojo Jamie Dodger ring a bell!

[fearsaoirse]

 I found this forum of late and did it bring me down memory lane as best as ican remember iwas there from about 1967 till about 1971 and consider them the best days of my life some of the guys who were there, Marty Hill Eamon Largey Gussy Eastwood, John Walsh his cousin Mickey Walsh FRanky Campbell Andy Pedlow Arty Dalzell  one of the Livingstones from the lower falls Jimmy Brown (RIP) Kev Canavan, Robby Kerr Big McGarry from Ardoyne his mate Dessie Montgomery, there were loads more but old age forbids me from remembering them maybe they will come to me later some of the teachers I recall were Br colbert Bro Jennings Bro Hynes Bro Quinlan Bro Ennis  Mr Savage wee Ted my nemisis McBrearty wee Basil big Sid Mr Coyle thats all i can recall, if any of my oul classmates read this i would love to hear from them wat a school i think it was the only place in life that  learned anything I am originally from Carrickhill,

[halfbap]

My name is Francie Boyd, I also went to hoarding st. the same time as you. the teachers you mentioned were there at that time. who was the most hated lay teacher then. who was the worst brother. clue. .lismore was an evil [censored] and grace was a peado

[fearsaoirse]

The most nasty piece of work I thought was McBrierty, he hit me one day and I mean hit me in the bread basket as they say knocked onto my knees the class went silent, you could hear a pin drop, and I said to him, that I only lived 5 minutes from the school and would retrieve the homework which I genuinely forgot and I was bringing my 2 big brothers to knock his b.  in, he scampered when I came back with the homework and my 2 brothers, I was met by Bro Quinlan and he was all kinds of forgiveness and apologies and It wouldnt happen again, I loved that school but after that I decided that I wouldnt stay on, just shows what wrongful actions can do, Bro Quinlan sent for my mammy and daddy and in front of them begged me not to leave and would they persuade me first time I ever went against my mother and father and the rest they say is history, would like to ask if anyone out there would have an old badge or photo of one so I could try and get one made, as I consider Hardinge st one of the best schools on the planet.lol

[Margana]

I was there 65 to 70 and McBrierty was tough (as were many of the others) but I thought the worst was Breen, an English teacher with an American accent. He would leave the room and say that if he heard a sound on his return, he would slap the whole class, which he often did. I think he enjoyed it.
I remember making a T-square (for doing Technical Drawing) in the woodwork class and whatever way I drilled the holes, the T-square would be for a left hander. When McBrierty pointed this out, I said that I was left-handed. He replied that so was he but he didn't go about changing the world around. He used to send me messages for bits of hardware to various shops in Belfast so I didn't suffer too much with him.
I have our class photo taken in Room D (Tech Drawing Room) from about 1966 but it's not close enough to make out the school badge.

[fearsaoirse]

Thanks, it was a great looking badge, it's just that I've have seen masters out of St Malachys wear neat jackets with there school badges on, so why not ours, remember one day room D tech drawing McBrierty was putting something up on the board somebody was talking big McGarry or Dessie Montgomery, Iwas sitting beside Marty Hill I think when McBrierty wheeled round all of a sudden and threw the duster at them went between the 2 of us, and missed it's intended targets, but if that had hit anybody, no kidding it would have done serious damage that is why I made to stay clear of him, cause he had a temper until that fateful day when unreservedly fell foul of him.

[Michael Hughes]

Hi Freeman (if my Gaeilge is correct), 
I attended Hardinge Street from 1958 to 1961. If my memory serves me correctly there was no school badge prior to 1959/60 but one  was designed by Brother Grace (who taught Irish). I have not got a photo of the badge but I remember the motto on it was "adimplere" meaning    TO FULFIL.

Whilst the regime was tough the school provided a solid education for many poor Catholic lads in the city.  I certainly benefited.
 
Michael Hughes

[fearsaoirse]

Thanks for replying Michael. yes your Gaelic is correct not that I am agreat scholar at it, hope Brother Quinlan doesnt read this I hear he is still about, I didnt know that about the badge, good to know but I did look back not that long ago and thought that it did look republican, to me it was agreat school but you only see that when your older, as you know when it moved to Hightown Glengormelyfrom Park Lodge Iwas still always proud that I went there, and my son attended it and done well from it he was there until he was 19 and he loved every minute of it, I attended every parent meeting and the masters liked him very much, and one teacher said she would dream of a class all like him, now two of my grandsons one has left, and the other one is still there, have carried on the tradition, so I must have done something right, it was nice to hear from somebody who still likes an old natter about their schooldays god bless, fearsaoirse.

[Marshmallow]

hope Brother Quinlan doesnt read this I hear he is still about,

 to me it was agreat school but you only see that when your older, as you know when it moved to Hightown Glengormelyfrom Park Lodge Iwas still always proud that I went there, and my son attended it and done well from it he was there until he was 19 and he loved every minute of it,

I haven't posted on the forum in a couple of years as I got fed up with the petty bigotry on some of the threads but reading this prompted me to log back in for the first time in a very long while.
I spent 5 very unhappy and miserable years in St Malachy's Hellhole. I won't call it a college. I left there disillusioned and at rock bottom. My father took me to Hardinge St and we spoke to Brother Quinlan. To cut a long story short, Brother Quinlan gave me back my confidence and self esteem. I spent a very happy year at the school then went on to do A levels at St Mary's. The Hellhole had crushed me. Hardinge Street gave me my proper education and sense of self worth. I am forever grateful to that school, hard as it was for some.

On a sad note, brother Quinlan died in 2013
https://rip.ie/death-notice/aidan-eddie-quinlan-baldoyle-dublin/203485

[fearsaoirse]

Good to hear from you a chairede and that's all the Gaelic I will be using, I read your post about St Malachys and I could believe what happened you because my brother (RIP) had to leave it first of my brother was no saint but a priest in who taught there had it in for him big time, I think his name was Fr Dargan, he tormented my brother and the more my brother rebelled so he had to leave and ended up in I've never heard of it Oranges Academy, I loved Hardinge st until as you could read one of my previous posts what happened to me and Brother Quinlan begged me to stay, but I made the wrong decision and have regretted it ever since, don't get me wrong the school had its faults but they were minor, if you were willing to learn they would teach you, I look back on my time there with really fond memories, you will here ones posting about this Brother and that Brother, I never had any bother whatsoever with any of them, I thought the majority were gentlemen, and would give anything to be going into room F with my bag on my back, so it was great to hear from a past pupil, life is not the same for everybody you will hear different opinions about the school but I had no real problems with it and am proud to have went to it, as was told that there was no room, but Brother Quinlan was the vice Principal and he had taught in a previous school and told my mammy that he would find room and was more than welcome and as they say the rest is history, I've bored you enough and was really sorry about what you went through, just a wee anecdote St Mals gave me a  job classroom tech in electronics but rescinded the offer when they found out that I was an ex Rep prisoner so nothing surprises me about that place, Alan.