My old uniform

I spent all my school years from five to 18 at Scoil Mhuire in Cork. In junior infants we wore a navy pinafore and a beret was optional – we wore it for Confirmation. That remained more or less the same until third or fourth year when we wore an A-line navy skirt, a blue-and-white striped shirt with lapels rather than a tie which made us feel very special – we were the only ones in Cork like that. We also had a navy jumper with a crest and a blazer with a crest. And we loved our uniforms. The trick, however, when you left school, was to roll up your skirt at the waist – Cork schoolgirls never wore their skirts past their knee! We could wear jewellery if we wanted.

I think uniforms are very important – when everything is changing in your life and you’re going into first year – they are a constant. I wouldn’t be a strict disciplinarian, but I think it’s important to have a bit of discipline. I see it in my son now – he’s so proud to get up in the morning and wear it.

Mind you, I find it hard to wear striped shirts every since.

In conversation with Deirdre McQuillan