Niamh Bhrathnach recalls her schooldays when she was surrounded by strong women, who instilled in her their high expectations

FOR ME, school - first at Carysfort National School, Blackrock, Co Dublin, with the Mercy nuns, and later at Sion Hill with the Dominicans - was a place that I always associated with strong women.

Both orders made very clear the high expectations they had of their pupils. The nuns were great believers in education and hard work.

School was a journey with different women of varying, but very great, talents.

At Carysfort, their ambition was for us to stay in school until seventh or eighth class. Sister Nathy, the principal, who was driven to ensure that bright people obtained qualifications, opened a "secondary top" where students could work for Inter Cert.

Sister Claver gave us elocution lessons; Sister De Montfort ran a wonderful classroom library, while Sister Dympna ran the school choir.

In the 1950s the Mercy nuns opened a mission in Nairobi and while I was in school, Sister Jacintha was learning Swahili before she left for Africa.

CARYSFORT was the model school for the training college to which we were sent regularly. The student teachers were great role models - watching them made me realise that it was possible to be a teacher. My own parents were civil servants but this opened another option for me.

When I went to join my older sister in Sion Hill I again met extraordinary women, including Sister Rose Catherine, Sister Juannes and Sister Benvenuta (Margaret McCurtain).

Although I came from a home that was filled with books, I was always entranced by the magnificent library at Sion Hill. At secondary school I took part in debating and drama, both of which have stood me in good stead in my later life.

During my schooldays, I was regarded as a noisy person - my younger sister, who was much quieter, was always held up to me as a model.

Although we used to attend school on Saturday mornings and even go in on Sundays to the Legion of Mary, school never dominated in my life.

Living close to both schools meant that I went home for my dinner ever day. I enjoyed school but I also enjoyed socialising with friends on the journeys to and fro, four times a day.