Sir, – Further to Deaglán de Bréadún's enjoyable "Irishman's Diary" (August 25th), I recall in the mid-1960s that one Brother was obsessed with Edna O'Brien and her notoriety. He devoted an entire class (I think it was "religious knowledge") to denouncing her, her "filthy books" and The Irish Times. Naturally, I couldn't wait to read Girl with Green Eyes. – Yours, etc,
PATRICK O’BYRNE,
Phibsborough,
Dublin 7.
Sir, – Like Deaglán de Bréadún, I was also a pupil at Synge Street, about 10 years before him, and was also subjected to the leather punishment. In my time, some Brothers had developed a fine technique of swinging the leather so it hit, not only your hand, but also your wrist, which was even more painful than a belt on the hand.
One Brother had an unusual leather which was totally black and, it was said of him, that he had a “rubber leather”.
However, the normal leather was a masterpiece in craftsmanship, being made of several layers of shaped leather, finely, and almost artistically, stitched together. I wonder would any of these specimens still exist? They would make a fine exhibit of, thankfully, times past. – Yours, etc,
TONY CORCORAN,
Rathfarnham, Dublin 14.