Eilish Keegan was an only child and did not begin school until she was five. She did not start school in Sr. Mary John's Class but with Sr. Berchmans. Almost immediately Sr. Berchmans realized the little girl could sing. Her schooldays are punctuated with concerts, feiseanna, plainchants and medals.
Her best memory of work none at a Feis was the year she was in fourth class. Sr. Evangelist was her teacher and put together a drill type marching song called "The Four Provinces". The costumes were beautiful. They were made of blue and green satin and Sr. Evangelist herself painted the emblems of the four provinces on them. Six girls representing each province marched in formation and sang a song in Irish appropriate to each province. As the highlight of this performance the girls made a tableau and then the curtain behind them opened. There as "Mice tire" was Nora Byrne envied by all because of her beautiful long hair.
The girls of Eilish's time were involved in many concerts. The classrooms upstairs were used as the venue. Eilish remembers the partitions between the classrooms there being folded back and all the audience thronging in. One action song, which sticks in her memory was called "The Bright Little Pinafore". All the little girls wore pretty aprons and Eilish can still sing the words of the song.
Sr. Imelda taught Third Class at the time. Her classroom was at the top of the wooden stairs. In it was what looked like a large cupboard with two white doors. When the doors were opened Sr. Imelda's altar or the "little oratory" was revealed. It contained a life size statue of the Sacred Heart. Eilish says it was an honour to be the chosen one who was allowed to stay back to tidy the altar. On the first Friday of every month the children brought nightlights to put on the altar.
Eilish continued on after sixth class to do a Commercial Course with Sr. Teresa Carmel Kelly. The building work caused problems for Sr. Teresa Carmel. Her class were shifted around a lot and at one time were upstairs overlooking the yard where all the men were working. The works manager was a Mr. Scally from Dublin. He had a son who was tall and blonde and every time poor Sr. Teresa Carmel turned her back the girls were hanging out the windows waving to him. This class ended up in the front of the new school shortly afterwards.
Sr.Columbanus was delighted with Eilish's beautiful voice and loved to hear her sing "Because" and "The Holy City'. Eilish remembers being called to the office once to sing these songs for two important visitors, Fr. Cardiff and Sr. De Sales, the former Principal.
Eilish returned to sing 'Zurika' for the opening of the new school. "How we fitted on that little stage I don't know", she says, "especially for the big choruses at the end of each act". The corridor and a tiny room off stage were used for quick changes. It was a huge success and many of the cast later joined the Light Opera, which was just then forming and indeed some became members of the chorus of Wexford Festival Opera which began in 1951.
