The Huron Expositor, 1978-06-29, Page 27THE HURON EXPoirroR, JUNE- 29,' 1978
THE MUSICMAKERS — The members of the Dublin High School
Orchestra in 1936, instruments in hand, included (bottom row) Jim
Delaney, Mary Morris, Frank Evans, Leo Carlin, Katherine Woods,
Genevieve Atkinson, Anna Meagher and. Leonard Nagle: (second
6
row) Margaret Fitzpatrick, Teresa Krauskopf, Ma,ry Woods, Ruby
Moore and Joe Morrison; (third row) Helen O'Reilly, Mary
McGrath, Mary Evans, Mary 'Molyneaux and Clem Jeffery: (top
row) Joe Eckert, Joe Evans, Joe McCarthy, "Dominic Murray and
Lou Donnelly.
-Conthi-u-ail'on school changed lives
• By Alice Cibb •
In January.' 1915, a new building 4ened
in Dublin which was to change the lives of
many residents'of both the village and the
rural district around, it..
The building Was, the Dublin Con-
tinuation School, which offered Dublin arid
area students the chance to continue -their
education beyond the Grade 8 level offered
at St. Patrick's 'School..
John Nagle, who attended the school. in
its early 'years, recalls while. Dubliners
could board 'in Seaferth, . Mitchell or
Stratford and attend the high schools in
those towns, few took this option. •
Farmers, in particular: couldn't spare
their sons and daughers for the better part
of the year. -
A, few pupils in the village itself
commuted daily to Stratford by train. They
boarded the train going east at 7 a,m. and
returned on the 5 p.m. train going west.
Needless to say, it made a long day for the
student, but residents of other towns like
Tavistoek, Shakespeare and Monkton were
forced to do the same thing if they wanted
to continue their studies to prepare for
university entrance.
When the Dublin Continuation -School
opened its doors in 1915, there were about
25 pupiis, but by the end of the year, the
number had risen to 40 students.
Mr. Nagle said when the school opened
the staff was two sisters from the Ursuline
order in Chatham who taught in the
school's two classrooms,
,Mr. Nagle said the whole thrust of the
curriculum was to give students a classical
education which would prepare them for
university entrance.
The basic subjects taught at the school
were Latin, French, Math, English,
' History and softie Science.
Since . only • the continuation grades,
which we now label Grade 9 to II, ,were
recognized by the 'provincial government.
fOr grant purposeS% the rest of the school's
prOgram was paid 'for by local residents.
Under the limits of the grant system. the
education offered in . the school had to be
classical in nature, since it was impossible
financially to offer. a variely of other
subjects.
Mr. Nagle,-whose family moved into the
village in 1916, started school the following
year.
In the spring term in 1918, he recalls he
was the only boy left in the form. His eight
fellow male students had been released
from class early so-they could help With the ,
farm work due to. the shortage of labor.
When students' were released to assist
on the farms, they'were given credit for the
school work they missed. .
Mr. Nagle estimates in the early years of
'the school, 90 per cent of the Dublin
graduates went on to take some form of
higher education .since those who weren't
interested in a professional field. to begin
with, stayed home and worked on fife'
family farm. •
Among the Most popular professions
chosen by graduates- were teaching, law,
nursing, the ministry and medicine.
Some - of the Continuation School
graduates Mr. Nagle recalled included Dr.
Dill, who practised 'medicine in Detroit,
Father John' McConnell, a priest in ,New
York City and Father Tom McQuaid, a
prisoner of war during the Chinese
Revolution.
Many of the women graduates, including
the Jordan and McConnell girls, joined one
of the religious orders.
Mr. Nagle himself went on to•study at ,
the -London Normal School. and after
teaching for some years in the West...
returned to Dublin after the War and picked'
up to the trade of millwright..
In 1969, the Dublin Continuation School,
finally closed its doors, Today the Witting
is used as the administrative office.~ of the
Huron-Perth County Roman Catholic
Separate School Board,
Over the years, Mr. Nagle said the
school Was open to any religious de-
nomination, and often as high as 40 per
cent of the students were non-Catholics.
In addition to Dublin residents, students
front Brpdhagen, Staffa, Crornarty and
area also attended the school.
It was only in the last 10. year's of the
school's existence, that Grade 13 classes
could be offered. Before that, students had
to transfer to another 'area high school for
their final year.
Mr.. Nagle said the school wits alwayS,
supported by local money - for •example,
the teachers rented the convent at the rear
of the, school as living quarters and that
money in turn helped pay for the
cOntinuation school's operation. ,
With the enlargement of the .Mitchell
and Seaforth District High Schools, and an
expanded bus system throughout . the
county, it was no longer necessary for rural
students to attend the Dublin School.
Mr. Nagle said the school had to be
dosed when it came to a point where it
couldn't he carried any longer financially
so it was sold to the board on a lease
purchase arrangement after pitting vacant
for two years.
Mr. Nagle said the money which
remained from winding up the affairs of
the school stayed in the community - it was
Used as a capital expenditure in building
the athletic park.
play With the Providence Reds. In 1938,
when the famous Eddie Shore was a Boston
holdout, Johnny Crawford signed with the
Bruins.
The defenceman was hardly the fighter
many of today's defencemen. have become
-jn three seasons of play he averaged less
than ten minutes in penalties annually and
in the-1946 Stanley 'Clip scrieS, he didn't
get a penalty.
When playing for the Bruins, Johnny
Crawford was 5'11" and weighed 190
.pounds and he wore sweater #6,
One of Dublin's celebrated natiVe sons
was Johnny Crawford, a Boston Bruins
player and a member of the 1946 N.H.L.
all-star hockey' team.
Johnny Crawford was born in Dublin,
the son of David Crawford of Hullett
Township and Ann Shea of MelCillo.p
Township. He received his early education
in Dublin,, where the family lived, before
moving to Toronto.
He started his playing career with the
West Toronto Juniors and after they won
the Dominion title this led to a chance to
Johnny Crawford starred
for Boston Bruins