Newspaper Extracts, 1880-1916

17 Jan 1880, The People
Application to an Industrial School.
Mary Farrell applied to have a child, her stepdaughter, admitted to St. Michael’s Industrial School. The child was 11 years of age, and was destitute, her mother being dead 11 years, and her father about five months ago.
Sir F Hughes - Have you not the same means to support her now that you had for the last five months?
No, sir, I had a trifle when her father died, but it is gone, and I have not what will support myself now.
Mr Flood believed it was doubtful if the stepmother was not compelled to support her stepchild.
The clerk said in the Industrial School Act it was not defined as it only said step-parents and others .
The application was granted.

21 Jan 1880, The People
For information on Industrial School girl, Sarah Murphy, born circa 1866, see Workhouse Newspaper Extracts.

14 Oct 1882, The People
Wexford petty Sessions – Wednesday.
Before William Coghlan (presiding), John Greene, R R Kennedy, RM, E Walsh (mayor), John F Kane, Samuel Johnson, and Col N E Huson.
The adjourned application of Edward Kearns for the admission of two children named Nicholas Leary and Anne Leary to an Industrial School, was the first case considered. The Petty Sessions clerk said he had written to the Manager of the Artane Industrial School, in compliance with the directions of the magistrates and had received a reply that there was a vacancy for one in that institution. Evidence was then given by Mary Leary, mother of the children, to the effect that her husband had deserted her and she had no means of supporting the children. Head Constable Callaghan, in reply to the bench, said he was quite sure the children were destitute. An order was made for their admission.

13 1884, The Independent
Wexford Petty Sessions.
Mary Long, an inmate of St Michael's Industrial School, was summoned for adsconding from the institution on 27th August. Two monitresses of the school proved the offense, and also that the accused did not bear a favourable character in the school. The majority of the Bench decided in favour of sending the accused to a reformatory for three years.

1 Sep 1906, Enniscorthy Guardian
There were at the close of last year 68 industrial schools in Ireland.[...]
From the tables given we learn that there were 8,323 children-viz. 3,855 boys and 4,468 girls, on the rolls of these industrial schools at the end of last year. [...]
It may be remembered that in 1898 when a circular was issued to magistrates directing them to refrain from sending children to industrial schools indiscriminately on the mere charge of casual begging a considerable outcry was heard.
But in the interval it would seem to have been found out that the charge of wandering and not having proper guardianship is quite as effective as the old charge of begging. During the year 1897, before the issue of the circular in question 924 children were committed for begging and 152 on the gounds of having been found wandering and not having proper guardianship. During the year 1899, after the circular was issued, only 232 were committed for begging, while the number committed for having been found wandering without proper guardianship had increased to 200. In 1905 the children committed for begging numbered 211, while 641 were committed for having been found wandering without proper guardianship. The report notes in this connection that the number of children placed in circumstances conducive to a life of crime and brought before the magistrates for committal to industrial schools is comparatively few.

16 Aug 1916, The People
Wexford Pupils’ Success.
Miss Anastatia Lynch, a pupil of the Sumerhill Convent, Wexford, who has secured a very high percentage of marks at the Easter King’s Scholarships examinations, has been called for training as a teacher to St Mary’s Training College, Belfast.