Remembering the late Paddy Masterson a Longford institution in the parish of Dromard

Patrick, or “Paddy” as he was known across the north-midlands, was the eldest of Michael and Rose Masterson’s family in Moyne.

With his sisters, Maura and Alice, they were reared on the family’s hill-side farm overlooking the famed Latin School where Fr John Meehan and Fr Ned Boylan had been teaching over fifty “Latin Scholars” since 1932. By 1939 Paddy had been enrolled in the nearby Moyne National School at a time when very hard-hit Irish farmers were just emerging from the 1930s impasse that was the “Economic War” with Great Britain.

World War II followed in September, 1939 with all its hardships and “emergency” rationing. By the time the war ended in 1945, Latin School numbers had fallen to twenty-one!
In Moyne National School, Paddy had passed easily through the classrooms of Mrs Annie Sheridan and Mrs Mary B Taafe and into the senior classroom of school principal, Mr Frank Doyle.
His classmates of those days, the Bradys, Duffys, Mulligans, McNaboes, his own cousins, Margaret and Kathleen O’Reilly and the Grays of the Post Office, - all became his friends for life.

Master Doyle retired at the end of December, 1945 and he was succeeded by John W Reid on transfer from Edenmore school.
The Reid family came to live in the local teacher’s house immmediately across the road from the Latin School.
Master Reid had a strong belief in the value of choir and drama in education and, as had been his wont in Edenmore, children’s concerts were soon being staged in the old 1892 schoolhouse in Moyne.
It was on that temporary stage that Paddy Masterson found his “niche” as he “topped the bill” in Moyne school concerts across the latter forties.

His duet performances of numbers such as “Thank you Ma’am, says Dan” and the WW1 anti-conscription ballad, “Brian Oge and Mollie Bawn” opposite his cousin, Margaret, his recitations and his comedy sketches, - all used bring the house down and enhance the parochial purse into the bargain.
In later life, he was to join the late Pearse Daly’s Carnation Players in local productions such as “Sharon’s Grave” and “The Wood of the Whispering” alongside seasoned amateurs that included “Steevie” and Evelyn Reilly, Pat Joe McLoughlin, Michael Reilly, Rose McGee–Sorohan and the late Eileen Owens plus many, many others during the fifties and early sixties.
A 60s trip to New York persuaded Paddy that the emigrant trail was not for him and he returned to farming in Moyne.

His sisters, Maura and Alice soon followed suit with their husbands, the late Danny Madigan and John Donnelly.
The 1970s provided Paddy with his beloved nieces and nephews as he settled easily into working the family farm and caring for his ageing parents, Michael, who passed away in 1979 and Rose four years later. And he found time regularly to look in on lots of his neighbours as well.

He was still the first port of call locally for stage contributions and one of Paddy’s more memorable performances was that of “the Groom” to Helen McNerney-Curran’s “Bride” in Dromard GAA’s Mayoral fund-raising Mock Wedding of the early eighties.

Paddy Masterson loved music and he loved to dance. Where other contemporaries would have been “stuck to the floor” he was already a skilled exponent of the waltz, the foxtrot and especially so, of the samba.
The old “Master’s Voice” gramophone in Masterson’s kitchen got lots of use as Paddy patronised many a social dance, barn-dance and parish hall from Gray’s barn to Lukey’s, Murphy’s and Corraneary. He was a faithful patron of the newly refurbished St Patrick’s Hall in Arva.
In mature years he progressed his love of dancing into the social dance venues of Arva, Carrigallen and the Glenview.
Paddy was the relief postman of choice at Moyne Post Office as he deputised in turn for the late Ned Gray, “Steevie” Reilly and Tom Farrell.
With his ready wit, fun, banter and chats along the route, he brightened many a bleak morning for customers from Annagh to his Uncle John and Aunt Katie Masterson’s home in Enaghan.

The fortunes of Moyne Latin School improved considerably when Bishop McNamee appointed Fr James Faughnan its superior in August, 1946.
By 1948 over forty students were on roll which enabled him apply to the Department of Education for recognition as a formal secondary school.
That entailed frequent visits from a team of subject inspectors including Mr Duggan (English and Classics), Mr Nolan (Mathematics) and Tomas O’Floinn (Gaeilge). Since money was very scarce and utterly dependant on the students’ tuition fees, the inspectors’ hospitality was contributed by Mrs Katie Reid.

Fr Faughnan’s application was approved and the Latin School became Scoil Mhuire on January 1, 1949 with the considerable academic and financial advantages accruing.
Students could now take the Intermediate and Leaving Certificate examinations, the State was to pay the bulk of the teachers’ salaries and also contribute to the maintenance of the buildings.
Fr Faughnan added several new classrooms and a number of additional priest teachers were appointed as pupil numbers exceeded 75 in 1953.
That was when Fr Faughnan appointed Paddy Masterson Scoil Mhuire’s part-time caretaker. Further lay staff were appointed and when Scoil Mhuire joined the “O’Malley” scheme in 1967, girls were admitted and numbers soared to 135 that year.
Along the way, and in lieu of better pay, perhaps, Paddy also secured the school-shop franchise and a unique relationship developed between Paddy Masterson and the Scoil Mhuire students and staff, something that became poignantly apparent in the several condolence messages posted to the rip.ie website when Paddy passed away all of fifty-five years later on January 8, 2023.
Fr James Faughnan went on to become President of St Mel’s College in 1970 and so it fell to Fr Philip McGee, with his twelve teachers and Ballinamuck Vocational School’s fifteen, to effect the voluntary amalgamation which created Moyne Community School on August 1,1973.
Pledged by Deed of Trust to preserve and to cherish the dreams as well as the ethos of its parent schools, Moyne Community School now boasts over fifty teachers catering for upwards of six hundred pupils.
As they have driven by his hillside farm overlooking the Latin School Centre, one wonders how many of them have recognised Paddy Masterson’s “friendly wave” as they have passed along the R198 below.

But his friendly welcome is indeed sorely missed by that rota of weekly “ceilidh” visitors who have been calling on Paddy in late years: Packie Sheridan, Paddy Joe Brady, Hugh Duffy, Sonny Brady, Pat Jones, Henry McHugh, the McManus brothers, Charlie Brady, The Nowells, George and Eileen Taafe, Mary O’Reilly, the Grays, Oswald and Eilish Reilly and lots more besides. It fell to Scoil Mhuire alumnus, Fr Pat Lennon to reflect that: “Paddy was an institution in the parish of Dromard.” Paddy Masterson is survived by his sisters, Maura Madigan, Alice and John Donnelly, their families and their grandchildren. Slán abhaile, Paidí a mhic. In iothlainn Dé go gcastar sinn!

Acknowledging his considerable help with Latin School/Scoil Mhuire data and information details, buíochas ó chroí to Liam Faughnan, Moyne Community School Principal, 1997-2009. - Benny Reid, January, 2023.