LEINSTER LEADER<\/i><\/b> 27 OCTOBER 1956<\/b>\u00a0 \u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
As\u00a0they walked\u00a0 through\u00a0 the\u00a0 gates of\u00a0 Naas\u00a0 Military\u00a0 Barracks\u00a0 fifty-five\u00a0\u00a0boys,\u00a0 whose\u00a0 ages\u00a0 range\u00a0 from\u00a0 about\u00a0 fifteen\u00a0 to seventeen,\u00a0 entered\u00a0 one\u00a0 of\u00a0 Ireland\u2019s\u00a0 most\u00a0 unusual\u00a0 schools.\u00a0 They\u00a0 were\u00a0 arriving\u00a0 at\u00a0 the\u00a0 Irish\u00a0 National\u00a0 Army\u2019s\u00a0 latest\u00a0 establishment,\u00a0 set\u00a0 up\u00a0 to\u00a0 equip\u00a0 them\u00a0 for\u00a0 an\u00a0 important\u00a0 job.\u00a0 On\u00a0 the\u00a0 completion\u00a0 of\u00a0 their\u00a0 training \u2013 three years of\u00a0 which will be spent in Naas\u2014these boys will\u00a0 be Army technicians .<\/p>\n
To the person who is not familiar with the \u201cmake-up\u201d\u00a0 <\/b>of a defence force\u00a0 the\u00a0 term\u00a0 technician\u00a0 may\u00a0 have\u00a0 but\u00a0 a vague\u00a0 meaning.\u00a0 But\u00a0 the\u00a0 technician\u00a0 is\u00a0 one\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 most\u00a0 important\u00a0 parts\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 force\u2019s\u00a0 \u201cmachinery.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0He\u00a0 has\u00a0 a\u00a0 special\u00a0 place\u00a0 in\u00a0 the\u00a0 organisation\u00a0 and\u00a0 is\u00a0 trained\u00a0 for\u00a0 important\u00a0 duties.<\/p>\n
It\u00a0 is\u00a0 he\u00a0\u00a0 who\u00a0 repairs\u00a0 broken\u00a0 woodworks and fittings, makes and repairs mechanical vehicles, attends to broken and damaged guns, and ensures a supply of electrical power to the troops at all times.\u00a0 Where would\u00a0 an\u00a0 army\u00a0 be\u00a0 without\u00a0 an ample\u00a0 quota\u00a0 of\u00a0 such\u00a0 men?\u00a0 It would\u00a0 soon\u00a0 be\u00a0\u00a0 in\u00a0 a\u00a0 state of \u00a0chaos.<\/p>\n
There\u00a0 would\u00a0 be\u00a0 no\u00a0 one\u00a0 with\u00a0 sufficient\u00a0 knowledge\u00a0 or experience to maintain the army\u2019s equipment,\u00a0 consequently,\u00a0 it\u00a0 could not function efficiently.\u00a0 An ordinary trooper is all right when it comes to fighting but put\u00a0 a spanner in his hand and tell him to replace a tank track, and more than likely,\u00a0 he is lost.<\/p>\n
This is where the technician\u00a0 steps\u00a0 in.\u00a0 He is not trained to fight, but primarily\u00a0 to\u00a0 maintain\u00a0 and service equipment, and it is for this purpose that these boys have been brought to Naas from all parts of the country.<\/p>\n
Many of them probably did not realise the importance of the position they are intended to occupy, but their training will give them a complete knowledge of the various trades necessary\u00a0 for an\u00a0 army\u00a0 technician.<\/p>\n
CONDITIONS OF ENTRY<\/b><\/p>\n
Before\u00a0 they\u00a0 were\u00a0 accepted\u00a0 for the course\u00a0 each of the boys had to undergo\u00a0 a stiff\u00a0 medical\u00a0 test\u00a0 and interview,\u00a0 and each\u00a0 of\u00a0 them\u00a0 had\u00a0 already spent at least a year in a technical school.<\/p>\n
In\u00a0 the\u00a0 Naas\u00a0 school\u00a0 they\u00a0 will\u00a0 undergo\u00a0 a three-year\u00a0 course, which will cover apprentice\u00a0 training \u00a0in\u00a0 one\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 following trades:\u00a0 Carpenter,\u00a0 fitter,\u00a0 body-builder, joiner, armourer, electrician.\u00a0 On the completion\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 course\u00a0 the\u00a0 lads will\u00a0 then\u00a0 be\u00a0 divided\u00a0 up\u00a0 amongst\u00a0 the\u00a0 various\u00a0 corps\u00a0 where\u00a0 they\u00a0 are\u00a0 required.\u00a0 They\u00a0 will\u00a0 spend\u00a0 the\u00a0 remainder of their nine-year enlistment in\u00a0 the\u00a0 regular\u00a0 army,\u00a0 and\u00a0 when\u00a0 finished may re-enlist\u00a0 or \u00a0go on\u00a0 the\u00a0 reserve\u00a0 for\u00a0 three\u00a0 years.<\/p>\n
But during their sojourn\u00a0 in\u00a0 Naas Military\u00a0 Barracks\u00a0 the\u00a0 boys\u00a0 will\u00a0 also\u00a0 undergo military and physical training,\u00a0 and\u00a0 educational\u00a0 training in Irish,\u00a0 English,\u00a0 history,\u00a0 mathematics,\u00a0 mechanical\u00a0\u00a0 drawing\u00a0 and\u00a0 religious\u00a0 knowledge.\u00a0\u00a0 Fully\u00a0 qualified\u00a0 teachers and\u00a0 instructors have been engaged, and\u00a0 one\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 local\u00a0 curates\u00a0 will\u00a0 give\u00a0 lectures in religious knowledge.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0 main\u00a0 idea\u00a0 behind\u00a0 the\u00a0 schools \u2013 the\u00a0 first\u00a0 of\u00a0 its\u00a0 type\u00a0 to\u00a0 be\u00a0 established\u00a0 by\u00a0\u00a0 the\u00a0\u00a0 army\u00a0 is\u00a0 \u201cto provide\u00a0 training\u00a0 in\u00a0 certain\u00a0\u00a0 basic trades\u00a0 with\u00a0 a\u00a0 view\u00a0 to\u00a0 the\u00a0 maintenance\u00a0\u00a0 of\u00a0\u00a0 a\u00a0 supply\u00a0\u00a0 of\u00a0 skilled\u00a0 personnel\u00a0 for\u00a0 the\u00a0 defence\u00a0\u00a0 forces.\u201d The\u00a0 system\u00a0 of\u00a0 training\u00a0 will\u00a0 be\u00a0\u00a0 up\u00a0 to\u00a0 first-class\u00a0 civilian\u00a0 standards,\u00a0 and the trade\u00a0 union\u00a0 organisations\u00a0 have\u00a0 agreed\u00a0 that\u00a0 men trained and qualified\u00a0 under\u00a0 the\u00a0 system\u00a0 can\u00a0 be\u00a0 admitted as members of the appropriate unions.<\/p>\n
So, on their return\u00a0 to\u00a0 civilian life,\u00a0 if they so choose, they will\u00a0 be qualified\u00a0 tradesmen,\u00a0\u00a0 entitled\u00a0 to occupy union jobs.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 RECRETIONAL FACILITIES<\/b><\/p>\n
Due\u00a0 to\u00a0 the\u00a0 fact\u00a0 that\u00a0 they\u00a0 will only\u00a0 be\u00a0 allowed\u00a0 outside\u00a0 the\u00a0 barracks\u00a0 on\u00a0 week-ends\u00a0 the\u00a0 boys\u00a0 will\u00a0 want\u00a0\u00a0 plenty\u00a0 to\u00a0 do\u00a0 during\u00a0 their\u00a0 spare\u00a0 time,\u00a0 and the\u00a0 authorities have \u201claid-on\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 excellent\u00a0\u00a0 recreational facilities\u00a0 for\u00a0 them.<\/p>\n
Physical\u00a0\u00a0 training actually comprises part of the curriculum, but the boys will also be encouraged to spend a great deal out of their leisure hours playing outdoor games, such as hurling and football. Boots, togs, balls, etc., are supplied to them and practising will present no difficulty, as there is a fine field behind the barracks.<\/p>\n
Next year they intend entering teams in the county juvenile and minor grades, and they hope to emulate the feat of the Cadets by winning the championship on the first go.<\/p>\n
Besides outdoor activities the boys will be able to participate in various indoor pastimes. They will have the benefit of a fully equipped gymnasium and basketball court, and if they don\u2019t feel too energetic they can play darts, rings, draughts, table tennis, etc., in their own recreation hall, where a wireless set has been installed. But one of the boys told a Leinster Leader<\/i> reporter, there is a drawback. He sounded a bit disappointed as he said he would not be able to listen to \u201cTop Twenty,\u201d due to \u201clights out\u201d being at 11 p.m.<\/p>\n
BETTER THAN HOME<\/b><\/p>\n
During a\u00a0 tour\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 school\u00a0 our\u00a0 reporter\u00a0 was\u00a0 introduced\u00a0 to\u00a0 several\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 boys,\u00a0 picked\u00a0 at\u00a0 random\u00a0 as\u00a0 he\u00a0 looked\u00a0 around. Four of them,\u00a0 room-mates,\u00a0 composed\u00a0 a\u00a0 very\u00a0 interesting\u00a0 quartet.\u00a0All\u00a0 of\u00a0 them\u00a0 come\u00a0 from\u00a0 Dublin\u00a0 and\u00a0 seem to\u00a0 have\u00a0 a\u00a0 similar\u00a0 liking\u00a0 for\u00a0 the pursuit\u00a0 of\u00a0 hobbies\u00a0 and\u00a0 games.\u00a0Of\u00a0 the\u00a0 four,\u00a0 three\u00a0 are\u00a0 footballers\u00a0 and\u00a0 the\u00a0 other\u00a0 a\u00a0 hurler.<\/p>\n
Looking\u00a0 very\u00a0 comfortable\u00a0 in\u00a0 their\u00a0 billet,\u00a0\u00a0 which\u00a0\u00a0 they\u00a0\u00a0 share\u00a0\u00a0 with\u00a0\u00a0 a senior boy,\u00a0 they\u00a0 related\u00a0 how\u00a0 well they\u00a0 liked\u00a0 their\u00a0 new\u00a0 jobs.\u00a0 Except for\u00a0 the\u00a0 first\u00a0 couple\u00a0 of\u00a0 days\u00a0 they\u00a0 have\u00a0 not\u00a0 kissed home, and are now perfectly happy \u00a0and\u00a0 settled.\u00a0\u00a0 One lad,\u00a0 who\u00a0 seemed\u00a0 most\u00a0 enthusiastic\u00a0 about\u00a0 his\u00a0 new\u00a0 station\u00a0 in\u00a0 life,\u00a0 said\u00a0 it \u00a0was\u00a0 \u201cmuch\u00a0 better\u00a0 than\u00a0 home \u2014 home\u00a0 was\u00a0 never\u00a0 like\u00a0 this.\u201d\u00a0 (His name\u00a0\u00a0 is\u00a0\u00a0 withheld\u00a0\u00a0 for\u00a0\u00a0 security reasons \u2014 his\u00a0 security).<\/p>\n
Each of\u00a0 the\u00a0 boys\u00a0 has\u00a0 his\u00a0 own\u00a0 particular\u00a0 hobby.\u00a0 The\u00a0 smallest\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 four\u00a0 appears\u00a0 to\u00a0 be\u00a0 something of\u00a0 an\u00a0 expert\u00a0 on\u00a0 radio\u00a0 mechanics.\u00a0Out\u00a0 of\u00a0 bits\u00a0\u00a0 and\u00a0\u00a0 scraps\u00a0 he\u00a0 has\u00a0 manufactured\u00a0 a\u00a0 radio\u00a0 set\u00a0 capable\u00a0 of\u00a0 picking\u00a0 up\u00a0\u00a0 programmes\u00a0 from\u00a0 the\u00a0 Irish\u00a0 station.\u00a0 Asked\u00a0 to\u00a0 explain\u00a0 its\u00a0 workings,\u00a0\u00a0 he\u00a0 said\u00a0\u00a0 it\u00a0 was\u00a0 a crystal\u00a0\u00a0 set,\u00a0\u00a0 and\u00a0\u00a0 from\u00a0\u00a0 there\u00a0\u00a0 he\u00a0 embarked\u00a0 into\u00a0\u00a0 its\u00a0\u00a0 technicalities, which sounded\u00a0 very\u00a0 impressive.<\/p>\n
Another boy makes model aeroplanes,\u00a0 and\u00a0 a\u00a0 third\u00a0 model\u00a0 ships.\u00a0\u00a0He produced a sample of his work, which looked extremely well. The\u00a0 fourth member of the group was\u00a0 a\u00a0 straightforward \u00a0youth,\u00a0 admitting\u00a0 that\u00a0 he\u00a0 \u201ccould make anything\u201d out\u00a0 of\u00a0 timber or metal.<\/p>\n
In\u00a0 the\u00a0 course\u00a0 of\u00a0 his\u00a0 look\u00a0 around\u00a0 our reporter was impressed by the happiness\u00a0 of\u00a0 all\u00a0 the\u00a0 boys,\u00a0\u00a0 who certainly do not seem at a loss for home.\u00a0 They are taking all the new regulations in their stride and like the idea of being paid schoolboys.<\/p>\n
SCHOOL\u2019S STAFF<\/b><\/p>\n
The\u00a0\u00a0 officer\u00a0\u00a0 commanding\u00a0\u00a0 the school is\u00a0\u00a0 Lieut-Colonel\u00a0\u00a0 J.\u00a0\u00a0 McDonald, and\u00a0 Commdt.\u00a0 J.\u00a0 Kilcullen is chief\u00a0\u00a0 instructor.\u00a0\u00a0 Possibly\u00a0 the\u00a0 best\u00a0 known members of the \u00a0staff\u00a0 are\u00a0 Sergt-Major \u00a0Bill\u00a0 Jackson,\u00a0 a\u00a0 former prominent\u00a0 Roscommon footballer,\u00a0 and\u00a0 Sergt.\u00a0 McBennett, one of the\u00a0 army\u2019s\u00a0 leading\u00a0 physical training instructors.<\/p>\n
The school will not reach its full complement for another two years, when the entire garrison, including 165 trainees, will number about 200.<\/p>\n
Re-typed by Hannah Mustapha<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LEINSTER LEADER 27 OCTOBER 1956\u00a0 \u00a0 As\u00a0they walked\u00a0 through\u00a0 the\u00a0 gates of\u00a0 Naas\u00a0 Military\u00a0 Barracks\u00a0 fifty-five\u00a0\u00a0boys,\u00a0 whose\u00a0 ages\u00a0 range\u00a0 from\u00a0 about\u00a0 fifteen\u00a0 to seventeen,\u00a0 entered\u00a0 one\u00a0 of\u00a0 Ireland\u2019s\u00a0 most\u00a0 unusual\u00a0 schools.\u00a0 They\u00a0 were\u00a0 arriving\u00a0 at\u00a0 the\u00a0 Irish\u00a0 National\u00a0 Army\u2019s\u00a0 latest\u00a0 establishment,\u00a0 set\u00a0 up\u00a0 to\u00a0 equip\u00a0 them\u00a0 for\u00a0 an\u00a0 important\u00a0 job.\u00a0 On\u00a0 the\u00a0 completion\u00a0 of\u00a0 their\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194,128],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-built-heritage","category-military-history"],"blocksy_meta":[],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Kildare Local Studies","author_link":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/author\/localstudies\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1737"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1737\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8097,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1737\/revisions\/8097"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}