When I was going to school in the 2000s and 2010s, I was lucky enough that for most of my time, I lived a 10 minute walk from the school. I went to St. Patrick’s BNS for primary school, and then around the corner from that to De La Salle in Wicklow Town for my Junior years of secondary school.
It was mainly made up of baltic prefabs that were barely clinging together for dear life, and it was a bit of a kip, but it was good craic all the same! For a closeted gay chubster, I actually have a lot of fond memories of the early years. I used to stroll to school, across a collection of housing estates (hopping over a few walls or across greens to shorten the journey) and my door to door trip was actually quite nice.
There were a collection of my friends who lived along the route, and we used to walk together, collecting people as we went. Inside the school gates was a long drive that led down to the collection of buildings, and there was always a buzz in the mornings as we flocked through them amongst teachers in their cars.
Everyone would go chill in the ‘study hall’ which was effectively just a massive canteen with windows that kept in no heat. But there was always a bit of craic to be had before the morning bell went!
Cian Griffin is from Wicklow Town, and is more commonly known online under the alias of ‘Gaylgeoirí’ where he creates LGBTQ+ content on Instagram and Tik Tok. He is a writer, comedian, public speaker, and queer activist, that works to better the perception of LGBTQ+ people in Ireland, especially through the lens of sport. He has been involved in Na Gaeil Aeracha (Ireland’s first explicitly LGBTQ+ Inclusive GAA Club) since it was founded in 2020.
On behalf of the Museum of Childhood Ireland and Robert Burns, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all of our wonderful participants for their time and their stories. We are thrilled to be presenting this project and we hope you will enjoy following along with us.
Have a story on this topic and want to get involved? Contact us on our social media sites, or email us at cbrowne@museumofchildhood.ie – we would love to hear from you!