After training at Marlborough Training College, Dublin, Mr. Robert Lamont Russell spent the first ten years of his teaching career in various small country schools in Tyrone and Antrim before taking up the post of headmaster at Tullygrawley Public Elementary School in April 1923.  His father Mr John Russell had been headmaster here until his retirement and where R. L. Russell had received his own elementary education.

Mr Russell soon found his senior pupils taking an eager interest in drawing, and many of their written exercises a delight to read, entering many of them into a competition and was pleasantly surprised when prizes were awarded.  Often described as a “man ahead of his time” R. L. Russell encouraged his young pupils to express themselves through drawing and writing, especially poetry and here are some of the poems written by many of R. L. Russell’s pupils.