Tullygrawley School Poems

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.

KENNEDY, TORRENS AUTUMN

KENNEDY, TORRENS AUTUMN (2)

KENNEDY, TORRENS FEBRUARY

KENNEDY, TORRENS SPRING

KENNEDY, TORRENS THE THRUSH

KENNEDY, TORRENS WINTER-TIME

KNOWLES, JAMES NOW THE YOUTHFUL HIAWATHA

KNOWLES, JAMES OUR TURKEY COCK

KNOWLES, JAMES SANTA CLAUS

KNOWLES, JAMES SPRINGTIME

KNOWLES, JAMES SUMMER

KNOWLES, JAMES SUMMER (2)

LAWE, NAN OUTSIDE THE BLASTING WIND DOTH BLOW

LAWE, NAN SPRING

LOUDLY FLOWS THE GREAT WIDE RIVER

MCCAUGHREN, ARTHUR COMING OF WINTER

MCCAUGHREN, ARTHUR WHEN WINTER COMES

MCCREADY, DORA OCTOBER

MCCREADY, HERBERT DECEMBER

MCCREADY, HERBERT SUMMER

MCCREADY, HERBERT WHAT THE FLAX SAYS

MCWILLIAMS, HANNA SUMMER

MCWILLIAMS, HANNA THE WINDS

MORTON, META RAIN

MORTON, META WHAT I LOVE

ROBINSON, BERTIE AUTUMN

ROBINSON, BERTIE COMING OF WINTER

ROBINSON, BERTIE SNOW

ROBINSON, BERTIE SPRING

ROBINSON, BERTIE SPRING (2)

ROBINSON, BERTIE WHEN WINTER COMES

ROBINSON, BERTIE WINTER

ROCK EDITH CHRISTMAS

ROCK, EDITH NOW THE YOUTHFUL HIAWATHA

RUSSELL, BILLY AUTUMN SIGNS

RUSSELL, BILLY THE RAIN

RUSSELL, MARY DUSK

SPENCE, JACK AUTUMN

SPENCE, JOHNNIE THE RAIN

SPENCE, JOHNNIE THE WIND

STIRLING, E SPRING

STIRLING, NED NOW HAS COME THE CHEERFUL SPRING

STIRLING, TOM WINTER

STIRLING, WILLIE THE SUMMER

STRANGE, SAMMIE A WINTER EVENING

STRANGE, SAMMIE COMING WINTER

STRANGE, SAMMIE PLODDING ONWARD

STRANGE, SAMMIE THE FLAG PROCESSION

STRANGE, SAMMY THE HEDGES ALL ARE BUDDED

TURTLE, LOGAN EARLY WINTER