Explores how hedge schools educated the Catholic majority in response to the penal laws, suggesting an enduring cultural impact.
This paper explores the emergence of the Hedge schools in Ireland in response to the penal laws imposed on 18th century Ireland. In particular, the 1695 Education Act and its role in fostering an underground schooling system which effectively schooled the Catholic majority for over a hundred years is examined. The penal laws predated an enormous demographic shift within the country due to the transference of land from Catholics to Protestants through the Cromwellian plantations. The impact of the penal laws on the education of Catholics is examined and the spread of English in 18th century Ireland is discussed.
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Shane Doyle (2025) studied this question.
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