Cork School parents told to provide their children with toilet paper

national | education | other press Tuesday October 06, 2009 17:36 by o as if - ( iosaf )

The parents of girls who attend St John's Girls' national school, in Carrigaline, County Cork, have been instructed by the school's principal, Catherine O'Neill to provide toilet paper for their daughters. It's one those stories which appeals to an international audience and especially the lurking anti-Irish sentiment still present in AngloSaxon media or perhaps if not anti-Irish, a sour sense of resentment that other English speaking peoples never got to enjoy 2 Lisbon Referenda or a jaunt on the pig's back of the Celtic Tiger.

Whatever the true classification of the story doing international commerical & state rounds today, msot readers will admit it illustrates a wee home truth.

you can save even more money by telling your daughters to eschew tampons & house them in a tent!

We have not as yet any evidence to suggest that items taxed as luxury goods such as tampons or sanitary towels were also included in the budget rationalisation measures. For as any parent or adult amongst us ( & nobody has ever suggested we are either a family or prepubescent website) will surely know, menstruation is an issue for the older girls at any Cork national school as it is for any wee girly anywhere.

One solution would be traumatisation of the very young almost women so that their use of hygienic products be staved. The school principle, Catherine O'Neill must only be glad she didn't have to write to the parents of wee pubescent / adolescent boys asking them to provide toilet paper. For as any parent or adult amongst ought know - lads get through an awful lot of toilet paper in those years.

At end this story sums up contemporary Ireland.

The Ireland which is at the heart of Europe and knows it place is, has been and will continue to be - right there on the potty rationing the wipes.

It would now be a good idea for people to promote optional (& indeed the majority toilet practice of humanity) lavatory habits and encourage the use of finger wiping and little bowls of scented water next to the privy.

I humbly suggest such a campaign to adopt traditionally "muslim" toilet habits would be a wonderful way for the Green Party to reclaim credibility.

The less you wipe the longer the tree shall grow.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/06/irish-pupil...-roll
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8292310.stm
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1006/education.html
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/education/pupils....html