Spanish Flu

Denise Pitney (Prendergast 1946)

Thank you to Denise Pitney who kindly shared her essay on the Spanish Flu Epidemic, written many years ago, but with parallels with what is happening today.

"Recently, I resurrected an essay that I wrote years ago on the 1919 Spanish flu epidemic.

The essay was written a decade or so before the Centenary History which explains why it did not include the Sacré Cœur references which I was unaware of at the time. It is fascinating how history is being repeated, down to the smallest details. There are so many parallels with what is happening today. Incidentally, Agnes, one of the interviewees, was my mother. I decided to put them in alphabetical order and, fortunately, "Agnes" came first!

I became involved in writing the school history and the establishment of the archives during the 1980s in the lead up to the Centenary. It was almost totally thanks to Margaret Goss, long time Librarian, that the archives came about. She treasured everything and was proactive in saving anything that could be found.

On page 83 of the Centenary History, there is a handwritten entry from the 1919 Infirmary Journal recording what happened in the school during the pandemic. 

The entry reads:

Owing to the epidemic of influenza the school only re-opened on March 25th.  The children had to gargle every day and use a solution of methylated spirits and camphor on their hand kerchiefs.  As long as the weather permitted every class was held out of doors- “Parlour” was also in the garden and only near relatives were allowed to visit the children. All going out was prohibited (as far as possible). The issue lasted from March 25th to August 19th to avoid the risk of contagion that would be incurred by holidays in June and July. We are deeply thankful to God for being so wonderfully preserved from any serious or infectious illness.

On page 74 in the Chronology section, there is an entry stating that Brynmawr became a convalescent home for nurses during the pneumonic influenza pandemic and that Rentrée of pupils was delayed until March 25 in 1919."

All sourced from Sacré Cœur Burke Road 1888-1988. A Centenary History. (1988) pp 74,83

Denise Pitney

So what can we take away from this?

Our History teacher, Anna Straford, put it best….

The 1919 community at Burke Rd were practical, prepared and looked for ways to combat the virus while maintaining the structures of learning and always keeping the care of the students as the highest priority.  It might be 100 years on, but the Sacré Cœur community of 2020 have extraordinary foundations to continue our work at Burke Road during this challenging time in history.