Search Results for 'literacy campaigner'

Growing up in Castlebar in the 1950s and the 1960s Ernie Sweeney encountered a number of health problems which meant he missed periods of school over the years. This resulted in him falling behind and he had great difficulties with reading and writing. Being a member of a large class as was fairly normal in those days, he had little chance of getting any extra attention for his difficulties. Those were the days also prior to the presence of special needs teachers in schools. People like Ernie were often treated as being stupid and as result there was a huge stigma attached to the inability to be able to read.

It takes immense courage to put your name on the ballot paper and your face on an election poster. Actually thanks to literacy campaigner, Castlebar man Ernie Sweeney, we now have faces on ballot papers too.