In the 1950’s, when I was in kindergarten in Muckcross convent, Dublin, it snowed heavily one morning. By lunchtime everywhere was a veritable fairyland of glistening white snow. Of course, I lost no time playing snowballs and having a wonderful time altogether. It was only later that it dawned on me that everyone had gone home, including my friends whose father collected us every day in his car from school and dropped me home to my parents.

Obviously, when I was nowhere to be seen, he assumed on that snowy day that I hadn’t attended school and so he drove home without me.

The discovery that I was on my own was no great problem to my six-year old mind. I knew my way home, up Marlborough Road to Ranelagh and from there to Clonskeagh. So, off I went on the road to making one of the most wonderful discoveries of my entire life.

I walked. And I walked. Each time I came to a junction I carefully crossed it. Of course, I didn’t dream of crossing the main road because I knew that this was absolutely forbidden – or was it?

Temptation struck opposite the entrance to Clonskeagh Fever Hospital. It was all very understandable really, because the snow was melting on “my” side of the main road, while on the other side, in the shadow of the high granite wall that runs all along the hospital was the most tempting white snow. So, I crossed over.

And there in the granite wall I saw it. It was exactly at my eye-level – a beautiful carved relief of St Anthony holding the baby Jesus. I looked at it for a long time. Then, it occurred to me that there might be more. From that moment on, the snow ceased to exist in my world. All any passer-by would have seen was a solitary six-year old boy solemnly staring at every single stone on that high hospital wall.

Yes! I found another. And I spotted a third before I felt a hand on my shoulder and a very familiar voice saying “there you are, thank God you’re safe!” It was my father, who was frantically walking into Ranelagh looking everywhere for me.

Those carved stones are still in that wall today. But you have to look down low. Few know about them but a small child will spot them immediately.

Robert Hayes-McCoy

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