Some Background Information on the Carroll Family
The Carroll family live about two miles from a village in the
midlands of Ireland called Ballybridge. The parents are Teresa and John Carroll.
Teresa works as a lorry driver, delivering peat briquettes to supermarkets and
shops and John is an electrician in the local power station. They have four
children - eleven-year-old twins, Caitríona and Ciarán, who are
in fifth class in Ballybridge National School, Shauna who is seven and in second
class and Oisín the baby who is one and a half. Their Grandad, Joe Carroll
lives with them and is fond of storytelling. They have a black and white springer
spaniel called Bart who is almost totally blind and the family car is a silver
Ford Mondeo.
They live in a bungalow surrounded by fields and the bog, with a garage beside
the house and a shed at the back. Bubblegum, Shauna's Shetland pony, is kept
here. Their swing and slide are out the back and so is their wormbin for recycling
food scraps.
The local football team is Ballybridge Rovers and their strip is black and white.
The nearest shop is called Fitzgilberts. Ballybridge N.S. is a three-teacher
school. The children travel to school on Barry Egan' s bus. Mrs. Cannon, the
principal teaches 5th and 6th classes, Mr. Ryan teaches 2nd, 3rd and 4th classes
and Miss Carney teaches Junior and Senior Infants and 1st class. The school
uniform is navy with a blue shirt and a navy tie.