Cyril Daly facts for kids

Cyril Daly (1933 – 2015) was an Irish doctor, also known as a general medical practitioner (GP). He is famous for leading a campaign against physical punishment in schools in Ireland. He wrote many letters to important leaders in the Catholic Church and the Irish Government. His hard work eventually led to a ban on physical punishment in Irish schools.

Cyril Daly's Early Life and Campaign

Cyril Daly worked as a GP in Killester, a part of north Dublin. His important campaign started in 1967. This was after his 8-year-old son told him that another boy had been hit by a teacher at school. Dr. Daly told the principal of the Catholic primary school that he did not want his children in a school where such punishment was allowed. He was then asked to remove his children from the school.

After being taught at home for a while, his children later went to a school called Sandford Park in Dublin. This school did not belong to any specific religion. Dr. Daly, who was a strong Catholic, wrote to John Charles McQuaid, the Archbishop of Dublin. He said that allowing violence in schools went against the teachings of Christ. Three other doctors, P.D. McCarthy, Dermot Walsh, and N.P. Walsh, also signed this letter.

Around the same time, a court case involving a boy who was hurt at school helped start a movement to stop physical punishment. In 1969, Dr. Daly sent a letter with 8,000 signatures to Brian Lenihan, who was the Minister for Education. The letter stated that children, just like adults, have human rights.

Seeking International Support

Dr. Daly also tried to get support from America for his campaign. The American TV channel NBC visited Ireland to make a documentary about punishment in Irish schools. This documentary was also shown on the Irish TV channel, RTE. This happened after a British newspaper, the News of the World, published a story about the issue. Another doctor, Paddy Randles, had contacted them. Dr. Daly also sent letters to American newspapers to highlight the problem.

Many people in Ireland, including newspaper writers and government ministers, did not like the NBC documentary. They were worried about how these stories made Ireland look to other countries. In the Seanad Éireann (the Irish Senate), Seán Brosnahan, a former leader of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, said the doctors were not representing most teachers. He called the campaign "vicious" and said the TV show made "the Irish people as a nation of savages."

Daly's Other Work

Cyril Daly was also a good speaker and writer. He often wrote for the Irish Medical Times and other newspapers. He also wrote short stories and plays. One of his plays, called A Matter of Practice, was performed at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 1967.

Cyril Daly's Legacy

Physical punishment was officially banned in Irish schools by the Minister for Education, John Boland, on 1 February 1982. This was a major success for Dr. Daly's campaign.

Dr. Daly later wrote another article in 2009, looking back at the success of his campaign. He retired from being a doctor in April 2015. He passed away in August of that same year at the age of 82. He was survived by his wife, Aileen, and their six children. He is buried in St. Fintan's Cemetery in Sutton.