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Craicnet

Anyone who was at secondary school in Ireland in the 90s...

35 replies

AppropriateAdult · 09/06/2019 21:55

Were there tampon/pad dispensers in the bathrooms at your school? And if so, were they coin-operated or free?

(I'm writing a piece for which this is relevant and can't for the life of me remember what the situation was at my school. Any info much appreciated.)

OP posts:

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leaserspottedmummybird · 13/09/2019 15:54

My school had rusty old machines that were always empty

TriJo · 21/07/2019 20:02

Convent school in Dublin, 96-02, there was always a machine but it was a crapshoot as to whether it worked.

CroissantwithCheese · 18/06/2019 21:03

Leaving cert in 1997 in an all-girls convent in a rural town. I dont think there was anything like that at all. Can’t remember if there were sanitary bins in the newer building but definitely not in the older part where the nuns lived.

Shopgirl1 · 15/06/2019 22:57

Leaving Cert. in 1995 in a rural town. Definitely no dispensers then.

Sakura7 · 14/06/2019 17:44

North Dublin, late 90s, I don't remember any. Also wasn't aware of any teachers we could ask. Maybe because it was a mixed school this stuff didn't get discussed.

mathanxiety · 10/06/2019 21:51

Actually, I remember all the girls in my year getting a detention because someone had written on the wall of the loo designated to our year, complaining that the 'fucking jam rag machine' was broken again. This was probably in 1979 or 80.

mathanxiety · 10/06/2019 21:47

My school was on the southside of Dublin

mathanxiety · 10/06/2019 21:45

I was in secondary school (in a community school) in the late 70s and early 80s. We had coin operated tampon and pad machines. They were mostly unstocked or jammed iirc.

SrSteveOskowski · 10/06/2019 21:41

Did my leaving in 97. Rural convent, all girls school. I don't remember any dispensers. My period arrived unexpectedly one day and I had to go to the office for a pad. The secretary there was so lovely. I had terrible period pain in school (and a mother who didn't give a shit ) and frequently passed out and ended up in the office and that lady was so nice to me always.

We did have sanitary bins though.

Igotmylipstickon · 10/06/2019 12:35

Yes and almost sure it was coin operated too. We had a new school so they were brand new & worked well. But always brought my own anyway.

UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername · 10/06/2019 12:30

I think we had to ask at the office? I'm not 100% certain, to be honest, because I would never have dreamed of asking and if caught out, went with the utterly useless wad of loo roll solution.

WhatchaMaCalllit · 10/06/2019 12:29

Coin operated. Never knew if there was stock in the unit as it wasn't possible to see behind the metal drawer thing, so didn't know if your money was going to be wasted or not.
Always brought from home. Never used them for the above reason.

loveisanopensore · 10/06/2019 12:21

Coin operated ST vending machine. Tried to get one once, coin got stuck. My maths teacher tried kicking it to get it working. It did not.
My year head found one of those mattress like Dr White ones.

RuggerHug · 10/06/2019 12:20

Coin operated and shite. Told in primary to bring your own always because teachers weren't allowed hand any out. Which seems off..

Quintella · 10/06/2019 12:00

I can't remember if there were sanitary bins although I assume there must have been.

RuggerHug · 10/06/2019 11:59

Coin operated and shite. Told in primary to bring your own always because teachers weren't allowed hand any out. Which seems off..

BaruFisher · 10/06/2019 08:36

Nope rural convent school early 90s- had to see the nun at sick bay to get one (who would later track you down and demand 20p in payment)

notoafternoontea · 10/06/2019 08:35

Convent, South Dublin, '90s.

I don't think so - as I remember the RE teacher telling us she had spare pads that we could get from her if we needed them.....but I really can't remember!

There were definitely sanitary bins though.

AppropriateAdult · 10/06/2019 07:05

Thanks everyone, that's really helpful!

OP posts:

MotherForkinShirtBalls · 09/06/2019 23:13

Convent, all girls South Dublin, yes, definitely in the 1990s.

elizabethdraper · 09/06/2019 23:13

Yes and coin operated

villainousbroodmare · 09/06/2019 23:10

Coin operated, pads and tampons, worked fine, had to use them a few times. Supplies also available at the staff room but you'd have to hope that the teacher you wanted was there, otherwise you could end up explaining to the metalwork teacher or something! so definitely a distant second choice!

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smokyburgandy · 09/06/2019 23:08

School in the 90s, as others said you might have the odd machine in a toilet block, but they looked ancient and were presumably empty.

Quintella · 09/06/2019 23:05

None in ours. Southside convent school.

NowYouListenToMeFella · 09/06/2019 23:02

Don't think we had any in our school either. Always brought our own or for some from a friend of stuck. Cork city school

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