Rulers and willow branches? These people are rank amateurs in the child discipline field.
In my experience, the brothers always favoured custom-made leather straps. The straps consisted of two layers of leather stitched together and it was rumoured that one of the brothers in my school had inserted coins between the layers of his strap to increase its corrective effect – although I can’t testify to the truth of that report.
I must say that the belts of the leather I received never did me any harm. In fact, I think I could probably credit them with permanently curing me of a childhood tendency towards religiosity.
The most terrifying thing in my schooldays wasn’t the leather strap, but the occasional threat that if I didn’t shape up I’d be sent to Letterfrack. I didn’t know what went on in Letterfrack, but from the way the brothers referred to it I was damn sure that I didn’t want to find out.