True story?

On P.J. Moran’s first day at school he choose to go into the Master’s room rather than into Miss Curran’s infant room—he was “tired of women and children” he said. He made a seat for himself with sods of turf beside the open fire and was quite contented there until the Master decided to replenish the dying embers at about eleven o’clock. “Come out of my way” said P.J. “and give me that tongs, amn’t I all my life at fires”.