hiː wʌz ˈɛdʒuːkˌeɪɾᵻd æt ðə lˈoʊkəl nˈæʃənəl skˈuːl ɪn bˌælɪnɐkˈɪlə, kˈaʊnti kˈɛɹi wˌɛɹ hiː wʌzɐ mˈɑːnɪɾɚ, ænd kwˈɔlᵻfˌaɪd æz ɐ nˈæʃənəl skˈuːl tˈiːtʃɚ fɹʌmðə mˈɑːɹlbəɹˌoʊ tɹˈeɪnɪŋ kˈɑːlɪdʒ ɪn dˈʌblɪn.
He was educated at the local national school in Ballinakilla, County Kerry (where he was a monitor), and qualified as a national school teacher from the Marlborough Training College in Dublin.