Cirrus@Austlit

'I served under some outstanding headmasters in my teaching career, certainly in Australia. Becoming a headmaster in the Irish system however, was as likely to be down to political affiliation as pedagogical excellence. There were many schools in those days in which the headmaster had little ambition beyond the need to keep inspectors happy while he served out his few years to retirement. I have one particular head in mind. His most mordant critic was his secretary, possibly because she regarded his dour personality as cover for an uncertain mastery of his job.' (Introduction)

'Like Shakespeare's Earl of Salisbury most of us occasionally want to call back yesterday, but it sometimes happens that yesterday calls us back instead, in a kind of collision of time. This happened to me last week when I received a letter from a widow who happens to read Eureka Street: I knew her when I was very young, but have met her only once in 60 years.' (Introduction)