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1947 Blizzard

Excerpt from “The House Children”
It was one of those nights when I couldn’t sleep, February 25, 1947, that Ireland got hit with the biggest blizzard of the century. The dorm windows rattled and the freezing wind penetrated the walls. In the morning, everything outside was glazed in ice and downstairs the windows were blocked by snow drifts. Ballinasloe was shut down and we all felt cold and trapped.
In the rec room, the girls talked about sleeping together to keep warm.
“Are ya sharin yer bed?”
“No, but I keep my clothes on under my sleeping gown.”
“Well, don’t let anyone in yer bed. Sister Constance checked our
dorm last night and anyone doubled up got a thrashin.” “She said it’s immoral.”