10 Year Re-Union - Class 2000

The Class of 2000 celebrated our 10 year out reunion on the 21/22 May. The day started with group of 22 playing golf in Elm Park on the Friday morning. The golf was won by Daniel Shanahan, well done Dan. The group proper then assembled from 5pm in the College library for light refreshments and a chance to chat with old friends. We were joined at this stage by some of our former teachers including Christina Nulty and College Principal, Alan MacGinty. Following refreshments we proceeded to a group photo outside Dawson House. We were lucky to have the services of Pat Dowling to help set the tone of a fun evening. After this we had Mass in the College Chapel. 

The Mass was celebrated by Tom Nash in memory of our friend Roger McMahon. Many a singing voice seemed to return in this great place led in particular by College President, Cormac O'Brolchain and our very own Michael Frawley. There were also some powerful words from Patrick McClafferty, John Reynolds and Michael Lantry who all echoed the real theme of the evening, friendship.

After a tour of the fantastic new College buildings with Fr Cormac, we made our way up to Stradbrook for a drinks reception and the dinner. We were looked after extremely well by Noel Cox and his staff in the bar and equally so by Knights Catering who provided a fine meal. In all 115 people attended the dinner, including Union President Paul Gardiner who was kind enough to give up his evening to be with us. The evening continued on into the small hours and was great fun.

Some 70 people gathered on the Saturday for drinks, food and to watch the European rugby and soccer finals.

Overall it was a very successful reunion and thanks are due to my fellow organisers Hugh Lambert, Tom Kennedy, Conor Magee and Gavin Hegarty. Thanks must also go to Conor Buckley for providing venues on both Friday and Saturday night.
 

50 Year Re-Union - Class 1960

The 50 year reunion took place on the 23/34 of April. A small number played golf on the Friday morning and we then assembled in the College for Mass at 6.30. This was a wonderful occasion coordinated by Tom Nash to whom many thanks once again are due. Two of our 1960 classmates Pat Downes and John M Kealy concelebrated the Mass. Excellent music and singing enhanced the cermony.

On to Stradbrook for photgraphs and the dinner. Fifty nine attended including  College President. Cormac O'Brolchain and Union President  Paul Gardiner. The food was excellent and the evening continued until the small hours. The Icelandic volcanoe disrupted the travel plans of at least six classmates who couldn't make it . Four from the US, one from India and another from Italy.

A small number went back to Stradbrook on the Saturday afternoon prior to attending a dinner on that evening in Elm Park attended by over thirty including wives.

It was a successful reunion and thanks are due to my fellow organisers Michael Mackey and Brendan Walsh.

Annual Retreat 2010

2010 Annual Union Retreat 

Venue: Blackrock College
Date: Thursday evening April 1st & Good Friday April 2nd, 2010.
Organisers: Fr. Tom Nash, Fergal Mulchrone, Richard Assaf

There was a great turnout of Rockmen from every age group, attended this years Union Retreat, which was held on the evening of Holy Thursday April 1st and Good Friday April 2nd. The Retreat is a truly unique and valued Rock experience where past pupils enjoy the wonderful camaraderie, uplifting religious services and superb cuisine which marks the Union’s Retreat. It also provides a relaxing environment to enjoy the fellowship of former Classmates and Alumni of all ages, in the familiar surroundings of the College while taking some time for personal meditation and reflection.

The Speaker this year was Christy Kenneally, a well-known author, scriptwriter and TV presenter whose work has included television series on the great religions of the world, a recent documentary on Channel 4 called Na Déithe Caillte, (The Lost Gods) and many best selling books including "Maura's Boy", "The New Curate" "Life After Loss", "Small Wonders" and most recently, ‘The Remnant’.

Christy was an outstanding speaker who captivated the group with his spiritual insights, humanity and many humorous stories. His down to earth conversational style and clear representation of his themes, which focused on developing our faith and relationship with God was compelling, personal and stimulating. He even presented a prayer he wrote specially for Blackrock students and Alumni, which at the request of many who attended the Retreat is represented as follows:-

Blackrock Blessing (by Christy Kenneally).
May you accept and cherish the unique gift of Self that God has granted you.
May you practise and refine that gift until grace becomes second nature to you.
May you bring it home and set it like a light in your household so that wives and children may see their giftedness reflected in your light.
May you have the courage to say the good word and perform the loving action.
May you develop an eye for small miracles – seeing God in the ordinary and everyday.
May you develop an ear for the hidden hurts of others and draw the poison from their wounds with the poultice of your compassion.
And when you come to old age -
Like Abraham, may you risk new voyages of life and love.
Like the old priest Simeon, may you see the promise of God in each and every child.
May you allow your inner child to dance and always know that the language of angels is laughter.
And may you come to the fullness of life in life eternal – Amen.

A special thanks to all the organizing committee members who give so generously of their time to make the Retreat a success and who include Richard Assaf, Paul Brophy, Billy Morrison, Mark Spain, Niall Nelligan and especially Fr. Tom Nash who provides the guidance and inspiration for the event.

Fergal Mulchrone

USA Re-Union - New York

The Blackrock College Union hosted its bi-annual U.S.A dinner in New York City on Friday December 4th 2009. The organizers of the event this year were Alan Ennis (1988), Garrett Mulcahy (1979), Richard Burke (1987), and John Gardiner (1981). 

The reunion was held in the prestigious New York Athletic Club, a wonderful venue with tremendous heritage, adjacent to Central Park in Manhattan.

In total, we had 65 people in attendance representing Rock boys from 1948 through 2004. We had Rock boys from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Massachusetts, and a sizable contingent from Ireland. Special guests included: Fr. Cormac O’Brolchain, President of Blackrock College; Mr. Paul Gardiner, President of Blackrock College Union and his wife, Sallie; Mr. Brendan O’Connor, Past President of Blackrock College Union and his wife, Clodagh; Stephen Doyle, Vice President of Blackrock College Union, and his wife Cliana; and Ian White, Chairman of the Blackrock College Union Blue and White Support Group.

The evening kicked-off with a warm welcome and introductory remarks from Alan Ennis. Before dinner, Fr. Cormac said Grace. During dinner, Fr. Cormac gave a tremendous speech that focused on the significant progress made at the College over the last few years and the plans that the College has for the Sesquicentenary (150 year) celebration in 2010. Following the main course, Paul Gardiner gave a heartwarming speech about the Union and the progress it has made over recent years. Ian White led a Blue & White Support Group collection, which raised over $2,000. The formal events of the evening ended with a fine, rendition of "Rock Boys Are We", led by music-scholarship-recipient Brian Sugrue (2004). Rock boys stood with arms linked and could be heard all over Manhattan! We had a surprise visit by a gentleman from Clongowes Wood College, who joined in the singing!

By all accounts, a great night. The venue, food, and camaraderie were fantastic and we look forward to our next U.S.A reunion in 2011.
 

Debating Society- Past V Present

PAST V. PRESENT DEBATE
WEDNESDAY, 1ST DECEMBER 2009

Congratulations to the Present Team of:

JONATHAN SHANAHAN
GARY WALL
PEADAR KEEGAN
(ALL 6TH YEAR)
AND
ALEX OWENS
(5TH YEAR)

who defeated the Past Team of:

Union President Paul Gardiner (Class of 1981)
James Fagan (Class of 2008)
Rossa Fanning (Class of 1993)
Dave Fanning (Class of 1971)

in successfully proposing the motion that:

‘THE PREVIOUS GENERATION HAS RUINED THE WORLD FOR THE PRESENT’

It was an excellent debate enjoyed by an appreciative audience.

Thanks to  Chairman Gary Byrne (Class of 1970), Time-keeper Andrew Thornbury (6th Year) and Adjudicators Ms Wallace, Mr Sheil, Ms Canning and Morgan Shelley (Class of 2003) for their contribution to the success of the evening.

Thanks to Ms Wallace for her organisation of Senior Debating in the College

College Musical 2009

This years musical “ABBAcadabra” ran from November 16th to Saturday November 21st. The night of the 21st was chosen to be the Unions night. The musical was performed in the Jubilee Hall to a full audience which included over 80 union members and their guests. ABBAcadabra was a light hearted romance based on the music of ABBA. It was not “Mamma Mia” but was an original story set in a fictional north county Dublin town during the summer holidays when a group of visiting Spanish students cause chaos as the romantic lives of the local teenagers are temporarily disrupted. Written by Toirleac O’Brien and Brian Savage directed by Toirleac with musical direction by Una O’Kane and choreographed by Cathy Tonge; the show once again highlighted the talent that both the boys of Blackrock College and the girls of Mount Anville to offer.

Only by attending and supporting these events as past pupils do we get an opportunity to witness the levels of professionalism that is present in a production like ABBAcadabra. I would like to congratulate the entire production team, cast and crew for an entertaining night out.

Presidents Dinner

The President's Dinner brings together those that have lead the Union over the years.

Our attendance was excellent as usual, and we were delighted to have James Gorman, our oldest President, in our midst.

Fr Cormac and current President Paul Gardiner delivered thoughtful, and insightful speeches on this the Sesquintennial Year of the College.

We wish them well in a challenging year.

2009 President's Prize - Golf Society

 The weather on the day was excellent as usual, as have been all our outings for the past 6/7 years. A very good turnout on the day of 106  players some of whom were last minute entries because of the weather. Good scoring too with 3 scores of 40pts with Gary Trueick (19 Handicap) winning on the back nine (23pts) from Mark Underwood (8) and
Paul Sherry (19) . A previous winner Morgan Crowe won the gross with a level par round.

The most eagerly contested prize is the year with 1981 successful on this occasion. Most of the participants dined , a total of 77.

Next years Captain of the society is Ben Underwood and his prize will be held in Elm Park on Friday 21 May next year.

Michael Carew

Results of Presidents Prize Golf Outing 2009 

1st Gary Trueick (19) Class of 1979 40 points on 2nd 9

2nd Mark Underwood (6) Class of 2000 40 points on 2nd 9

3rd Paul Sherry (19) Class of 1976 40 points

Gross Morgan Crowe Class of 2002 39 points

Class 1 Ray Fullam (7) Class of 1964 38 points

Class 2 Michael Cunningham (13) Class of 1966 38 points

Class 3 Ross Carew (14) Class of 1969 39 points

1st 9 David Grennel (9) Class of 1982 21 points

2nd 9 Bernard Costello (19) Class of 1975 20 points

Guest Cyril Devins (7) 34 points

Past President Tony Connolly (14) Class of 1977 35 points

Sponsor Brian Fagan (10) 31 points

Match Play Paul Weldon beat Greg Moore

Year Prize - Class of 1981 - 101 points

Gerard Lawless -36, Rory Fitzgerald - 34, Ross Barry - 31

2009 Golf Society Captain's Prize

Results of Captain's Prize Golf outing which took place on Tuesday 28th April in Elm Park Golf Club

1st Jack Gleeson (20) 39 pts
2nd Tony Connolly (14) 38 pts
3rd Ivan Durcan (20) 36pts on back 9
Gross Morgan Crowe 29pts

1st 9 Paul Weldon (11) 20pts
2nd 9 David Scannell (11) 20pts

Class 1 Eddie Butler (9) 34pts 2nd Philip Sherry (12) 33pts on last 3
Class 2 Michael Walsh (18) 36pts back 9 2nd Stephen Noonan (18) 36pts
Class 3 Dualta Moore (22) 36pts 2nd Alan McLean 35pts

Past Captain Brendan Lynch (9) 33pts
Sponsor John Younge (20) 30pts
Guest Noel McMahon (20) 34pts

Year Prize 1st Class of 1969 105 pts Brian Roche-Niall Barry-Ross Carew
2nd Class of 1966 104 pts Michael Sweeney-Michael Cunningham-David Brophy
3rd Class of 1970 98 pts Frank Marsh-Paul Waldron- Conn Collins

2009 Junior Dinner and Golf - (Vice President's Prize)

The annual Junior Dinner and Golf Outing took place on Friday 27th February and was as ever a great occasion. The day started with 40 playing golf in sunshine (for once!) in Woodbrook Golf Club and quickly became competitive. The Vice-President's Prize went to the Class of 2003 team of Mark Hoey, Damien Butler, Paddy Woods and David Cullen with a fantastic score of 94 points. 2003 also picked up the longest drive prize courtesy of Mark Hoey while closest to the pin went to David Fearon from the class of 2002. Congratulations to all the winners, who were presented with their prizes at the Dinner by the Vice-President of the Union Paul Gardiner.

Dinner took place that evening in the Hilton hotel and was attended by 200 Rockmen from the last 10 years. It was a high-spirited occasion with a particularly rousing rendition of 'Rock Boys are we!' Our sincere thanks goes to the wonderful staff at the Hilton who made every effort possible to accomodate us on the night.

The Junior Committee worked exceptionally hard to get this event up and running and they must be commended for their efforts.

€1500 was raised by the event which will go to help AWARE continue to do the excellent work they are known for and also to the Stuart Mangan Appeal to help in the care for a former pupil of Rockwell College C.S.Sp who was left totally paralysed by an accident on the rugby pitch. Further information can be seen at www.stuartmangan.org

David Kilty (2002)

2009 40 Year Re-Union- Class of 1969

40 Year Re-Union - Class 1969

After months of planning the day arrived. The 20th of February the sun shone through for the 40 year out re-union.

Elm Park Golf Club welcomed the 69’ers. The course was in immaculate condition and the golfing standard was high for the Brendan Lynch expertly organised 3 ball scramble competition. The top 5 teams all came in with the same gross score of 71. However with handicap adjustments the winning team was Wally Browne, Liam Harrington and Cilian O Brolchain.

The main group all then congregated in Blackrock College for a quiet cup of tea in the Library followed by Mass to honour the eleven deceased members of the year, namely Patrick Cassidy, Con Crowley, Patrick Gallagher, Bill Graham, Peter Hall, Noel Hayes, Quintin Hogan, Brendan King, Colm O Sullivan, Patrick Stanley and Leo Travers.

The chief celebrant in the Mass was Fr Sean Mullin and the Liturgy was superbly arranged by Father Tom Nash. It was a magnificent ceremony with our wonderful harpist being accompanied by some very interesting singing. At the end of Mass Fr Sean presented all the class of 69 with a memento as a debt of gratitude for the happy year he spent in their company in Blackrock. A very moving gesture.

The group were then brought by bus to Stradbrook for the re-union dinner. The hall was decked out magnificently with (surprise surprise) a blue and white theme. The placemats were a variety of photographs of the year. Over 90 sat down to a fine fare from Knights catering. Included in the group were some of our long suffering teachers of that time. How come they look younger today than they did in 1969?

Mind you what was also very reassuring was how young all the 69’ers all looked. A fine body of men. And they had come from far and near. We had attendees from, New Zealand, South Africa, Norway, The U.S., Germany, Tenerife, The U.K., not to mention from a variety of counties in Ireland.

The speeches were limited, Gerry White welcomed our guests; the President of the College, Fr O Brolchain gave a great insight into how the school is striding ahead and the President of the Union, Eugene Harrington advised the group of the great works of the Union particularly the Blue and White Fund and the Mission Fund. A raffle was held and the class of 69 generously raised a fantastic sum of €2804. The Mission Fund had agreed in advance that Father Sean Mullin would be the recipient of half this sum and the balance is going to the Blue and White fund.

The revelry continued well into the night; stories were told and re-told, memories were conjured up and laughter and merriment were the order. What a great atmosphere. Old friends are best - well maybe not so old!!!

Thankfully all arrived home safely and the e-mails started to arrive the next day – when are we meeting again? Soon please God.

Thanks to Ivan Durcan, Brendan Lynch, Gerry McGrath, Cilian O Brolchain and Gerry White.

2009 Mission Fund dinner

Mission Fund raise E18,000 at 2nd Dinner/Auction.

The 2nd Dinner and Auction was held on 6th February in the Law Society Presidents Room and much needed Funds for the Spiritan Priests, working in some of the poorest areas of the Third World,was raised.
Despite the Economic downturn affecting all of us, including a reduction in the numbers attending, a sum of E18,000 was still
raised on the night, due to the generosity of many Past Pupils of Blackrock College.

Heartfelt thanks for their support are due to all those who contributed by attending,with their Partners, and by donating
Auction and Raffle prizes, and also to those who were unable to attend, but sent money contributions.
In total over 100 attended on the night in a convivial and relaxed atmosphere. Special Guests included Fr. Brian Starken,
Provincial Superior of the Spiritans, Fr. Cormac O'Brolchain and Fr. Tom Nash, representing the Blackrock College, Fr.
Hugh de Blacam, home on leave from Brazil and Eugene Harrington and his wife Tina, President of the Union.
President Eugene, who has worked very closely with the Mission Fund for a number of years, spoke about the work
of the Mission Fund and the tradition of Past Pupils supporting the Spiritan Missions.He also spoke of this years
featured Mission Project, supporting Fr. Pat Clarke's "Art and Conflict" Programme in the Favela(Shanty) areas of
Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Mission Fund has commited to support Fr. Pat with E45,000 over the next 3 years.
A small Committee worked hard over the preceding year to put this Event together and a big "Thank You" is due to
David Coen, Tom Walsh, Pete Maguire and Anthony McLaughlin for their dedicated efforts.

Thanks are also due to David Harvey, excellent MC on the night, to Patrick Dowling, Union Photographer, for his support
and to Philip Sherry for his advice on Silent Auctions.
The money raised at this years Dinner/Auction will be sent out to needy Spiritan Missionary Projects in the near future.
Already this year Projects have been undertaken in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Sierra Leone,Brazil and Bolivia. Some of
these Projects involve the production of the basic needs of Food for starving parishioners of the Spiritan Priests.
Anybody who might wish to contribute to the work of the Mission Fund should contact either Tony Amoroso or
David Coen at the contact numbers listed below.

Tony Amoroso,
Chairman, Union Mission Fund
086.2568052
tonyamoroso46@yahoo.ie

David Coen - 086.2585155
coener@eircom.net
086.2568052

2008 Children's Christmas Outing

Shortly before Christmas the Union once again held its Annual Christmas Party for underprivilaged children.
The Outing catered for over 50 Children, and comprised a fun packed day which included a visit to a fun
centre, followed by organised entertainment, a party and a visit from Santa (Declan Conway) , with
individually chosen presents for each child. The Children's ages ranged from 4 to 8 years. 

Students from Transition Year assisted us once again, along with girls from Mount Anville Secondary School for
Girls. There is great support from within the Union for this event - our thanks to Terry O'Rourke and all those
who contributed so much to the success of this event including, David Cox, Eugene Harrington, Paddy McSwiney and
Paddy Connolly.

 

2008 Business Lunch

Business Lunch

The business lunch has now established itself very comfortably as a pre-Christmas event and was held on Friday 28th December. Despite these recessionary times the lunch attracted a very good attendance of over 130 people to Elm Park Golf Club.

Our guest speaker, the celebrity solicitor Gerald Kean, was a controversial choice for some but he didn’t disappoint. His presentation style and the stories he told had the audience captured from the outset and engaged for over forty minutes – he was witty, incisive and often hilarious and we are indebted as a union to him for giving up his time to spend it with us. The choice of guest speakers from outside the ‘Rock “family” has been a great success in recent years and we intend to build on this in the future.

Our thanks as always to the President, Eugene Harrington, for his time and his very apt words on the occasion. Elm Park as always provided a good venue and excellent service. If you missed it, make sure you attend this year, it’s a great ‘Rock day.

David Harvey
 

2008 Debating Society/ Past-v-Present

THE COLLEGE UNION TEAM OF

BARRY ANDREWS, T.D.(CLASS OF 1985),

MORGAN SHELLEY (CLASS OF 2001),

DARRAGH CONNELL (CLASS OF 2005),

SHANE MURPHY (CLASS OF 1981)

AND RUAIRI QUINN, T.D. (CLASS OF 1964)

RETAINED THE UNION SHIELD BY SUCCESSFULLY OPPOSING THE MOTION.

IT WAS A MOST ENTERTAINING DEBATE WITH EXCELLENT SPEECHES ON BOTH SIDES. THE COLLEGE TEAM OF:

ANDREW PATTON, (6th Year)

AY CARLEY (6th Year),

KILLIAN McNAMARA (5TH YEAR),

EUGENE EGAN  (4th Year)

AND ALEX OWENS (4th Year)

DEBATED WITH HUMOUR AND AN INCISIVENESS THAT BROUGHT THEM CLOSE TO VICTORY.

I THANK THE CHAIR MR FINTAN DRURY (CLASS OF 1976), OUR ADJUDICATORS, MR SHEIL (CLASS OF 1979), MS KELLEHER, MS CANNING, MS WALLACE AND EOIN MARTIN (CLASS OF 2005) AND OUR TIME-KEEPER
PEADAR KEEGAN (5TH YEAR).

I PARTICULARLY THANK MS WALLACE WHO WITH UNION PRESIDENT MR EUGENE HARRINGTON (CLASS OF 1977) ORGANISED THE EVENT. NOW IN ITS THIRD YEAR, IT IS UNDOUBTEDLY A HIGHLIGHT OF OUR CALENDAR.

A GREAT EVENING.

2008 College Musical

College Musical

This years musical “Ochόn” took place on the week beginning November 10th and it was decided that the Union night would be held on Friday 14th of November 2008. Playing to a full house in the Jubilee Hall and with over 70 union members in attendance the audience were treated to a musical that depicted the end of the Troubles in Northern Ireland at the time of the beginning of the peace process and how this affected the youth of the area on both sides of the divide. In doing so the writers, Jamie Conway and Toirleac O’Brien wrote a musical that that highlighted the suffering of our near neighbours to an audience whom largely would have lived their lives protected and removed from these sufferings.

The standard of production was first rate, and for those whom this was their first time going to the College Musical they witnessed the professionalism and talent that the boys of Blackrock College and the girls of Mount Anville had to offer. The standard of acting, singing and music was excellent. Credit must be given to everyone involved for what was a thoroughly enjoyable night out.

2008 Graduation Ball -Class of 2008

The Graduation Ball for the class of 2008 took place on Saturday 25th October and spirits refused to be dampened by the inclimant weather. Over 500 people attended what proved to be an unforgettable night and a fantastic way for the class of 2008 to say a final farewell to their school days. As ever the Ball itself was preceeded by a drinks reception in the College which was attended by the graduating Rockmen, their partners and parents as well as members of the College Community, teaching staff and Past Pupils Union.

From the school, attendees made their way to the Pavillion at Leopardstown where the Ball itself took place. A wonderful meal was served which was followed by dancing and a dj until the early hours! A hugely enjoyable time was had by all and the presentation of a cheque for 1500 to the Holy Ghost Mission Fund by Matthew Norman and Jack Kelly from the class of 2008 to Eugene Harrington, President of the Past Pupils Union made the night all the more worthwhile.

Many thanks to all involved in the organisation of the event and in particular the Junior Committee of the Union whose hard work ensured a hugely successful event."
 

2008 Past President's Dinner

Past Presidents Dinner

There was a very impressive turnout of past Presidents at the Presidents’ Dinner held on 22nd October, 2008 in Blackrock College RFC premises at Stradbrook Road.

There were 36 for dinner. Included among the honoured guests were the President of the College, Fr. Cormac O’Brolchain and the Chaplin to the Union, Fr. Tom Nash together with Fr. Sean Casey from the College. In addition the Union was delighted to welcome Past President, Fr. Aidan Lehane and the Principal of the College, Mr. Alan McGinty.

The assembly was particularly delighted to have in its midst Mr. James Gorman, who was President of the Union 1967-1968 thus ensuring a span of stories exceeding 50 years.

The Presidents and the Officers of the Committee enjoyed a long evening of food and wine and in particular a moving and heartfelt update from your President on the state of the Union and his hopes for it.

PAUL GARDINER
 

2008 President's Prize on 11th September '08

Results of President’s (Eugene Harrington) Prize at Grange Golf Club on 11th September 2008

1st G. McGrath (9) 39 pts

2nd J. O’Rourke (9) 36 pts

3rd R. O’Neill (13) 35 pts

4th A. Campbell (5) 31 pts

Class 1

M. Gilmartin (7) 32 pts

2 T. Connolly (15) 32 pts

3 D. Gavagan (20) 32 pts

1st 9

K. Fitzgibbon (15) 20 pts

2nd 9

G. Lawless (16) 17 pts

Guest

1 B. Treston (3) 35 pts

2 S. Murray (9) 28 pts

Sponsor

C. O’Brolchain (11) 31 pts

Past President

D. Cox (28) 29 pts

Year Prize 1971

D. O’Reilly

F. O’Riordan

A. McLean

Match Play Final

G. McGrath beat P. O’Hara

2008 Careers Seminars

Career Seminars

The Career Seminars are hosted by Blackrock College, led by the Career Guidance department under Lucy Gallagher with assistance from the Union.

The seminars are targeted at and held for parents of 5th year pupils. The objective of the seminars is to provide some added value input to parents in advising their sons on selection of courses and subjects at the commencement of the leaving certificate cycle. This is achieved in the seminars through a broad exposition of some of the academic and career choices available to prospective school leavers. The seminars were held on consecutive Mondays in September and were extremely well attended by parents.

At the first seminar on September 8th, the parents were addressed by Mary Hanafin - Minister for Social and Family affairs. The minister was followed by the school principle Alan Mc Ginty. Both presentation provided invaluable insights into the selection of courses for the boys, but also stressed the value of a well rounded education in the secondary cycle and the positive role of parents in supporting this. At the second seminar on September 15th the seminar was addressed by Diarmuid Hegarty a senior academic from Griffith College Dublin and Brian O' Neill a past pupil and representative of the union. Mr Hegarty provided a very detail and insightful presentation on the points required for different courses and the correlation between numbers of points, selection of courses and careers. Mr O' Neill provided a more view on the very different stages that different boys are at this stage of they cycle. The testament to the relevance of the material at both sessions was the volume of questions from the parents at both session. Feedback provided to the school by the attendees after the sessions was universally positive.

2008 Euro Dinner Spain Voyage

BY SAIL AND BY SHELLS TO SANTIAGO

It all started with the inspiration and instigation of Eugene Harrington (hereafter known as Nudge, God knows why). A disparate group of ex Blackrockers and sundry others signed up to his vision and voyage. The initiation ceremony involved walking from the College to St. James Gate, receiving one’s pilgrim passport, lists of essentials, instructions galore and a notion of Nudge’s adventure. Some of us only then realised that Santiago meant St. James’, that an intrusive camera was to follow our wary steps, and that it might involve some vomiting, plenty of struggles, many blisters but hopefully indulgences galore. Where was Galicia, what where wickable Y-shirts, which anti-emetic, how many underpants, why Compeed, when to start training, why the hell?

Why? Evoked many answers.
A challenge.
A tall ship and saintly walk.
A pilgrimage.
A crossroads to transverse. Two things I’ve always wanted to do. Would you do it again? (read on!). An opportunity for group therapy.
A Blackrock boys are we thing.
A re-enactment of an historic Dublin to Santiago experience.
A chance of a lifetime.
A spiritual odyssey. Just because. Camino Ingles done the Irish Way.

Training preparations were, at best, poor. A pleasant stroll, interrupted by lunch in sunny Clontarf, from Howth to Monkstown, followed by celebratory pints in the Purty. Another Sunday walk harder and hillier, from Greystones to Dalkey with a gargle in Finnegans. Some did nothing, others a few walks, but who expected 6-8 hours on the trail of St. James, each day, every day? Did Nudge fudge?

Departure arrived, almost unexpected, on a grey, 2008, typical August 25 day, damp, stratus clouds but excited pilgrims and travellers. Music, dancers, Unionites, a blessing, balloons, speeches, goodbyes, bemused families, dignitaries, Spanish – Irish Saint James well wishers, a cheering crowd on Custom House quay. And then away through the elevated, saluting East Link bridge at 3 p.m. And into Dublin Bay where the naïve travellers were transmogrified into trainee sailors, given their safety indoctrination, shipworthy drills, watch assignments, clip on lanyards, and designated duties. Nudge nudge, wink, wink, surely a joke? Sign on, sailor.

I must go down to the sea again,
To the lonely sea and the sky
And all I want is a tall ship
And a star to steer her by.

For the next 5 days and 4 nights Jeanie Johnston became our ship, our sail, our way on the high sea, across the Bay of Biscay to Galicia, ploughing, pitching, rolling through waves, swells, white horses, starry skies, balmy days and for some, sea sick nights. Speed 7 knots, course 180-190º south, steady as she goes. Landbubblers hitched lanyards to the bow for the night watch, would be sailors fought with the helm, innocents climbed the rigging unfurling the sails, company directors cleared out the heads and the captain’s quarters, cursing as they went, all slept snoringly sound in basic bunks.

“Kwells”, “Sea-Legs” or “Sturgeron”?. Tea and toast in the galley. Cloying, clinging smells in the dungeoned loos. Floating phosphorescent plankton on nocturnal sea. Dolphins, some 30-40, who came from all directions, surfed in the wash and wake, showed off, frolicking and wave dancing. Gearing up, numbering on, night watch and day watch duties and dissertations, numbering off, one superb star filled night milky way magnificent, high sea Mass courtesy of Father Colm, sung and communed.

Lo and behold. Seasickness evaporates for most on day two. Breaching whale spotted. Rocking and rolling across bunks in Bay of Biscay. Surprisingly little traffic seen. Nothing to report. No albatrosses, men overboard or steel containers spotted. Except one sad event – poor Father Colm suffers a serious scald to right arm and chest, requiring dressings, bravely born, and resulting in four days in hospital. Last night on board a noisy night with the Jeanie Johnstons timbers creaking, groaning, moaning as she lurched and rolled through a heavy rolling swell.

Day Five. Land ahoy. Ferrol in sight. Escort into port. Terrain firma turned out to be anything but, most of us wobbling like drunken men on concrete quay. And thence a welcome beer (or two), a la carte in Bla Bla, and a thunderous and lightning night, bodies strewn about bunks and floors of the JJ.

Farewells to the crew and JJ. And so to the Parador, disheveled, unwashed, but repaired by the joys of a shower, stable bed and staple food. JJ provided a unique experience of sailing a tall ship, of crossing the Bay of Biscay, of learning the rudiments of the sea, of getting to know ones fellow travelers, but above all of working with your watch. Would we do it again?

Saturday dawned bright and sunny. Welcome gathering hosted by the lovely Victoria, the Mayor of Ferrol and councilors. Galician bagpipes and drums, superb octopus, local wines followed by a delicious languorous lunch of scallops, cockles, monkfish and a series of liqueurs. Father Colm found to be in good form, good hands in a superb new burns unit at A Coruna

The walkers joined the sailors, enjoyed the pleasures of the Parador, steady bed, snoreless sleep, following a night in Ferrol. Ferrol proves to be an interesting city, a large naval port, with curious architecture, narrow deserted streets, castellated forts, peculiar fenestrations, friendly people.

A walk is a walk is a walk. But the Camino Ingles (English way) from Ferrol to Santiago is a special walk. It has a purpose and a finish, a physical challenge for some, a pilgrimage for others, a track through Galicia for some more. The Camino is amongst the oldest pilgrimage in Christendom to the burial site of St. James. The pilgrimage is initiated by the distribution of symbolic scallop shells, the stamping of pilgrim passports, and the ceremony of Mass.

Thence to 5 days trek of 120 km through scruffy suburbs, through farmland in an apparent 1960 time swap, through eucalyptus forests, up severe slopes, on cement, tarmacadam, grass, sadistic stones, sandy soil, round sweeping bays, a winding timeless track of introspection, of contemplation, of communication, with pilgrim pools for blistered feet and scattered resting spots, good days, tough days, a grey mizzly day, but DG no downpours, meeting few if any people and only two other pilgrims apart from the Rock group, spread out, the young Turks powering ahead, the peletton a safe reservoir for slower walkers, a sweeper behind to pick up lost souls of which there were a few, racers, plodders, limpers, walkers, talkers, silent souls, but all on the same mission to survive the day, overcome the sore feet, and arrive at that days destination some 20-30 kilometers and 6-8 hours later, an hotel, a hostel, a bunk, a bed, a bath, a beer or two, a communal supper, a singsong one evening, a country banquet another, a rapid collapse into bed and sleep on another.

Of memories there are many. Of scrutinizing carefully for scallop signs or yellow arrows, the Camino symbols and directions. Of counting down kilometers and not believing the sums. Of small stone farmlands, seemingly subsistence farms, and women pushing wheelbarrows of grass cut by scythe and sickle. Of plucking apples and blackcurrants and mini grapes as we went. Of box like graveyards cut into cement wall. Of the downpour that greeted our pilgrimage beginning, but quickly dissipated. Of the snoring symphony in the crowded hostel, euphonious snores, trombone snorts, tuba like eructations, accompanied by nefarious farts. Of welcome beers after the days walk, in a bar by a muddy estuary in Betanzos, in Montedeume, in Brumas’s tiny little bar. Of cursing one’s feet and complimenting Compeed. Of the beautiful boutique hotel in Betanzos and hospitable hostel in Bruma. Of the simple Mass in Bruma and the curious coincidence that those who skipped Mass walked too far that day. Of daily instructions, directions, exhortations from Nudge and his disciplined team. Of the spotless little hostel where a nights B+B cost €20, a mere €35 for a matrimonial suite. Of the cruel concrete hard rock, nasty sharp stones, and short highway pedestrian lanes of some days.

Of the priceless opportunity to proceed at slow pace through the Galician countryside along a way path and pilgrimage that seemed to have changed little over centuries. Of the absence of litter; and of any wild animals. Of the supporting conversation and camaraderie of the group. Of John the lone runner, Kate the limper, Philip the strummer, GPS Jim, Conor the sweeper, Justin the translator, John the blogger, Noel the senior citizen, Rita the unfazed, of the Elliott boys, et al inter al, a random selection of souls and sinners collected by our President, traveler, organizer and motivator EH, alias Nudge. Of the surreptitious filmers Joe and Kevin who would appear on cruel hills, around corners, a camera in your face, mike at your mouth to record your pilgrims peregrination and paltry progress. With an eye, a smile and and an unsuspected question.

Our final day of conversation, contemplation, maybe levitation. And so we got to Santiago, via Neda, Fene, Pontedeune, Betanzos, Mino, Bruma, Siguriro, a longer harder, more arduous 120 km than some of us expected.
The group assembled, unfurled flags, smiled, satisfied and relieved, marched to the Cathedral as a group. We shared a communal sense of achievement, an unexpected release of emotion for some, and real sense of elation on reaching our destination in Santiago. The square was full of trekkers, walkers, bikers, back pack pilgrims, all at their journey’s end. Some had walked 1000 km in one month, making our route seem like a short stroll. Others staggered in on sticks. Thence to get our certificate of completion, photos taken, experiences shared and stumble into the welcoming 5 star parador par excellence.

The trip culminated with a Pilgrims Mass in the Cathedral. A civic reception at San Francisco Hotel, and a Rock Union Dinner at the Parador. The Pilgrims Mass was beautifully celebrated and sung with well chosen words from Fr.Cormac. All the congregation showed childlike delight and amazement at the silver botafumiero swinging at the high speed across the transept. A midday reception was hosted by the Ferrol people. The Union dinner attended by about ninety was a splendid highly organized banquet and fitting conclusion.

Why? Because Nudge organized it.
Where? St. James Gate to Santiago.
When? 25th August to 6 September 2008
What? The Camino Ingles
How? By boat, foot, and plane.
Who? Sundry souls, and sinners.

An unforgettable event of spirituality, conviviality, joviality and mutual compatibility. Among the 10 things one should do before dying? Or better still, die while doing the Camino and go straight to ………….?

SANTIAGO STATS
29 sailors
40 walkers
90 diners
700 km over sea
120 km walk
1000 m cumulative climb
13 days
2 dropouts (both work enforced)
1 injury
0 deaths

Denis Gill

Rock Union AGM 2008

Blackrock College Union
Report of the Committee for the Year 2007/2008

It gives us great pleasure to present the Report of the Union Committee for the Year 2007/2008.

The breadth of the activities being carried out by your Union is extremely wide and each Year brings new additions to the Calendar.

Under the energetic stewardship of President Brendan O’Connor great strides were made this year in developing The Union Website. The website contains a comprehensive list of Events held throughout the Year with Event Reports. In addition, further details will be available in the Union Newsletter which will be distributed in the coming months.

The Blackrock College Union is a Voluntary Organisation and all of its activities stem from the objectives set out carefully in the Union Constitution which dates back to the foundations of the Union in 1899. These objectives remain as relevant now as they did then and include the following stated objectives:-

strengthening the bonds of affection between the College and Alumni;

assistance and support to the College and its ethos;

 facilitate friendship and mutual support amongst the Alumni

Christian Charity.

Events and Re-Union Activities:

The Principle reunions organized this Year were the:-

50th Year ( Class of 1958; Chairman Myles O’Reilly):

40th Year ( Class of 1968; Chairman Declan Conway):

30th Year ( Class of 1978; Chairman Denis Bergin):

21st Year ( Class 1987; Chairman   Mark Allen)

10th Year (Class 1998; Chairman Ronan McClafferty).


In addition the Union also  facilitated the following event:

The Ulster Re-Union – ( Chairman Peter McCormick):

The European Re-Union, held in London (Chairman John Sexton).

The US Re-Union, held in Boston (Chairman Paddy Fahy)

Past President’s Dinner;

Annual Dinner (President’s  Award – Alain Rolland)

Other events included:-

The Annual Business Lunch; (organized by David Harvey which has become a regular feature of the Union Calendar);

The Annual Retreat;
Two Golf Society Outings;
Presentation by the five Spiritan Colleges to Fr. Brian Starken. In a unique event the five Spiritan Colleges joined together to fund raise for a boat for the Tana River in Kenya. The boat will save a 360 kilometer trip for the missionaries who look after 12,000 people in the area on a food and health care programme. The monies raised were presented to Fr. Brian Starken at a lunch held in St. Michael’s College.

The Charity Auction held in The Law Society in aid of the Mission Fund


Some of the Highlights of the year were as follows:-

Annual Dinner:

This was held on Friday 28th March 2008. The event attracted strong numbers with over 250 attending this despite competing with back to back Bank Holidays.

Fr. Cormac O’Brolchain spoke of the plans to develop the School Campus, including re-development of Willow Park, Sports Hall and the re- alignment of the Sport pitches.

President Brendan O’Connor spoke about the fact that history was being made as there were no longer any Priests on the Teaching Staff at Blackrock College.

The President appealed for contributions to the development of Blackrock.

The Union Website was launched by the President on the night.

An Award was made to Alain Rolland for his contribution to World Referring to mark his achievement of being the first Irish man to Referee a Rugby World Cup Final.

Our thanks should be extended to the College Community for the use of the College Facilities and to the Caterers for an excellent meal;

Thanks to Rita Murphy from the Union Office for all her help for organizing the night.

Annual Retreat:

There was an excellent turn-out. 125 people attended the Annual Retreat on Friday 20/21st March 2008.

Great thanks are due to Fr. Tom Nash, Fergal Mulchrone and Richard Assaf for putting the Retreat together.

Junior Committee (Chairman Paddy McClafferty):

The Junior Committee is a very active arm of the Union and thanks should go to Paddy McClafferty and his Junior Committee for the organizations of events which included:-

Junior Dinner and Golf and

The Graduation Ball.

Poker Night.

School Related Activities:

The Union assisted the College particularly in the following events:-

Career Talks:     
These took place over two week-ends of the 12th and 19th January 2008 with 260 Students attending.

Mock Interviews:
These took place on Wednesday 20th January 2008 and Students were assisted in preparing for Interviews.

Cross Border Student Visits:    
As a result of the improved political situation in Northern Ireland it was agreed that the relevance and necessity for our Cross Border project had reached the end of its meaningful life and it was decided to discontinue this project. The Union would like to record its thanks to Fr. Tom Nash, and Peter McCormick for their dedication to this event down through the years.

The Union has also worked closely with the College in supporting the ongoing fundraising for the development of the School Campus. It has also provided support in regard to the preservation of the various artifacts of the College.

Charity & Support.

The Union continued its charitable endeavours and work in supporting past pupils and the wider community. Our thanks go to the dedicated members of all of the Committees for their efforts including:-

The Blue & White Group;
The Mission Fund;
The Charitable Trust;
The Blackrock Conference of St. Vincent de Paul – involving both past and present students;

The Mentoring Programme;
The Children’s Christmas Party.

Each of these groups involves a sub-committee in its own right, the efforts of which are much appreciated.

Blue & White Fund:

The Blue & White Fund Group extends the hand of friendship to Rock Men who have encountered crises of many types in their lives.

The Group draws on the voluntary work of Members to provide information, organization, guidance and in limited cases financial assistance.

In a collaboration between the Junior Committee and the Blue & White Group, a special event took place in Stillorgan Park Hotel on 25th day of February 2008 called “Coping with Challenges”. The evening was designed to heighten awareness of mental challenges facing people today and particularly young people. The evening was hosted by George Hook and Presenters included Clodagh Nolan who Lectures in Occupation Therapy in TCD.

Congratulations goes to the Junior Committee and the Blue & White Group for the effort put into organizing this event.

The Mission Fund (Tony Amoroso):

The Chairman Tony Amoroso deserves great thanks for his inventiveness and great enthusiasm in developing the fund.

The Mission Fund assists the Spiritan Community working overseas and this year under the guidance of Tony Amoroso a hugely successful Charity Evening in Blackhall Place was held raising a substantial sum of money for the missionary effort.

The Charitable Trust Chairman (John Smyth):

The Charitable Trust was set up following the sale of the Boy’s Club in Dun Laoghaire, which has been owned by the Union. To date, the proceeds were invested and the Trust disbursed the interest earned to relevant projects with a focus on education. Under the guidance of John Smyth the Trust has been working diligently and plans are now coming to fruition to disburse the capital sums currently invested by the Trust in a specific project.

Blackrock College Conference of ST. Vincent de Paul (Conference President Alan Lennox).

Under the guidance of Alan Lennox, the Committee has continued its extremely active role in the College.  A number of Fund Raising Projects were carried out including a 24 hour Soccer Marathon which raised the sum of €14,000.00.

In addition, it ran the Annual Sale of Christmas Trees, which has become a regular feature of the landscape at Blackrock College at Christmas and, the monies raised enables Christmas Hampers to be delivered to homes in Kilinarden, Tallaght.  Visitations are also carried out to Kilinarden to assist people in this Community.

The Mentoring Programme ( Chairman Frank O’Riordan).

The programme is run by Frank O’Riordan supported on a voluntary basis by a host of members from multiple disciplines. The Mentoring Programme attempts to give access to the knowledge and expertise of more senior members, particularly where it relates to career advancement and this year under the stewardship of Chairman Frank O’Riordan the number of Mentors has been considerably expanded.

Christmas Outing:

This took place on the 15th December 2008 organised by Terry O’Rourke.  A very successful day was had with 53 young boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 8 attending. Great thanks are due to the Transition Year Boys of Blackrock College and the Girls from Mount Anville for their assistance together with Declan Conway as Santa Claus and Paddy McSweeney who coordinated presents.


Communications and Membership:

Membership of the Union now totals 3825 and the introduction of the Website will considerably assist the Union in raising the membership by enabling the Union to capture the details of visitors to the Site. Under the stewardship of Mark Dunne and Michael Grehan the number of advertisers has been substantially increased. In addition, work has been done to develop a social e-mail which will travel with Students when they leave the School. A group affinity scheme is now available on the Website which members can avail of.

Union Centre ( Manager Rita Murphy):

The Union owe a special debt to Rita Murphy who attends to the affairs of the Union Office and assists in the organization of the Union Events.

Concluding Remarks:

The Union would like to thank all past pupils of the College who attended functions or gave their time and help throughout the year. We also pay tribute to Brendan O’Connor for his tireless, dedication and energy throughout the year in his role as President of the Union. In addition to the large number of Union related functions which the President attended his year was also marked by the following particular achievements:-

The development of the Website which will be a platform for greater development of the Union in the next number of years.

 The development of the joint initiatives with other Spiritan Colleges which will lay the foundations for future co-operation in the next number of years.

His promotion of the fund raising for the development of the College.

Finally, we would also like to thank the President of the College, Fr. Cormac O’Brolchain C.S.Sp., and Principal of Blackrock College, Alan MacGinty for their unstinting loyalty and commitment to the Union.


Stephen Noonan    Fr. Tom Nash
Secretary    Honorary Secretary.


Photos of the evening are now in the Photo Galleries

10 Year Reunion Class of 1998

Class of 1998

Blackrock College 10 Year Out Reunion

The 10 year out re-union was held over a glorious June bank holiday weekend.

Friday started on the tee box with golf at Edmonstown golf club, a team of Mark Fagan, Colin Ferrin, Booby O’Gorman and John Connolly convincingly won out on the day. 

We assembled in the refectory at 5.30pm with over 120 arriving at the College for mass. Fr. Tom Nash celebrated the mass which gave opportunity to pray together and to recognise honourable work of past pupils from the class of 1998. Fr. Cormac O’Brolchain led us admirably in songs, which after a nervy start the full congregation joined aloud in the well remembered hymns. 

After mass we managed to gather all together for a photograph in the quadrangle before departing to Stradbrook. Here old friends caught up and some new ones made over a fine dinner and a few drinks. Union president Brendan O’Connor spoke of the value of being part of the union and encouraged all to remain in touch. We were also delighted to have Barry O’Keefe attend as a guest. After our meal Fr. O’Brolchain said a few inspirational words setting the path for the night ahead.

Following the adventures of Friday night there was a great turn out for some fresh air on Saturday morning. A very social game of 5-a-side football took place in the school, in the sunshine with plenty of BBQ and refreshments enjoyed by all.

Saturday finished late with a trip into town and ending with promises to stay in touch as we headed back to the four corners. Thanks to those who attended, our golf sponsors and a raffle held on the Friday night, we managed to raise over €5,000 for the missions. 

Such an event could not take place without the help of so many, firstly from the union Brendan O’Connor, Stephen Doyle, Derek Cassidy and Rita Murphy went beyond to assist in making the event a success. Alan MacGinty, Fr. O’Brolchain and in particular Fr. Nash played a huge role in making sure we had the support needed and actively involved themselves in the evening, the welcome we received was noted by all. Finally the committee from the class of 1998, a great group of lads who put so much of their own time into the event, Simon Rogan, Ronan Burke, Shane Sorohan and Bernard Coen. Thank you.

Photos of the evening can be found in the photo galleries to the right.

Ronan Mc Clafferty

50 Year Re-Union - Class 1958

Blackrock College Class of 1958

Golden Jubilee Celebrations 16-17 May 2008

 We came from far and near, from Dingle and Dalkey, from Ballina and Ballsbridge and from Australia, Malaysia, USA, Birmingham, Middlesex and Somerset. There were 52 of us from the class of 1958 celebrating the Golden Jubilee of our days in ‘Rock. The years rolled back and days of youth and daring escapades were recalled with relish.

 The President, Fr. Cormac Ó Brocháin, CSSp (class of 1958) and the Union President, Brendan O’Connor, welcomed us to the College. Bishop Donal Murray of Limerick (1958) was principal celebrant and gave the homily at the Mass of Thanksgiving where candles were lit in memory of deceased classmates. College students conducted guided tours of the new buildings and the Castle and after that it was dinner in the College rugby club at Stradbrook where grace was led by former President, Fr. Brendan Hally, CSSp (1958). Tony Keane was MC for the evening and rendered a translation of the splendid menu into the nicknames of our old teachers that was inspired from the inside. Desmond B. O’Rourke, now resident in the USA, gave a typically witty and appropriate after-dinner address.

 Celebrations resumed next morning over brunch with wives and partners at the Royal St. George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire. Compliments were paid to the organising committee and we resolved to meet again for the 55^th which, after consulting laptops and calculators, we agreed would be in five years time!

30 Year Re-Union - Class of 1978

Rock 30th Year Class Reunion - 1978 Class

" The 30 year Reunion was a terrific success this year with 85 class mates attending a wonderful Mass in the College with a moving ceremony provided by Fr Tom Nash and supported by some wonderful music & accompanying singing.  Most of the class took the opportunity to visit the new 5th & 6th year class rooms which are a great credit to the College.

35 class mates kicked off the day with golf in Elm Park and enjoyed wonderful weather & the occasional beer. Following the Mass in the college, we travelled by coach back to Elm Park for a memorable evening. Fr Tom started the proceedings with grace and a superb dinner was enjoyed by all.

We were fortunate to have our Union President , Brendan O'Connor attend on the night and very successful funding raising was organised on the night with over €3,000 raised for the Holy Ghost Missions & the Blue & White fund.

The support for the reunion was magnificent with travellers from Perth ( Well done Colm Corless for the longest distance travelled)  We also had travellers from Hong Kong ( John Green) San Francisco ( Donald Main) and New York ( Joe Griffin) . We had a very large contingent from UK & Europe including Simon Digby whose witty renditions of the dayboys & borders tales was enthusiastically received. Derek Thornton & Dave McSwiney provided the hilarious & hugely entertaining end to the evening’s entertainment which went on to the "wee hours" in the morning.

A most enjoyable weekend was wrapped up with a partners night in Gleeson’s on the Saturday night with over 65 attending. This was a memorable weekend, all who attended are already looking forward to the next reunion, which we suggested will be in 5 years time. A huge thank you to our organising chairman, David Cantrell & all his hard working committee ( too many to mention but they can enjoy a well deserved rest"

Denis Bergin  

Golf Captain's prize day 2008

Golf Society Captain’s Prize – Tuesday 29^th April 2008 in Elm Park Golf Club

Entry of 112 played in Ronan O’Neill’s (1971) Captain Prize Day in Elm Park Golf Club.  Local Knowledge proved to be invaluable as the first 3 were all member of the home club!   1^st Place went to Paul Weldon (1970) with a score of 39 points improving on his 2^nd place in last year’s 2007 Captain’s Prize.  Paul won from Denis Bergin (1978) and Garry Trueick (1979).

The hotly contested class Prize went to the year of 1978 – Denis Bergin, Paul Keenan and Kevin O’Gorman.

21 Year Re-Union - Class of 1987

7/5/08

Annual Dinner 2008

The Annual Dinner, despite competing with back to back bank holidays, attracted 250 people back to Blackrock College. We were particularly delighted to welcome guests from our sister Spiritan colleges. As always with this event, there was a wonderful atmosphere in the hall as old friends and schoolmates were reunited.

President of the College, Fr. Cormac O’Brolchain, in his address, noted the achievements of pupils, both past and present, and also the vibrancy of the Union. Fr Cormac was happy to state that 18 sports are now offered in Blackrock. With much pride, he outlined the scholarships received by last year’s students from UCD and TCD, and noted that was achieved with no entrance examination into the school – a real tribute to the teaching staff, and Principal Alan MacGinty. He outlined plans for the future development of the school campus which will include redevelopment of Willow Park, a new Sports Hall, and realignment of the sports pitches.
 
The President of the Union, Brendan O’Connor spoke about history being broken this year after 148 years there are no longer any priests on the teaching staff in Blackrock College. Times are changing! He appealed for members to contribute to renewing the building stock in Blackrock with a tax efficient financial contribution.

The President launched the new Union website live on the night, outlining the interactive nature of the site, with bloggs and video, and identified how important the website is for keeping all our foreign members in touch with the Union.

Brendan announced the winner of the 2008 President’s award as being Alain Rolland for his contribution to world refereeing and to mark his achievement to be the first Irishman to referee a Rugby World Cup Final in 2007. 
 
A raffle was held on the night in aid of the Mission Fund and the Blue and White Group.  A most generous prize was donated by Tony Flynn of Discover Africa for a trip to South Africa for 7 days with golf included.  Gavin Brick (Class of 1993) was the lucky winner of the prize.

As usual, there are a number of people to be thanked for their help in making the evening a great success. In particular the College Community for the use of the college facilities, the College caterers for an excellent meal and Rita Murphy from the Union office for all her help in organising the night., and our own organisers Iain Gallagher, Hugh Lambert and Stephen Doyle.

Ulster Re-Union 2008

                        Ulster Reunion Dinner 2008

The Ulster Dinner at Malone Golf Club on March 7th was a great success and everyone had a most enjoyable evening. As you might expect there was a lot of reminiscing about old times. Fourty one Union members and guests attended.

 We were delighted to have with us our Union president Brendan O'Connor, Father Cormac O'Brolchan, president of the College  and Father Tom Nash.  We are always very pleased to welcome Union members from Dublin and our thanks to Brendan, Cormac and Tom for making the journey. 

 Among the invited guests from the four Northern Colleges were Sean Egan, president of Saint Malachy's College Old Boys and his  wife Marguerite; Fred Browne, president of Old Cambellian Society and his wife Deirdre; Fred McDowell, president  of Belfast Old Instonians Association and his wife Pamela, and  Anne Millar, Junior Vice President Methodist College Belfast Former Pupils Association.

 It is always nice to have a 'new' member attend the dinner and this year was no exception. Paul Fox from Bangor whose son is at Blackrock joined us and we hope he will make it an annual event.

John Ryan and David Keys were at the dinner. John a former Blackrock student and David a former RBAI student  first met some ten years ago during one of the cross border exchange visits and have remained close friends ever since. One of many lasting friendships from the cross border exchange visits. 

Last year we collected some much needed funds for Bishop Bobby Ellison in the Gambia to help maintain his ageing transport fleet, his lifeline to the many outstations in each of his parishes, this year we were able to send him £1300.

U.S.A. Re-Union 2008 - Boston

The 8th USA Re- Union got off to a lively start with an informal gathering on the Friday night at Lir, a few blocks from the Lenox Hotel, which served as headquarters for the weekend.

A record crowd of 80 guests gathered for the dinner on Saturday night as old friends were reunited and many new friendships were formed. An impressive delegation of 20 people traveled from Ireland to join Rock men and their guests from 13 different States , and Canada. Past Pupils spanning 53 Leaving Cert years attended from as far away as California , Arizona, and Nebrasaka. The 1975 Leaving Cert year was well represented with 6 others joining their Boston based classmate, Tom Gilvarry.

Brendan O'Connor, accompanied by his wife Clodagh , and 5 former Union Presidents (including his dad Brian) represented the Union, while Fr Cormac O'Brolochain , President of Blackrock College , represesented the school. Fr Malachy Kilbride , who travelled from Florida for the dinner, said grace before the excellent meal and explained why he was a little "burnt out" after meeting many of his former students. Later Brendan O'Connor , and Fr Cormac O'Brolochain spoke expansively of the great developments and initiatives at the Union and the School. Mr Tony Campbell, President of Anglo Irish Bank's North American operations was the guest speaker and spoke glowingly of the character of Rock men he is grateful to have in his employment. Tony Amoroso and Tony Connolly organized a collection for the Missions and Blue and White fund and a very generous sum in excess of E2000 was raised.

Paddy Fahy thanked everyone for their commitment in traveling long distances to attend and contributing to the great spirit of fellowship on the night. He thanked his fellow organizers, Rita Murphy back in the Union Center in Dublin , and the Lenox Hotel for their top notch hospitality. John Kealy, 1960, volunteered his services to end the evening with a spirited version of "Rock Boys are We".

Proceedings continued downstairs to the Solas bar as the great spirit of comraderie continued well into the early hours of Sunday morning . A very enjoyable night left many asking how soon another gathering could be arranged . The organizers; Denis Grehan, Tom Gilvarry, Alan Dalton, and Paddy Fahy were thrilled to see that the night was such a great success. 
 
 

Mission Fund - Charity Auction 2008

Charity Dinner/Auction raises E44,000 for Union Mission Fund

The Union Mission Fund organised a Charity Dinner and Auction on 1st February to raise badly needed Funds for the Spiritan Priests working in the Missions.

A total of 170 past Pupils, Friends, Partners and Guests enjoyed a fine meal in the elegant surroundings of the Presidents Hall at the Law Society Headquarters before contributing generously to an Auction and Raffle that raised E44,000 for the Union Mission Fund.

Amongst the Guests at this well supported event were Fr. Tom Nash,Superior,and Alan MacGinty, Principle of the College with his wife Vivienne. Representing the Spiritan Provincialate were Fr. Brian Starken, Provincial Superior, and Fr. John Coleman, who is the coordinator from Ireland with the Spiritan Missionary Priests. It is through Fr. John that various projects in the Third World will be sourced for the funds raised at the Charity Auction. Other Guests included Union President Brendan O’Connor and his wife Clodagh, and Noel and Catherine Turley, who last year collected funds for and travelled to Bishop Bobby Ellison and Fr. Jackie Sharpe in the Gambia.

Special thanks for making the night so successful must go to Corry McMahon, who acted as Auctioneer, and David Harvey, MC for the event.

The Spiritan Order has just under 3,000 Bishops, Priests, Brothers and Junior Professed working in some of the poorest regions of Africa, Latin America, Asia, Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Oceania, as well as North America and Europe. There are currently 15 Blackrock College Past Pupils working in Countries from Brazil, to Kenya, to Mauritius.

If you would like to contribute to the Union Mission Fund, either by Donation or by Standing Order, please contact the undersigned through the Union Office.  Click here to send the Union office an email.

Tony Amoroso,
Chairman,
Union Mission Fund (Classes 1964/1965)

Committee: Anthony McLaughlin (Class 1976)
David Coen, Peter Maguire,Tom Walsh ( all Class 1986)
 
 

Career Interviews for 6th Year 2008

The Career Interview Coaching took place on Wed Jan 30th. This year we changed the emphasis from just doing a mock interview to a more focused interview coaching session.

The students prepared a CV and application letter. The Interviewers then went through some typical interview questions and then provided coaching and advice to the students on how to prepare for and conduct themselves at interview. Some of the discussions were also around the career opportunities in the various fields. The students found this to be both informative and helpful.

Approx 70 students attended on the night and the following professionals and experts, most of who were past pupils, assisted with the interviews.

Again, feedback from both Students and Interviewers was very positive. We very much appreciate the support from all the interviewers who willingly and ably provided their expertise on the night. We would also like to thank the students who participated fully and honestly thereby ensuring that they got real benefit from the night.

Simon Mullen
04/02/2008
 

Career Guidance Talks for 5th Year

Career Guidance Talks 12^th and 19^th January.

The Union assisted the Career’s Department in Blackrock College by providing experienced professionals in various fields to advise and guide 5th and 6th year students in their career choices.

This year the Career Talks took place over two weekends on the 12th and 19th of January. Approx 216 Students attended the talks and the following is a list of the speakers, most of whom were past pupils.

Sat 12th Jan

Career Area Speaker

Law / Barrister: Owen O’Sullivan / Shane Murphy

Information Technology:-Mark Andrews

Engineering-Brian Glennon

Accountancy-Paul Keenan

Sat 19th Jan

Career Area Speaker

Architecture~Donal O’Donohue

Quantity Surveying~Corry O’Sullivan

Auctioneering~Marcus O’Connor

Medicine~Stephen Hawkins

Pharmacy~Aisling Mullen/Andrew O’Reilly

Business / Marketing~Fergal Mulchrone

Entrepreneurship~Jim Leyden

Communications / Media~David Harvey                                             

This was the first year in the “new school” and the Speakers and students took full advantage of the excellent facilities and “state of the art” technology available for the presentations.

The talks provided the students with very valuable insights into these career areas. The feedback from the students was excellent and I can report that the speakers also found it very rewarding.

We are deeply indebted to all the speakers who were most generous in giving up their valuable time for this very important event in the school calendar. We would also like to thank the students who were punctual, attentive and asked excellent questions showing genuine interest in their chosen areas.

 Simon Mullen