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Welcome to the NEW Blackrock College Union community website which is one of the primary channels of communication with our members. We would encourage you to re-register on the new website to help keep you in contact with other past students and inform you of events, support groups and projects the union and college are currently undertaking.
The Blackrock College Union expresses its deepest sympathy and solidarity with all past pupils who were subject to abuse while attending the College. It is a matter of great sadness to the Union that such abuse was inflicted on pupils of the schools and we acknowledge that the matters raised in the media are profoundly upsetting and life changing for the victims of such abhorrent abuse. The Union deeply regrets that pupils in the College and Willow Park were not protected from this abuse and we encourage anyone who has been affected by such abuse to seek the appropriate advice and assistance.The media coverage has referred to a statement which has been carried on our website which encourages any past pupil affected by abuse to seek supports and which is repeated below.
"Inclusion and engagement are two strong themes that the Union focus on. As representatives of your Union we are conscious that the experiences of some of our past pupils while at school in Willow Park and Blackrock College may have been damaged by abuse by persons priest and lay, who were teachers during those important years. The Union wants you to know that if you have been affected by such experiences there are practical and moral supports available on a confidential basis by contacting the Union at unionoffice@rock.ie"
We would encourage any pupil who is an abuse victim to come forward and begin the process of healing with the full support of all your peers.
Additionally, we would direct you to the following links that may provide you with alternatives should you wish to avail of them.
Tim Chapman Restorative Justice Process: Email: info@timchapman.eu
One In Four: One in Four supports people who have experienced sexual violence during childhood. http://oneinfour.ie/ 01 662 4070
Spiritan Order: https://spiritan.ie/safeguarding/ Spiritan Safeguarding Office. Liam Lally (0868312987) Liam.lally@spiritanplt.ie
National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI): www.safeguarding.ie 00 353 (0)1 5053124
Local Garda Station: http://www.garda.ie/Stations/Default.aspx
Tusla: The Child and Family Agency https://www.tusla.ie/services/
Northern Ireland Contact your local Police Station: www.psni.police.uk Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/childprotection_guidance
We will add more as they are recommended to us.
Welcome from John O'Doherty
It is a great honour and privilege for me to be elected as President of our Union in this its 123rd year.
Presently we have over 8,000 members in 31 countries worldwide and nearly 3,000 of those are registered online.
Over the past two years, many of our events had to be cancelled due to the Covid 19 pandemic. However, this year we hope to be able to run our full schedule of events. Next month I am delighted to say that we are holding our North American dinner in New York for the first time in three years and in November our annual business lunch returns to the O’Reilly Hall in UCD.
Through our Union and Junior Committees we try to reach out to as many members as possible with our class ambassadors, our reunions, retreats, business mentoring and golf events to name but a few.
One major part of the work carried out by the Union is the support that we give to our two charities the Blue and White and the Mission fund. The former offers support and assistance to fellow members who are experiencing challenging times and the Mission fund helps those less fortunate in Africa in terms of their welfare and education and indeed echoes the ethos of our Holy Ghost founders. The funds to support our charities are raised at our events throughout the year and through donations to our Union office.
Thankfully, with our new website, event bookings are made even easier and I would encourage members to check in on a regular basis for updates.
Finally, I look forward to meeting many of you during my term as President of the Union.
Warm regards,
Fides et Robur
John O’Doherty (Class of 1986)
The Union is saddened to learn of the loss of Paddy McSwiney 1971 More...
The Union is saddened to learn of the loss of Past President Terry O'Rourke 1963 More...
The Union is saddened to learn of the loss of Ben Mulligan 1984 More...
The Union is saddened to learn of the loss of John Rankin 1971 More...
Membership of the union is free of charge to all members. However, even as a voluntary organisation, the union does incur expenditure to cover administration and to support events such as the Blackrock College Business Lunch, the Annual Dinner, the various reunions, networking events and other charitable support activities.
We would therefore appreciate any donations, no matter the amount as they will all go a long way to ensuring that all of this work continues.
We would also like to take the opportunity to thank those members who have donated in the past. With your ongoing support, we will continue to provide the best possible services to our membership.
