St. Patrick’s
National School is not a name familiar to those who like myself attended the
local boys school 50 years ago. In the
Christian Brothers school yard off St. John’s Lane the conker tree which stood
just inside the main gated entrance then had pride of place. To either side of that magnificent tree were
to be found the sheds which doubled as bicycle sheds and when rain fell, as
covered, if somewhat restricted, play areas.
Facing the entrance and beyond the conker tree was a two storey building
which on the ground floor housed one part of the primary school and on the
first floor the entire secondary school for boys in Athy. There were just three rooms at the top of the
iron stairs which led from the school yard which had served as the town’s
secondary school since local contractor Daniel Carbery added a first floor to
an existing building in 1901. Directly
below the secondary school and on the ground floor was the original primary
school which had been erected before the Christian Brothers arrived to open
their school in August 1861.
To the left of the
school yard was the one storey building erected in 1931, again by local
contractor Dan Carbery to accommodate the increasing demand for primary school
places. Dedicated to the Sacred Heart it provided accommodation for manual
instruction and I can recall seeing a photo many years ago of a wood working
class in that building on a date unknown to me but I suspect it was a class of
the 1920’s to 1930’s.
Having spent all
my school days in Athy I have memories of St. Joseph’s School in Rathstewart
where the kindly Sisters of Mercy looked after all the daily needs of the young
boys entrusted into their care. After
three years and at the age of 7 or 8 years we transferred to the “big” school where we were to come under
the watchful gaze of the Christian Brothers.
On the day of the transfer we youngsters gathered in lines on the
gravelled entrance way which went by the side of St. Joseph’s leading to the
main door of the Convent. We were as
proud as peacocks, yet apprehensive of what lay ahead as we left the “protected custody” of Sr. Brendan and
the other teaching nuns of St. Joseph’s.
We walked in two lines up Stanhope Street, turning right at Carolan’s
Corner and over the bridge. Walking
ahead of us was a Christian Brother and I can still remember my father standing
outside Finn’s Butcher shop, directly opposite Reid Lalor’s pub, waiting to
greet me as I passed. Just over the
bridge we passed the multi storey building which up to 25 years or so
previously was a working mill owned and operated by the Hannon family. Up St. John’s Lane we went with Vernal’s
Forge on the right and a row of small houses on the left before reaching the
entrance to the Christian Brother’s School.
This was to be my school home for the following 11 years. To us it was simply “the Christian Brothers”, the place where we youngsters forged
friendships on the anvils of shared experiences, friendly competition on and
off the field of play, but never ever by reference to our academic achievements
or indeed lack of them.
Brother Flaherty
was Principal of the primary school in those days and he is still hale and
hearty and living I believe in Drimnagh Castle Christian Brothers Monastery
next to the Long Mile Road. It was “Fla” as he was affectionately known who
got us to act out the great events of Irish history using upturned chairs and
stool desks to resemble the barricades of the Wexford rebels of ’98. Emmet’s speech from the Dock was another
memory of those days and it was Brother Flaherty who organised and trained the
Mass servers for the Parish Church. I
can still recall the kindness of the big Kerry man, when yours truly found
himself as the lone Mass server at the first Mass one week day shortly after I
had finished my training as a Mass server.
Brother Flaherty rose from his place in the nave and came inside the
altar rail where he knelt down alongside me and stayed throughout the Mass to
guide the frightened youngster through the Mass. I never forgot his kindness on that day, nor
indeed the often unacknowledged kindness of the Christian Brothers who worked
so hard to give my generation and many others the rudiments of a good
education.
Last week Brother
John Murphy, a native of County Clare, died in St. Patrick’s, Baldoyle at the
advanced age of 97 years. Prior to his
retirement in 1974 he had served as Principal of the Christian Brothers Primary
School here in Athy for 14 years and he remained in the town for another 20
years, thereby acquiring the distinction of being the longest ever serving
Christian Brother in the Athy Monastery.
With Brother Joseph Quinn he left Athy when the Christian Brothers
Monastery closed in 1994. I have written
before and elsewhere of the importance of the Christian Brothers who brought
education within the reach of everyone who wanted to better themselves. Both Brother Murphy and Brother Quinn were
the last in a long line of Irish men who between 1861 and 1994 gave the youth
of Athy an education which raised their horizons and broadened their
expectations.
The Christian
Brothers primary and secondary schools remain on as Scoil Eoin in Rathstewart
and St. Patrick’s School in St. John’s Lane, both with lay principals in
charge. The needs of education in the 21st
century differ enormously from those of 50 years ago and nowhere is that better
reflected than in the range of activities undertaken by the modern pupil. In my day extra curricular activity was
confined to Gaelic football on Wednesday afternoons. Nowadays Outreach Programmes in association
with the Council’s Art Services give the boys of St. Patrick’s the opportunity
to work with artists such as Australian song writer Peter Kearney and
percussionist Eddie O’Neill. I
understand both artists will be giving a concert in the school this week in
conjunction with the young pupils of St. Patrick’s.
My old primary
school is going from strength to strength and last year received the Kildare
G.A.A. School of the Year Award.
Fund-raising is currently going ahead to raise much needed funds for
improvements to the school, an indication that improving the work/study
environment is an important part of the continuing betterment of academic
standards.
Nowadays as I walk
up or down St. John’s Lane I will have to take on board the fact that the
school I attended is to a new generation simply known as “St. Patrick’s”. “The Christian
Brothers” is no more - long may St. Patrick’s Primary School continue to
turn out young men whose destiny is to shape the future of “Sweet Athy”.
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