We sat three abreast in the Church pew in much the same order as we
had sat on the school benches in our old alma mater in St. John’s Lane over 50
years ago. We were in Crecora in County
Limerick, a place never before known to us but where our school pal Tony
Prendergast was now lying coffined before the altar in the small country
church.
The strains of the hymn ‘Hail
Queen of Heaven’ stirred memories of youthful days spent in our own Parish
Church and perhaps more evocatively of choir practice in the primary school of
the local Christian Brothers. These were
scenes which would have been once familiar to Tony Prendergast who passed away
last week after a very short illness.
Like all his school pals Tony had a nick-name, for nick-names were the
currency of youth. However, at times
like this full recognition was given to the name which his parents had bestowed
on the youngster who had grown up to tower over his classmates. Tony was tall, thin but tall, an attribute
which stood him in good stead on the football field.
Gaelic football was our favoured sport in the 1950’s and beyond and
Tony with Pat Timpson and Ted Wynne came to the notice of the selectors for the
County Minor team resulting in Newbridge based County team trials for all
three. They did not reach the dizzy
heights of minor team selection, but nevertheless the cache of being on the
fringes of selection was sufficient in its day to give satisfaction and
memories which lasted to this day.
Gaelic football would also provide another talking point, even in
the Limerick heartland of Gaelic hurling, for as the officiating priest
admitted, Tony once earned the distinction of being banned for six months from
playing his favourite sport. It was
surely a distinction, worn almost like a badge of honour, something to be
brought up whenever old friends got together to reminisce of times past. Tony, whose mother was a Lawler from
Barrowhouse, was a club player for Athy Gaelic Football Club. He succumbed to the blandishments of a now
unidentified official from the Laois club to turn out for Barrowhouse
Club. Not only did Tony do so but was
joined by Jimmy Malone whose father was
a Barrowhouse man and Ted Wynne whose own father was from Ballylinan. The problem was that all three were team
members of Athy Football Club and inevitably word of their indiscretion came to
the attention of club official Matt Murray.
The result was a six month suspension for Tony and Ted Wynne, but whether
Jim Malone, who is now living in California, escaped censure I cannot say. The suspension was initially regarded as
harsh and unwarranted, as is almost everything suffered or sustained in the throes
of youth, but in more mature years it came to be regarded as a badge of
distinction.
Teddy Kelly, Ted Wynne and myself travelled to Crecora on Saturday
to pay respects to our school pal, conscious of the advancing years which
although clearly marked in our physical condition yet seemed to have left untouched a mindset which has not kept
pace with the passing years. It was a
journey of memory in which we trawled back through the years shared with Tony
Prendergast and our other class mates.
The recent 50th celebration for Aontas Ogra saw the
publication of a book which included a photograph of Tony Prendergast with
Michael O’Neill, George Robinson, Ted Wynne and Ted Kelly, all togged out for
football with Tony clearly giving instructions to his team mates as to what was
required of them. It is the only photo I
have seen in recent times of a young Tony Prendergast. Tony worked for some years in Bord na Mona in
Newbridge but in latter years worked and lived in Cork where he died last
week. Originally from St. Patrick’s
Avenue where his younger brother Aidan still lives, Tony is survived by his wife
Joan, three sons Colm, Niall and Shane, his daughter Ciara, as well as his
sister Breda and brothers Billy, Joe and Aidan.
May he rest in peace.
‘The Dominicans of Athy
1257 – 2007’ is the title of a new booklet written
by Fr. Hugh Fenning O.P. to commemorate the 750th anniversary of the
coming of the Friars Preachers to the Anglo Norman village of Áth Ae on the
banks of the River Barrow. The Order
first came to Ireland 53 years previously settling immediately in five major
ports, as well as in the city of Kilkenny.
Fr. Fenning’s research adds to that of Daphne Pochin Mould who produced
a much smaller publication 50 years ago when Fr. Colgan was prior.
The original friary was located on the east bank of the River Barrow
in the area known to this day as ‘the
Abbey’, which I believe is soon to be the site of a major commercial
development. During the Reformation the
Dominican Friary was suppressed and the buildings which had been developed over
almost 300 years of monastery life passed into the hands of Martin Pelles who
was constable of the Castle of Athy.
Nothing remains overground of the Church, the Chapter House, the Bell
Tower, the Dormitory or the other buildings which were part of the Dominican
Friary of Athy. Indeed the cemetery
attached to the friary has long been obliterated but undoubtedly the Abbey
grounds hold beneath its surface the foundations of the ancient Dominican
Friary. I presume that before any
development takes place, a comprehensive archaeological survey will be carried
out on the site to record and preserve, where possible, whatever medieval material
of historical interest is found.
The suppression of the Dominican Friary saw the preachers leave Athy
for almost 90 years but apart from that enforced absence the Dominican’s have been
part and parcel of Athy community life for the remaining 750 years. The 750th anniversary of the
arrival of the Dominican Fathers to Athy will be celebrated on Saturday, 6th
October with a special mass to be said in the church which was opened 42 years
ago, just two years after the Ecumenical Council of 1963. Described at the time as ‘revolutionary in design’ its vibrant interior aroused great
interest with works of art by Brid ni Rinn and George Campbell. It was however the exterior of the new Dominican
Church with its curved concrete roof spanning 147 feet between abutments which
excited most comment. The church of the Athy
Dominicans was perhaps the forerunner of emerging Irish Church architecture of the
1960’s and represented what has been called a ‘liturgy conscious design’ as opposed to the antiquarianism of
church design of the past.
Fr. Patrick Deegan of Raphoe, an Athy man who was invited to preach
the sermon at the opening ceremony on 17th March 1965 said during
the course of his sermon :-
‘There must have been some great heart
searching and much discussion before the momentous decision was taken to build
a church in a modern style ....., he continued, ‘we are now in the process of changing from traditional styles of
church building to radically new ones.’
Fr. Deegan in concluding referred to St. Dominic’s Athy as ‘a building of our time’. This was re-affirmed by the Irish Press in
its report of the opening of the new church which it carried the headline, ‘Church in revolutionary style displays
spirit of Council’.
Tony Prendergast as a young man attended mass in the old Dominican
Church now long demolished but a photograph of which is in Fr. Fenning’s
booklet. He was just one of the many
thousands from Athy who over the centuries was part of the communities served
by the Dominican Friars. During that
time, as Fr. Fenning wrote in his booklet, ‘the
Dominicans of Athy have seen every shade of fortune and have had their share of
hunger, fire and sword ..... since 1754 they have been able to maintain an
unbroken presence in Athy, offering mass, preaching the word and giving the
daily witness of their religious lives.
But what of tomorrow?’.
What the future holds for the Dominicans in Athy we cannot foretell. Neither can we
quantify the magnitude of their contribution to the religious
wellbeing of our townspeople over the centuries. The
upcoming 750th anniversary gives all of us an opportunity to
show our appreciation of what the order founded by St. Dominics means to our
historic town.
In next weeks “Eye” I hope to be able to give details of a programme
of events planned to take place in early October to celebrate the 750th
Dominican Anniversary. If you would like to be involved in helping to organise
any of these events, why not contact me
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