Launch of 'Pictorial History of Catholic Education in Athy'

Long forgotten memories of my school days in the Christian Brothers School off St. John’s Lane were recalled when I attended the launch in Ardscoil na Tríonóide of a pictorial history of Catholic secondary education in Athy on Thursday evening last. I attended school at a time when unemployment was rife, wages were low and free secondary education was unknown. The three roomed secondary school off St. John’s Lane was more than sufficiently large to accommodate the pupils who walked up the iron staircase for the daily classes. We had to make that journey six days a week as school attendance at secondary level in the 1950s required a half day in the classroom on Saturdays. Those Saturday morning classes were somewhat offset by sporting activities on Wednesday afternoons when we played Gaelic football in Geraldine Park. Gaelic football was the only sporting activity facilitated and encouraged by the Christian Brothers. How different from the present-day secondary school, Ardscoil na Tríonóide, a combination of the former Christian Brothers boys’ school and the Sisters of Mercy girls school. Today the sporting activities offered by Ardscoil na Tríonóide include soccer, rugby, camogie, basketball, badminton, athletics and of course Gaelic football and hurling. I was quite astonished by the breadth of extra-curricular activities available to today’s secondary students. The size of the educational campus at the Ardscoil is related to the announcement made in 1967 by the then Minister for Education, Donagh O’Malley of free education for all. Up to then the small three roomed secondary school in Athy was more than adequate to cater for the number of boys undergoing secondary education. Similar facilities for girls were provided by the Sisters of Mercy at Mount St. Marys. The amalgamation of the boys’ and girls’ secondary schools and the growth and demand for secondary education in Athy and district has created student numbers of approximately 850 in the present-day classrooms with staff numbers of approximately 80. These figures are a far cry from the numbers in both the boys’ and girls’ secondary school when I sat my Leaving Certificate Examination in 1960. The Christian Brothers school had four teachers – two Christian Brothers and two lay teachers, one of whom was the much-admired Liam Ryan, a teacher who encouraged and inspired his pupils. I recall how proud we young students were in 1958 when under the leadership of our classmate, Mick O’Neill, we founded our own new club, Cara, later re-named Aontas Ogra. It was for several years our only club activity during our school years and pales into insignificance in comparison to the school club activities of present-day students. Book club, craft club, computer club, chess club, cinealtas club and social justice club are just a few of the school club activities involving today’s students of Ardscoil na Tríonóide. The pictorial history of Ardscoil na Tríonóide is quite a magnificent publication recording in photographs and in words elements of the stories from two secondary schools which came together in 2007 as Ardscoil na Tríonóide. The editors of the book, teachers Sean Ryan and Andrew Behan have done a fine job in producing the book, ‘Through the Lens of Learning’. I was particularly moved by the contribution of a former pupil, Jamie Merrin, who started his secondary schooling in August 2011. As he explained it was a major step for him as he has Down Syndrome, but as his older brother was in Ardscoil na Tríonóide he wanted to attend there. He described his time in the secondary school as the ‘best years of my life. The help and support I received was outstanding. I always felt I was part of the team and class and this is something which was very important to me.’ No better tribute can be paid to the teachers and the staff at Ardscoil na Tríonóide than Jamie Merrin’s claim that ‘every member of the school community is cherished and respected.’ On the launch night we heard from a number of speakers, including the present principal Imelda Whelan. The Sisters of Mercy were represented by Sr. Concepta accompanied by her colleague, Sister Colette King and it was particularly relevant that Sr. Concepta addressed the audience and spoke of the contribution of the Sisters of Mercy to education in Athy. Sadly, there was no representative from the Christian Brothers at the launch but those of us who benefitted from the work of the Sisters of Mercy or the Christian Brothers as educationalists will never forget how in difficult times they afforded us the opportunities to better ourselves. The book will be available for sale in local shops and would be an ideal Christmas present for the thousands of past pupils who passed through the doors of the school.