Athy Christian Brothers School

To mark the coming together of Scoil Eoin and Scoil Mhuire as one school later in the year transition year students from the former Christian Brothers Secondary School have embarked on a publishing project.  Their intention is to publish a book to mark the ending of almost 146 years of Scoil Eoin, formerly the Christian Brothers Secondary School as a boys school.  They are looking for help from past pupils willing to write a remembrance piece of their days in the Athy school, or anyone with photographs or any form of memorabilia relating to the Secondary School, it's pupils or events connected with the school.  If you can help in any way might I suggest you contact the Principal, Tony O'Rourke at Scoil Eoin, Rathstewart, Athy who will pass on your contributions to the transition year students in charge of the project.

It was a happy coincidence that within the past week I was given an old scrap book compiled between 1900 and 1906 with newspaper cuttings relating to happenings and events in Athy.  One press cutting caught my eye.  It was dated 21^st April 1906 and under the headline “Athy Exiles Touching Tribute” it gave an account of a letter written by John J. Bealin, formerly of Athy, following the death of his former teacher, Brother John S. O'Flanagan.  The newspaper spelt the name Bealen but I'm aware from school records that the correct spelling was Bealin.

I had previously came across John Bealin when I had access to some years ago the house annals of  Athy's Christian Brothers Convent.  Bealin was born in Athy in 1854, the son of Mark Bealin and Margaret Brewster who lived in the house at the corner of Leinster Street and Stanhope Street which is now the shop premises Xtravision.  Mark Bealin had a successful bakery business at 2 William Street and the Bealin family included John's brothers William, Mark, Thomas and Francis  and two sisters, Margaret and Mary.  Their father died in 1866 and on the re-marriage of their mother the three older Bealin brothers William, John and Mark emigrated to America, arriving there in 1868.  John Bealin was just 14 years of age at the time, while his brother Mark was a year younger and the eldest, William, 16 years of age. 

Brother O'Flanagan was the first director or principal of the Christian Brothers School in Athy which opened in St. John's Lane in 1861.  He died at North Richmond Street, Dublin in 1906, aged 76 years and his passing prompted John Bealin to write a letter which appeared in New York's “Daily News” from which the following is extracted.

“It was my good fortune to meet Brother O'Flanagan when I was but a boy.  In the early sixties the Brothers opened their schools in my native town Athy.  The Reverend Brother O'Flanagan was the Director.  Associated with him were Brothers Holland and Clarke.  Brother Clarke was the first of that great trio to go to his reward.  He died many years since and sleeps the peace of the just in the neighbouring town of Carlow.

Brother Holland after spending many years in Athy was sent on a mission to St. John's, Newfoundland to lay a foundation of the Institute there.  He was recalled from St. John's to Ireland where for years he served as assistant to the Brother General.  He died at the Novitiate Marino, County Dublin on 5^th January 1900 ... ... ... I remember the day well when my father brought me and introduced me to Brother O'Flanagan.  The good Brother was then in the prime of his life.  He was a tall man, pleasing to the eye, one to whom we would naturally take ... ... ... he knew how to gain the children's' confidence and respect.  During recreation hours he joined in their sports.  He showed us how to spin our tops, started and umpired our foot races, settled all disputes occurring in our games.  Even now in my minds eye I can see him standing at our school door pitching a ball into the air to have us romp after it and return it to him.  Our school was divided into two sections, one being known as the “Greeks” and the other as the “Romans”.  The boys who earned the greater number of merit marks were rewarded the keeping of the school banner at the end of the week.  Brother O'Flanagan would walk down to the end of the room, make his hands into a telescope, view the results of the merit marks indicated on the blackboard on either side of the room and in the manner, peculiarly his own, would jest the losing side and give the banner to the care taking of the victors ... ... ...  He was an educator of the first order, eager and anxious to know the latest and the best methods of imparted knowledge.  He was on the mailing list of nearly all the educational institutions of America. 

I left Ireland in the fall of 1868 and since then I have kept up a correspondence with the good Brothers.  Why is this so?  Simply because like begets like and love begets love.  His first letter reached me during the Christmas holidays after I had arrived here.  It contained a Christmas remembrance consisting of a religious picture and a miraculous medal.  In the letter he told me how he had missed me and how I was missed in the class by my school mates.  He advised me to keep on saying my prayers and that he himself would pray for me every day.  His last letter to me was dated February 6^th 1906 and in it he said – “My Dearest John, I pray for you twice or trice a day”. 

John Bealin then concluded his letter by asking the question.  “Who could not help loving such a kindly nature?”

John Bealin enrolled in the Christian Brothers School in Athy in November 1862 when he was seven years old.  He was the 168^th pupil to register in the school which opened on 19^th August the previous year.  Also enrolled with John Bealin in November were John Sherlock of Moate Road, Michael Moore of Ballylinan, Laurence Murphy of Leinster Street, Thomas Watts of Barrack Street, James Murphy of Cardenton and Edward Myles of Barrack Street. 

Incidentally the first student to enroll in the newly opened Christian Brothers School was 9 year old John Anderson of Rathstewart whose father was a boatman.  52 other youngsters also joined Anderson on that first day in August 1861, including four from an address which the Christian Brother who compiled the school roll noted as “Shrew Lane”.  Presumably this referred to Shrewleen Lane.  Another interesting feature of the first days student intake in the Christian Brothers School was the occupations noted for some of the parents of the students.  A tin plate worker from Leinster Street, a sawyer from “Shrew Lane” and a nailor from St. John's Lane were some of the more unusual occupations to be found side by side with boatmen, millers, malsters, masons and shoe makers.  The sawyer of course was a wood shed worker involved in sawing wood, while the nailor was a nail maker and the tin plate worker made metal items from tin plate.  One parent living in Stanhope Street gave his occupation as a bootbinder which indicated that he was a worker employed in binding soles to the uppers of shoes and boots. 

No doubt there are many more former pupils of the secondary school in Athy with happy or perhaps not so happy memories of their school days.   If you would like to share those memories of school days in Athy why not put pen to paper and write to the Principal of Scoil Eoin who will pass any material received to the transition year students for possible inclusion in the book planned for May of this year.  They would like to hear from you.

Old School Register - Athy CBS

Last night I spent some time reading through some of the old school registers dating back to 1878 which had been maintained by the Christian Brothers in Athy. Each pupil’s name is entered with his address and date of admission to the school. The age at which children first attended school in those days when school attendance was not compulsory varied from nine years down to four years. The average however seemed to be somewhere between six and seven years of age.

The interesting details noted in the Registers about each new pupil included parents’ occupation, generally of course referring to the father’s work. Of the thirty children who entered the first class between April 1878 and September 1884 two were sons of boatmen residing at Barrack Street. Very few trades were represented and of those mentioned there was one carpenter, one maltster, one boot maker and one tailor. There were eighteen labourers, one charwoman, one pawnbroker, two farmers and two shopkeepers represented by sons in the first class during the six year period already mentioned.

Details of when the young students left school was also given with an explanation for their departure. Bernard Browne of Barrack Street who was five years of age when he enrolled in a school in February 1883 emigrated to America five years later. Presumably at that young age he was accompanied by his father who was a carpenter and the other members of his family.

Ten of the school boys left the Christian Brothers in St. John’s Lane after a few years and the Roll Book noted after their names, “went to work” or “working”. Of those one was only nine years of age when he left school for work, while another was ten years old. Three had attained eleven years of age when they gave up their studies to take up employment while one boy was twelve years old and two others had reached thirteen years of age when they finished their studies. This was a time when there was no legal requirement to attend school and where minimum age limits for work did not apply to those working on the land or in the local brick yards.

Some of the addresses given in the School Register speak of places which are now no more - Nelson Street, Dry Dock, Preston’s Gate, Shruleen. At least they are still remembered and we can identify the areas with which they were connected. What about Tynan’s Row however where Gerry Mulhall and Thomas Byrne lived in 1885. I have never before come across a reference to Tynan’s Row and wonder whether any of my readers know where it was located?

In 1888 Denis Lawler then aged six years enrolled in the school. His address was given simply as “The Turnpike”. I know where the Turnpike Gates were located in the latter part of the 18th century at either end of the town but wonder to which area the name “Turnpike” was applied 110 years ago.

A wonderful array of trades are mentioned in the Register as one moves through the years from 1878 onwards. A milliner in Duke Street, a tinsmith in James’ Place, a baker of Meeting Lane, a tailor of Preston’s Gate, a harness maker of Duke Street, a boot maker of Canal Side and a stone breaker of Meeting Lane. This gives just a flavour of the diversity of occupations to be found in Irish provincial towns of the latter part of the 19th Century.

Reading through the Register one is struck by the numbers who left Athy either for Dublin, England or America. One of the many former pupils of Athy Christian Brothers School who emigrated was John J. Bealin who was born in the house now occupied by Mrs. Lehane in Stanhope Street on 28th December, 1854. His father Mark Bealin owned a flourishing bakery business at No. 2 William Street and his mother was the former Margaret Brewster. John had two brothers, William, older than himself and a young brother named Mark. He also had two sisters Margaret and Mary who attended the Sisters of Mercy School in the town.

Before the Christian Brothers came to Athy in 1861 a local committee was set up to raise funds for the boys new school which was proposed to be opened off St. John’s Lane. Mark Bealin Senior was Secretary to that committee and it was due to his efforts and those of his committee that the Christian Brothers were able to open their school in Athy on 19th August, 1861.

John Bealin’s father died in 1866 and on the subsequent re-marriage of their mother to a Mr. Coffey John and his two brothers emigrated to America in 1868. They apparently continued their studies in New York City and in time John J. Bealin became a successful business man. He kept in touch with his former teachers in the Christian Brothers in Athy, particularly Brother Holland and Brother Flanagan. On 26th December, 1924 John J. Bealin died in New York City and when his Will was probated it showed a bequest of $1,000 to his old school in Athy.
New York was also the home of another famous emigrant from this part of the country who in 1880 became the first Irish born Catholic Mayor of that city. William Russell Grace who was a native of Ballylinan emigrated to South America where he worked for some years on a farm in Lima, Peru. He later went to New York city where he was to achieve wealth and fame as the first citizen of that city at a time when Tamanny Hall was at the height of its power and influence. Many American publications have erroneously referred to Grace’s place of birth as Queenstown (Cobh) obviously mistaking the port from where he emigrated from this island. In February 1947 a Mr. S.H. Grace of New York wrote to Athy Urban District Council for information on the relatives of the late William Russell Grace who his namesake claims had previously lived in Ballylinan.

The future Mayor of New York had emigrated for South America long before the Christian Brothers arrived in Athy. Nevertheless he was part of the diaspora from this area which continued unabated throughout the last century and beyond and which was reflected in the school registers in the Christian Brothers in Athy.