Athy's Christian Brothers

It was twenty years ago that Brother Quinn, the last Christian Brother then living in the local Christian Brothers Monastery, left Athy.  His departure brought an end to 134 years of education in South Kildare by members of the religious order founded by Edmund Rice.

The first Christian Brothers arrived in Athy on Thursday, 8^th August 1861 to open the primary school in a newly built single storied, two roomed building.  It had been built by local workmen and financed by local contributions, while the adjoining Greenhills House, once a private residence, was adopted for use as the Brothers’ Monastery.  The first Christian Brothers to arrive in Athy were Brothers Stanislaus O’Flanagan, Luke Holland and Patrick Sheely.  They travelled by train to Athy and were brought from the Railway Station by horse carriage to Greenhills House. 

The Christian Brothers School opened on Monday 19^th August when 120 young boys were enrolled.  Over the next 134 years thousands of local school boys were educated at primary and secondary levels by several generations of Christian Brothers.  I have identified 180 of those Christian Brothers, but between 1870 and 1874 the monastery’s annals were not recorded and gaps also occurred at other times which did not allow a full list of the Christian Brothers in Athy to be compiled. 

On Sunday 24^th September 1994 a celebration dinner was held in the local G.A.A. centre to mark the 150^th anniversary of the death of Edmund Rice, founder of the Christian Brothers.  It was organised by a small group of local men and women who first came together the previous February but who learned soon afterwards of the proposed closure of the Christian Brothers Monastery and the handing over of the Christian Brothers schools to a lay Board of Management.  My first publication was the booklet ‘Christian Brothers Athy 1861-1994’ in which I attempted to set out the history of the school.  The following is an extract from that publication.

‘In 1931 owing to the large increase in the numbers in the Primary School an additional primary teacher was employed.  In that same year the school presented five boys for their Intermediate Certificate and three for the Leaving Certificate at the exam centre in Carlow.  That same year it is recorded that 75 schoolboys accompanied by 5 teachers attended the Spring Show in Ballsbridge which was noted as “a new venture for Athy.”  The sports and drill display was held in the Showgrounds on the 4^th of October 1931 after 250 boys had paraded through the town from the school.  An aeroplane from Iona National Airways was hired for the day to give joy rides over the town and may possibly have been the first occasion on which an aeroplane was seen over Athy. 

In October 1931 work commenced on a new school hall by local contractor D. Carbery on ground donated by the Sisters of Mercy to relieve overcrowding in the Primary School.  Afterwards dedicated to the Sacred Heart it provided accommodation for manual instruction.  At the same time the playground was enlarged.  Fr. Maurice Browne, curate in Athy at that time and later the wellknown author of “In Monavello” and “The Big Sycamore” gave the first lecture in the hall on the topic “From Dublin to Rome”.  Local papers described it as well-illustrated and well-attended.

Pupils of the school were also involved in amateur dramatics around this time and in January 1930 they produced in conjunction with the girls from the Sisters of Mercy the play “Paul Twyning” which was put on in the local Picture Palace for the Christian Brothers School Benefit Fund.  In 1933 another play was also put on by the local boys for the school fund and in the same year it is noted that Mr. Scanlon of Newbridge commenced lessons on the violin with 40 boys from Athy Christian Brothers school.

In 1934 Athy C.B.S. achieved a notable victory on the football field when they beat Knockbeg College and later O’Connell’s School Dublin on their way to contest the Leinster Colleges Junior Football Final.  Unfortunately in the Final itself they were beaten by St. Mel’s College Longford.

In 1935 the Athy C.B.S. was a centre for the Intermediate Examinations for the first time where boys from the school and girls from the local Convent School sat the exams.  It was also of interest to note that five young nuns attended at the Centre to sit for their Leaving Cert.  Pupil numbers attending the school continued to increase requiring in September 1935 the employment of Mr. Pat Spillane as the second lay teacher where he joined Liam Ryan who had taken up duties in 1934.  January of 1936 witnessed an outbreak of diphtheria in the town and four deaths were recorded.  The schools were closed as a result of the outbreak.’

One past pupil wrote after the departure of the Christian Brothers ‘so from one poor school boy of long ago I just say thank you from my heart for giving us so much, for helping us so fully – and without ever expecting anything in return.’ 

Contact me if you would like a free copy of the booklet.

Extract from Christian Brother Annals

I was reading through some notes from the Annals of the Christian Brothers in advance of the class reunion last weekend and what I found may be of interest to some readers. It was a short history compiled of the early years of the Christian Brothers in Athy which opened as follows :-

“On the ground now occupied by the Brothers’ house and schools, stood formerly a monastery of Crossed Friars, built about the year 1253, by Richard de St. Michael Lord of Rheban. It was granted in the 17th of Charles II to Dame Mary Meredith.

The present dwellinghouse was built upwards of 100 years previous to its being handed over to the Brothers. During the above time it passed into several hands, mostly Protestant, until at last it and the adjoining fields were purchased by His Grace, The Most Rev. Dr. Cullen Lord Archbishop of Dublin and Glendalough.

The whole concern containing about 12 acres, was handed over by His Lordship, the aforesaid Paul Cullen to the Very Rev. Andrew Quinn, P.P. Athy, and Canon of the Archdiocese of Dublin, who subsequently built two school-rooms by the aid of the parishioners and a few friends, but chiefly by the assistance of the generous and truly charitable Mr. Pat Maher of Kilrush in this county (Kildare), who principally at the suggestion of his eldest daughter, Mrs. Mary Teresa Maher, Superioress of the Convent of Mercy, St. Michael’s, Athy, gave £400.

When the Schools were finished in the August of 1861, three Brothers, viz - John Stanislaus Flanagan, director - Francis Luke Holland, sub-director - and John Patrick Sheehy, lay-brother, were sent by our Very Rev. Brother, Michael Paul O’Riordan, Superior General, to conduct the establishment, which was put into the possession of the Brothers on the 8th August 1861.”

The Annals, after making some references to the local Model School, continued :-

“The Brothers commenced the Schools on the 19th of August 1861 having some months previously obtained the consent and signature of the above Dr. A. Quinn to the following conditions :-

1. The Premises to be occupied by the Brothers to be put into proper repair, and furnished.
2. Two Schools to be built (each 36 feet by 26, with a lecture-room 10ft. wide between) on a site convenient to the House.
3. The Brothers to have the management of the Schools and to be allowed the observance of their Rules in the same manner as enjoyed by them in other places.
4. The School-pence paid by the children, to be at the disposal of the Brothers for the benefit of the Schools.
5. £30 a-year to be allowed each Brothers, this sum to be realised by subscriptions, collections, or sermon, as the Very Rev. Dr. Quinn may appoint.
6. The Brothers to be prepared to take charge of the Schools in the month of December, if necessary.

The part of the land not occupied by the Brothers is held by the Parish Priest who received the rent of it. The Brothers have nothing to do with the payment of taxes, etc. This being done by the Parish Priest.

Soon after the coming of the Brothers the above-mentioned Dr. Cullen, Archbishop said Mass in the Domestic Chapel, after which he blessed all the rooms and house. From that morning the Brothers have enjoyed the privilege of having the Blessed Sacrament in the house.

Shortly after the opening of the School it was found necessary to secure the services of a third School Brother. He was accordingly applied for by Dr. Cullen, who succeeded in obtaining him on the same condition as the three Brothers already mentioned. The salary of the fourth Brother (Hugh Francis Sweeney, novice) was procured for 2 years by the before-mentioned Mrs. M. T. Maher, from her father. Both Mrs. and Mr. Maher deserve the grateful remembrance of the Brothers.

The grounds about the dwellinghouse and schools continued in a very neglected state for about 3 months after the coming of the Brothers - then a few of the influential men of the town undertook to defray the expenses necessary to be incurred, and the place was rendered somewhat comfortable before the Brothers entered their Annual retreat before Christmas 1861.

The very necessary appendage of gas was introduced into the house in the beginning of January 1862 at an expense of £20, which sum was supplied by the benevolent Mr. P. Maher.

On the second Sunday of January this year, a Lending Library was opened for the benefit of the children and others who might wish to join it. Mr. Maher gave £5 for the purchase of books. For some months after it could only number 8 or 9 members.

According to the present arrangements the salary of the Brothers is procured by means of two collections every year, made at the doors of the Parish Church - one in February, the other in August. These collections are totally in the hands of the Parish Priest who, if they did not realise the required sum is bound to make up the residue as best he can.

On 31st July 1862 the Brothers held the first public examination of their pupils at which His Grace, The Most Rev. Paul Cullen presided. The examination was held in the room occupied by the junior pupils, the desks were removed, and a platform was erected at the lower end of the room on which the children stood while undergoing the examination. The visitors, who amounted to very near 300 persons, sat on chairs, or stood facing the children. The chairs, for the occasions were abundantly supplied by well-wishers in the town, who, moreover, sent as much carpeting as covered the whole floor and platform. The walls and window recesses were tastefully decorated with evergreen and flowers. There were present besides the Archbishop - the Very Rev. Canon Quinn P.P. of Athy; Rev. H. M. Manus, D.D., Rev. Thomas Doyle; Rev. Eugene Clarke, P.P., Narraghmore and many more. The examination commenced at 11 o’clock and continued until 3 o’clock during which time the audience displayed the greatest interest. At the conclusion the pupils presented the Archbishop with an address which was read by Master John Lawler.”

If ever you walk up St. John’s Lane past the entrance to what was the Christian Brothers Monastery you may notice that the crest about the doorway gives the year 1862. It was in 1911 that the high wall around the monastery similar to that which still encloses St. John’s Cemetery was lowered and a new entrance provided to the Monastery on which was surmounted the Christian Brothers’ crest with the date of the foundation of the Athy house. Clearly a mistake was made when 1862 was given as that date.