4 GLENSTAL NEWSLETTER Autumn 2007
JOHN DEVITT: Teacher 1963-1971
M
any of us will remember John Devitt as the most ‘bloody marvellous’ teacher we ever had. He died of cancer in June 2007 after a prolonged illness. But he was unbowed to the end. Just a few weeks before he died he rose from his bed to come and speak at the Dublin launch of a book dedicated to him, entitled ‘The Irish Reader: Essays for John Devitt’. As he stood and delivered what he tremulously said would be ‘his last words on the subject of teaching’, everyone in the room was astounded at the bold, vintage enthusiasm he displayed on the threshold of death. One of his former students present, Willy Kelly, related how ‘the things he did and said, though obviously sick to death, were as eloquent & inspiring as those classes in Glenstal we will never forget. It was hard not to weep through it all, but he absolutely defied pity, and so somehow compelled us all to resonate but not to grieve’. Another former Glenstal pupil, Barre Fitzpatrick, reported that John was full of inquiries and encouragements for several of his Glenstal students absent on that occasion. John often recalled how he felt liberated when he first arrived in Glenstal and was told by the headmaster (Celestine): ‘Teach the boys whatever you want ... just don’t bore them’. His first class was on Gray’s ‘Elegy in a Country Churchyard’. His subsequent classes – from 1963 to 1971 – ranged from Shakespeare and Blake to Hardy and Yeats, taking in drama, poetry, fiction and cinema along the way. John would rave like Lear or foam like Othello about the power of movies like ‘On The Waterfront’, ‘Battleship
Let Us Remember Andrew Paterson 1965. John Hederman 1959. Gordon Doyle 1946. Anthony Kennedy 1946. Gerard McCarthy 1969. Edna Kelly, mother of Adrian. Mary Counihan, mother of Michael, Peter & Tim. Joe Keane, father of Joe. Deirdre, wife of Dan Murphy. Robert Tottenham, father of Robin, Fred & George. Michael Ffrench O’Carroll, father of Paul. Mary Gahan, mother of Peter and Edward. Bernie Twomey, mother of James and Dermot. John Devitt, School staff, 1963-71.
Important Dates Friday, Nov. 2nd 2007: London Dinner, Army & Navy Club. Friday, April 4th 2008: 75th Anniversary Dinner, Westbury Hotel. Sunday, April 27th 2008: A.G.M., Glenstal
At a more personal level, I remember John as the first teacher who convinced me I had a right to make the great works of literature or cinema my own, to enter the heart of these texts and imagine what it was like to ‘feel what wretches feel’ or to celebrate the ‘web of fabulous grass and eternal voices by a beech’, or to ‘pray unself-consciously with overflowing speech’. He taught us to read and write long after we had learned to read and write. He taught us how to turn plays like ‘Hamlet’, ‘Galileo Galilli’ or the ‘Playboy’ into magic light and movement on the creaking Glenstal stage. John said that he himself decided to become a teacher because while still at school in Dublin he found himself ‘thrilled, electrified and penetrated by certain poems and plays’. This experience he passed on to his students in Glenstal. John Devitt was mad – about life, love, literature. Anyone who delves into his marvellous essay ‘Unlocking the Word-Hoard’ or his three volume anthology (co-edited with Anne O’Donoghue), ‘Bronze by Gold’, will see what I mean. John is survived by his wife, Irene, daughter Anne and sons Jonathan and Jerome. We will miss him. Richard Kearney (1968-1972)
EDDIE BARBER 1958-1964 dmund (or Eddie as he was regularly known by his school friends) was a man of many par ts. Somewhat nomadic in his early life, living in various British cities and boarding in St. Gerard’s, Bray and Glenstal, he finally came to settle in the environs of London where he commanded a boutique firm of accountants with offices in the City and in the suburbs of Hertfordshire. He was a fellow-traveller with a gang of students who moved seamlessly from St. Gerard’s to Glenstal in the 1950’s and 60’s and upon leaving school in 1964, ventured forth to Balnagowan and UCD to try his hand at medicine. One year later he had left for the U.K. where he had family and eventually settled into the life of accountancy. In latter years, he had rekindled his contacts with the Irish mob with whom he shared his school days, and it was largely in the sporting arena that these contacts were revived. Eddie was bewitched by Cricket and immersed in Rugby, Rowing and Tennis, managing to be the lucky owner of debenture tickets for major venues of the above spor ts. The annual pilgrimage to Hong Kong for the Sevens was usually a saga in itself! Apart from
E
www.myubique.com info@myubique.com
Potemkin’ or ‘The Last Tango in Paris’. Many Irish citizens of the time called for this last film by Bertolluci to be censored but to John it was the ingenious tale of a broken heart. John knew all about that having lost his first beautiful wife - whom we knew as ‘Nurse Anne Devitt’ - in childbirth in 1969.
his great interest in sports, he was a consummate diner and belonged to a quirky group named The Thunderers who met monthly in different London (and global) clubs to wine, dine and sometimes whine about life; afterdinner speaking (or ‘interruptions’ to use the Thunderer’s terminology) was one of his many gifts. In this capacity he was the organizer-in-chief of the Glenstal Past-Pupils gathering in The reform Club in November 2006, an event which may yet get legs to become an annual occasion, in which case a glass of “shampoo” as he shamelessly called Champagne, should be raised to celebrate this final bequest to Glenstal Society. Larger-than-life in more ways that one, Eddie collapsed and died suddenly in his office in February of this year. He had celebrated his 60th bir thday a few months previously. His funeral was private. Many will retain fond memories of his joie-de-vivre and his capacity to share in his great love of sport. Eddie McGrath (Br. Timothy). Edited by Andrew Nugent osb Layout & Print by INTYPE Ltd.
My Rock Roots
Letter from the President
By Nick Kelly (‘79)
It was a great honour to be elected last April. Since that time I have come to marvel at all the hard work being done behind the scenes: Secretarial Work, Website, Dinners, Golf, Reunions, Fundraisers. Our flagship project is, of course “Ubique” and my thanks to all who contributed to its production earlier in the year. A special word of appreciation to Fr. Andrew.
T
he reason you start doing something, and the reason you continue are not necessarily the same. I started playing the communal Spanish guitar that lolled unloved in the corner of the Housemaster’s office in a doomed attempt to force my classmates to like me. (I’d previously tried to make myself indispensable to them by turning myself into a good tennis player. That hadn’t worked either). As the oldest child of a somewhat Luddite family, popular music was utterly alien to me, as were many vital social skills, when I arrived in the school in 1975. Lights out was a terrifying time for me, and this was no irrational fear. But when they weren’t throwing me or my belongings out of the dorm window onto the battlements, my dorm-mates listened incessantly to rock music on clandestine cassette players, volume finely calibrated to just below the authorities’ auditory range. It soothed the savage beast in them. And, because no stereos were personal in those days, the forgotten cretin in the corner got to listen too. To this day, the opening bars of the Wings album “Band on The Run” (“Stuck inside these four walls”) can catapult me back to the Small Tower. The mid-70s are now looked upon as something of a nadir in popular music. In retrospect those long hours spent nodding sagely along to the earnest noodlings of Yes, Barclay James Harvest, and Bachman Turner Overdrive seem a tragic waste of time and hormones. At the start of fifth year, the more dedicated and spoilt returned to school bearing shining electric guitars. A school band was formed, the criteria for membership being one part rudimentary musical ability, two parts class standing and two parts equipment ownership (Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones, of course, only got his start because of his collection of amps.) There was no question whatever that I
would make the ranks of this lofty collective, but I was infected by their seriousness of purpose. In the same way as I’d battered a tennis ball up against the gym wall until it splintered to master the backhand, I twisted my fingers around the thick neck of that Spanish guitar until I’d taught myself all the chords (not just the intro) of that bane of music shop owners, “Stairway To Heaven”. On the night of the great concert, the whole school gathered in the gym, monks and teachers to the front. After a competent opening set from our young Greek teacher’s folk trio, the main attractions took the stage. They played, we watched respectfully from our seats. Between us gaped 10 feet of boarded gym floor. Somewhere midway through my peers’ ramshackle set, it struck me that this was all wrong. In a move quite outside my own character, I stood up and rushed to the front of the stage to boogie along. The whole school followed. Perhaps that was the moment I grasped that music, like sex, is a coolfree zone. Some weeks later, a controversial new 7-inch single made its first appearance on the 5th Year common room turntable. The snarling, sneering voice of Johnny Rotten appalled the Claptonloving band members, but not me. This was the final push I needed – proof positive that musical excitement was no more to do with technical ability than with personal popularity. That term I bought myself my first guitar in Savins for £40, a sunburst Concerter acoustic. I have it still. Ten years after I left Glenstal, my then band The Fat Lady Sings were touring Ireland to promote our debut album. We accepted an invitation from a group of 5th Years to play an early show in the school before our scheduled late night gig in Limerick city. My main impressions of that triumphant return were that the teachers in the front row had aged shockingly while the monks seemed completely unchanged, and that this new generation of Glenstal boys had no inhibitions about dancing.
Dear Members,
E-mail is the most cost effective and efficient method of keeping in touch with our 1,700+ Members. So: Get literate, and keep in touch! In order to streamline the activities of the Society I am currently formulating rules/guidelines to improve the running of our affairs. The concept is: a framework which will ensure continuity and will assist in meeting the challenges of the future. I would welcome your input ~ please send me any ideas you may have at president@myubique.com or 086-389 6931. A draft document will be presented for discussion at our AGM in April ‘08. Next year is the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the School. To celebrate the event, the Westbury Hotel has been reserved for Friday 4th April ‘08 for a Gala Dinner. The venue has parking and is ideal for those living outside the Pale being located at the top of Grafton Street. Special group rates are available for those wishing to stay at the Hotel. Spouses and Partners are welcome. Any offers of sponsorship will be greatly appreciated. Kind Regards, NOEL O’GORMAN
TOPIC: LONDON DINNER Friday 2nd November 2007 ANNUAL DINNER this year will be in the ARMY & NAVY CLUB (www.armynavyclub.co.uk) Location: 36 Pall Mall, London Date: Friday November 2ND 2007 Time: 19.30 for 20.00 Dress: Black Tie Price: £80 per person (members only) ORGANISING COMMITTEE: Christopher Dorman-O’Gorman, Ian Lynam, Nigel Hanley, Gearoid Bradley.
2 GLENSTAL NEWSLETTER Autumn 2007
Autumn 2007 GLENSTAL NEWSLETTER 3
A Bit of Luck Certainly Helps! S
ome people are born to be writers, for others it just happens. I remember my uncle, who brought me up, being pleased with a short article I wrote for the Glenstal magazine in 1952 about fly fishing in the lake near the tennis courts. But, judging from my school reports, which were less than memorable, I am sure none of the teachers thought I had potential as an author. But strange things do happen! For some years I had been waking up in the middle of the night, half asleep, to find myself telling stories. One day in 1987 I mentioned this to another teacher who suggested that the next happened to get up and get writing. A few months later I woke up, half asleep, to find myself telling a story about a beautiful sixteen year old witch who was so beautiful that the town’s folks distrusted her because she didn’t look like a proper witch. I awoke sufficiently to scribble the opening paragraph. My writing career had started although I didn’t realise until a few months later when I took it out again decided that I’d try and write the whole story. This led to four other related short stories with Miranda the White Witch as the central character.
JUST PUBLISHED Mark Patrick Hederman: Symbolism: the glory of escutcheoned doors Veritas.
Andrew Nugent: Second Burial, Headline/ St. Martin’s N.B. Old Boys who write books are invited to send details for inclusion under this heading. Copies (or little brown envelopes) not expected!
Glenstal Abbey
Scholarship Award The Award is now supporting 3 students who are thriving, and a fourth student will enter in 2008. Warm thanks to all who are supporting the Award! At present there are 4 sponsors for the first four students, and standing orders effectively amount to a 5th sponsor. A total of 130,000 euros has been donated. The Award is having a big impact on the individual students’ lives and has opened up new opportunities for each of them. Thanks again to all Old Boys for the generous support. Luke Macnamara OSB
Then in 1988 I entered and won a National Literary Award with a story called The Terrible Tale of the Vanishing Library. A publisher contacted me and invited me to submit anything else I had written. I hand delivered a copy of Miranda the White Witch to him. By a stroke of luck the publisher’s ten year old daughter was having ‘a sleep over’ that evening and she was given the manuscript to read to her friends. They all loved it and within days I had signed my first contract. Unfortunately, children seldom have any place in the selection of manuscripts for publication. On this occasion I was just exceptionally lucky! I had my second big break with another children’s novel called Time Flies. A first cousin, whom I never knew existed, happened to be working for Macmillan Educational. She read my unsolicited manuscript and enjoyed and so it went from the very tall pile of manuscripts to a much smaller one! The Commissioner Editor also liked it and so it was published. Subsequently I have had seven children’s books published. I’ll never be famous but it has been most rewarding. by Adrian Penniston-Bird
Annual Golf Outing The 2007 Annual Golf Outing was held in the Castle Golf Club on Thursday July 19th 2007. Another successful day, due in the main to one of the most beautiful afternoons we have enjoyed this rainy summer. The competition was won by Gearoid Bradley (13) on his home course with a score of 39 points followed in second place by Ronnie Cosgrave on 35 points. The suppor t of our sponsors was g reatly appreciated, James Walsh who again as in the past watered and fed all the golfers, Keith McMahon, Henry Anderson (Bacchus Wines), Ronnie Cosgrave. Next years 2008 Annual Golf event will on the Thursday / Friday of the week of the British Open in the Castle Golf Club ... exact details later.
Wedding Bells Giles Keane (1996) & Emer Traynor. David Shannon (1990) & Dana Brennen. Niki Morrogh (1994) & Helen Gore-Grimes. John O’Toole (1970) & Laura Stephens. Paul Murphy (1989) & Rachel Harwood. Mark Power (1996) & Jennifer Mullen.
GALWAY HOOKER – IRISH PALE ALE
Do Something Different First cousins Ronan Brennan (1993) and Aidan Murphy (1994) have been doing something that would have surely landed them in the soup, had they tried it during their jolly days at Glenstal. (Perhaps they did try it – up the woods!) They have since been brewing beer – respectably and legitimately. The beer is Galway Hooker, a delicious, refreshing pale ale, full of character. Already available in more than a dozen pubs in Galway and Clare, the mag ic potion is really taking off in recent months. The breakthrough came when, earlier this year Galway Hooker took the top prize at the annual Irish Beer Festival in Cork, being proclaimed Urbi et Orbi infallibly the best beer out of more than 25 Irish and international beers on display. Says Aidan, truthfully and modestly, as always, “The beer has a big following because it is a style that hasn’t really featured on draught in Ireland before, a flavour packed hoppy pale ale.”
Glenstal Society AGM he AGM was held on Sunday April 22nd 2007. As, through no fault of anyone, no AGM was held in 2006, we were particularly keen to hold one in the first half of 2007. In the event, April, when the rhododendrons are in bloom, has a distinct nostalgic advantage.
T
We had Sunday Mass with the community and school. The Boys’ Choir and the entire liturgy were most impressive. Twenty-eight members attended the AGM which was held in the Monastery Library. John Coyle, in his President’s Report passed in review the eighteen months of his stewardship. He drew attention to the increasing involvement of younger Old Boys, notably on the occasion of the annual dinner and Golf Outings in 2006. The London Dinner at the Reform Club had been successful and most enjoyable. He particularly thanked Gearoid Bradley and Greg Ashe for their creative attention to the myubique website, and complimented Fr. Andrew for the production of Ubique 2007
academic. The monastic community had signalled their support for an ambitous building and refurbishment programme and he hoped to press on with this in the coming year. There followed a brainstorming where everything else was discussed: website, future of the AGM, the Solidarity Fund, Sponsorships, Regional Events. Noel O’Gorman (1960-1966) was elected President of the Society – literally by acclamation – and, also by acclamation, a vote of thanks, proposed by Fr. Andrew, was passed to John Coyle for the great generosity and ingenuity he had devoted to our affairs during his term of office. We adjourned to the school for a very enjoyable lunch.
Congratulations and Best Wishes to: Fr. Luke Macnamara on his Ordination as a Priest.
Br. Luke reported on the Scholarship Fund. It is envisaged that there would be at least one scholarship boy in each of the six classes in the school. The reaction of every group of Old Boys contacted had been very encouraging.
Mr. Jim Hegarty on his retirement as Vice-Principal of the School since 1977.
Br. Denis, the Headmaster, reported on the overall progress of the school. There was, he said, very wholehearted participation in all school activities, musical, sporting, and
Ms. Maree McCarthy on her appointment as VicePrincipal of the School.
Br. Cuthbert Brennan on his Solemn Profession as a Monk.
JOHN HEDERMAN 1954-1959
J
ohn grew up in Ballyneale House, County Limerick in a world and a time very different from the present day. It must have been there that he developed the strong love of nature and interest in everything to do with the countryside which lasted all his life. A first class horseman, he also had a wide knowledge of gardening, and a great understanding of how to use the good things nature gives us. John was an avid reader, with a keen interest in music, and in science and electronics, which was to have a significant influence on his working life. Certainly by the time he went to Glenstal he already had a strong interest in rockets, and carried out a number of experiments. As the kind of technology used by NASA was not available, he had to fall back on that of an earlier age, and rely on gunpowder as a propellant. This exposed an unfortunate deficiency in Glenstal - it seems the School made no proper provision for storing gunpowder. As a result, John had to store the gunpowder he made in his desk, causing drawbacks for his experiments. One of the more
striking of these occurred when he had built up quite a good quantity of material, only to have his efforts wasted when a thoughtless fellow student added a lighted match to the mixture. The result was one of the highlights of that academic year. Both he and the School survived, though apparently the desk never recovered fully. After studying Science in Trinity, John took up a position in Radio Telefis Eireann, where his love of music and interest in electronics could be combined. He became a member of the department responsible for ensuring the sound quality of RTE’s broadcasts. John was a person of unusual courage, and of courtesy in the real sense of putting the feelings of others before one’s own. It is not everyone who can muster the selfdiscipline needed to complete a novel and get it published while being treated for a life threatening cancer, but this is what John did in the 1970s, with his novel ‘Firedrake’. In those last years of his life, when he
had lengthy periods in hospital, and needed frequent outpatient treatment, his courage was extraordinary. His good humour and refusal to be daunted endeared him to the medical staff in the Mater, who held him in high regard, and who did such great work on his behalf. Johnny had an unusually wide circle of friends. Perhaps this was because of the wide range of his interests, perhaps because of his ability to find a different perspective, perhaps because of his kindness. As you know, he was always interesting, usually provocative, unusually entertaining and a great pleasure to meet. His own family were devoted to him, and of course they were very dear to him. John had no time for cant or pretence. He was not given to long speeches, and I think I can hear him now, suggesting that it is past time for me to stop. Goodbye Johnny and au revoir. Michael Ryan (John’s brother-in-law)
2 GLENSTAL NEWSLETTER Autumn 2007
Autumn 2007 GLENSTAL NEWSLETTER 3
A Bit of Luck Certainly Helps! S
ome people are born to be writers, for others it just happens. I remember my uncle, who brought me up, being pleased with a short article I wrote for the Glenstal magazine in 1952 about fly fishing in the lake near the tennis courts. But, judging from my school reports, which were less than memorable, I am sure none of the teachers thought I had potential as an author. But strange things do happen! For some years I had been waking up in the middle of the night, half asleep, to find myself telling stories. One day in 1987 I mentioned this to another teacher who suggested that the next happened to get up and get writing. A few months later I woke up, half asleep, to find myself telling a story about a beautiful sixteen year old witch who was so beautiful that the town’s folks distrusted her because she didn’t look like a proper witch. I awoke sufficiently to scribble the opening paragraph. My writing career had started although I didn’t realise until a few months later when I took it out again decided that I’d try and write the whole story. This led to four other related short stories with Miranda the White Witch as the central character.
JUST PUBLISHED Mark Patrick Hederman: Symbolism: the glory of escutcheoned doors Veritas.
Andrew Nugent: Second Burial, Headline/ St. Martin’s N.B. Old Boys who write books are invited to send details for inclusion under this heading. Copies (or little brown envelopes) not expected!
Glenstal Abbey
Scholarship Award The Award is now supporting 3 students who are thriving, and a fourth student will enter in 2008. Warm thanks to all who are supporting the Award! At present there are 4 sponsors for the first four students, and standing orders effectively amount to a 5th sponsor. A total of 130,000 euros has been donated. The Award is having a big impact on the individual students’ lives and has opened up new opportunities for each of them. Thanks again to all Old Boys for the generous support. Luke Macnamara OSB
Then in 1988 I entered and won a National Literary Award with a story called The Terrible Tale of the Vanishing Library. A publisher contacted me and invited me to submit anything else I had written. I hand delivered a copy of Miranda the White Witch to him. By a stroke of luck the publisher’s ten year old daughter was having ‘a sleep over’ that evening and she was given the manuscript to read to her friends. They all loved it and within days I had signed my first contract. Unfortunately, children seldom have any place in the selection of manuscripts for publication. On this occasion I was just exceptionally lucky! I had my second big break with another children’s novel called Time Flies. A first cousin, whom I never knew existed, happened to be working for Macmillan Educational. She read my unsolicited manuscript and enjoyed and so it went from the very tall pile of manuscripts to a much smaller one! The Commissioner Editor also liked it and so it was published. Subsequently I have had seven children’s books published. I’ll never be famous but it has been most rewarding. by Adrian Penniston-Bird
Annual Golf Outing The 2007 Annual Golf Outing was held in the Castle Golf Club on Thursday July 19th 2007. Another successful day, due in the main to one of the most beautiful afternoons we have enjoyed this rainy summer. The competition was won by Gearoid Bradley (13) on his home course with a score of 39 points followed in second place by Ronnie Cosgrave on 35 points. The suppor t of our sponsors was g reatly appreciated, James Walsh who again as in the past watered and fed all the golfers, Keith McMahon, Henry Anderson (Bacchus Wines), Ronnie Cosgrave. Next years 2008 Annual Golf event will on the Thursday / Friday of the week of the British Open in the Castle Golf Club ... exact details later.
Wedding Bells Giles Keane (1996) & Emer Traynor. David Shannon (1990) & Dana Brennen. Niki Morrogh (1994) & Helen Gore-Grimes. John O’Toole (1970) & Laura Stephens. Paul Murphy (1989) & Rachel Harwood. Mark Power (1996) & Jennifer Mullen.
GALWAY HOOKER – IRISH PALE ALE
Do Something Different First cousins Ronan Brennan (1993) and Aidan Murphy (1994) have been doing something that would have surely landed them in the soup, had they tried it during their jolly days at Glenstal. (Perhaps they did try it – up the woods!) They have since been brewing beer – respectably and legitimately. The beer is Galway Hooker, a delicious, refreshing pale ale, full of character. Already available in more than a dozen pubs in Galway and Clare, the mag ic potion is really taking off in recent months. The breakthrough came when, earlier this year Galway Hooker took the top prize at the annual Irish Beer Festival in Cork, being proclaimed Urbi et Orbi infallibly the best beer out of more than 25 Irish and international beers on display. Says Aidan, truthfully and modestly, as always, “The beer has a big following because it is a style that hasn’t really featured on draught in Ireland before, a flavour packed hoppy pale ale.”
Glenstal Society AGM he AGM was held on Sunday April 22nd 2007. As, through no fault of anyone, no AGM was held in 2006, we were particularly keen to hold one in the first half of 2007. In the event, April, when the rhododendrons are in bloom, has a distinct nostalgic advantage.
T
We had Sunday Mass with the community and school. The Boys’ Choir and the entire liturgy were most impressive. Twenty-eight members attended the AGM which was held in the Monastery Library. John Coyle, in his President’s Report passed in review the eighteen months of his stewardship. He drew attention to the increasing involvement of younger Old Boys, notably on the occasion of the annual dinner and Golf Outings in 2006. The London Dinner at the Reform Club had been successful and most enjoyable. He particularly thanked Gearoid Bradley and Greg Ashe for their creative attention to the myubique website, and complimented Fr. Andrew for the production of Ubique 2007
academic. The monastic community had signalled their support for an ambitous building and refurbishment programme and he hoped to press on with this in the coming year. There followed a brainstorming where everything else was discussed: website, future of the AGM, the Solidarity Fund, Sponsorships, Regional Events. Noel O’Gorman (1960-1966) was elected President of the Society – literally by acclamation – and, also by acclamation, a vote of thanks, proposed by Fr. Andrew, was passed to John Coyle for the great generosity and ingenuity he had devoted to our affairs during his term of office. We adjourned to the school for a very enjoyable lunch.
Congratulations and Best Wishes to: Fr. Luke Macnamara on his Ordination as a Priest.
Br. Luke reported on the Scholarship Fund. It is envisaged that there would be at least one scholarship boy in each of the six classes in the school. The reaction of every group of Old Boys contacted had been very encouraging.
Mr. Jim Hegarty on his retirement as Vice-Principal of the School since 1977.
Br. Denis, the Headmaster, reported on the overall progress of the school. There was, he said, very wholehearted participation in all school activities, musical, sporting, and
Ms. Maree McCarthy on her appointment as VicePrincipal of the School.
Br. Cuthbert Brennan on his Solemn Profession as a Monk.
JOHN HEDERMAN 1954-1959
J
ohn grew up in Ballyneale House, County Limerick in a world and a time very different from the present day. It must have been there that he developed the strong love of nature and interest in everything to do with the countryside which lasted all his life. A first class horseman, he also had a wide knowledge of gardening, and a great understanding of how to use the good things nature gives us. John was an avid reader, with a keen interest in music, and in science and electronics, which was to have a significant influence on his working life. Certainly by the time he went to Glenstal he already had a strong interest in rockets, and carried out a number of experiments. As the kind of technology used by NASA was not available, he had to fall back on that of an earlier age, and rely on gunpowder as a propellant. This exposed an unfortunate deficiency in Glenstal - it seems the School made no proper provision for storing gunpowder. As a result, John had to store the gunpowder he made in his desk, causing drawbacks for his experiments. One of the more
striking of these occurred when he had built up quite a good quantity of material, only to have his efforts wasted when a thoughtless fellow student added a lighted match to the mixture. The result was one of the highlights of that academic year. Both he and the School survived, though apparently the desk never recovered fully. After studying Science in Trinity, John took up a position in Radio Telefis Eireann, where his love of music and interest in electronics could be combined. He became a member of the department responsible for ensuring the sound quality of RTE’s broadcasts. John was a person of unusual courage, and of courtesy in the real sense of putting the feelings of others before one’s own. It is not everyone who can muster the selfdiscipline needed to complete a novel and get it published while being treated for a life threatening cancer, but this is what John did in the 1970s, with his novel ‘Firedrake’. In those last years of his life, when he
had lengthy periods in hospital, and needed frequent outpatient treatment, his courage was extraordinary. His good humour and refusal to be daunted endeared him to the medical staff in the Mater, who held him in high regard, and who did such great work on his behalf. Johnny had an unusually wide circle of friends. Perhaps this was because of the wide range of his interests, perhaps because of his ability to find a different perspective, perhaps because of his kindness. As you know, he was always interesting, usually provocative, unusually entertaining and a great pleasure to meet. His own family were devoted to him, and of course they were very dear to him. John had no time for cant or pretence. He was not given to long speeches, and I think I can hear him now, suggesting that it is past time for me to stop. Goodbye Johnny and au revoir. Michael Ryan (John’s brother-in-law)
4 GLENSTAL NEWSLETTER Autumn 2007
JOHN DEVITT: Teacher 1963-1971
M
any of us will remember John Devitt as the most ‘bloody marvellous’ teacher we ever had. He died of cancer in June 2007 after a prolonged illness. But he was unbowed to the end. Just a few weeks before he died he rose from his bed to come and speak at the Dublin launch of a book dedicated to him, entitled ‘The Irish Reader: Essays for John Devitt’. As he stood and delivered what he tremulously said would be ‘his last words on the subject of teaching’, everyone in the room was astounded at the bold, vintage enthusiasm he displayed on the threshold of death. One of his former students present, Willy Kelly, related how ‘the things he did and said, though obviously sick to death, were as eloquent & inspiring as those classes in Glenstal we will never forget. It was hard not to weep through it all, but he absolutely defied pity, and so somehow compelled us all to resonate but not to grieve’. Another former Glenstal pupil, Barre Fitzpatrick, reported that John was full of inquiries and encouragements for several of his Glenstal students absent on that occasion. John often recalled how he felt liberated when he first arrived in Glenstal and was told by the headmaster (Celestine): ‘Teach the boys whatever you want ... just don’t bore them’. His first class was on Gray’s ‘Elegy in a Country Churchyard’. His subsequent classes – from 1963 to 1971 – ranged from Shakespeare and Blake to Hardy and Yeats, taking in drama, poetry, fiction and cinema along the way. John would rave like Lear or foam like Othello about the power of movies like ‘On The Waterfront’, ‘Battleship
Let Us Remember Andrew Paterson 1965. John Hederman 1959. Gordon Doyle 1946. Anthony Kennedy 1946. Gerard McCarthy 1969. Edna Kelly, mother of Adrian. Mary Counihan, mother of Michael, Peter & Tim. Joe Keane, father of Joe. Deirdre, wife of Dan Murphy. Robert Tottenham, father of Robin, Fred & George. Michael Ffrench O’Carroll, father of Paul. Mary Gahan, mother of Peter and Edward. Bernie Twomey, mother of James and Dermot. John Devitt, School staff, 1963-71.
Important Dates Friday, Nov. 2nd 2007: London Dinner, Army & Navy Club. Friday, April 4th 2008: 75th Anniversary Dinner, Westbury Hotel. Sunday, April 27th 2008: A.G.M., Glenstal
At a more personal level, I remember John as the first teacher who convinced me I had a right to make the great works of literature or cinema my own, to enter the heart of these texts and imagine what it was like to ‘feel what wretches feel’ or to celebrate the ‘web of fabulous grass and eternal voices by a beech’, or to ‘pray unself-consciously with overflowing speech’. He taught us to read and write long after we had learned to read and write. He taught us how to turn plays like ‘Hamlet’, ‘Galileo Galilli’ or the ‘Playboy’ into magic light and movement on the creaking Glenstal stage. John said that he himself decided to become a teacher because while still at school in Dublin he found himself ‘thrilled, electrified and penetrated by certain poems and plays’. This experience he passed on to his students in Glenstal. John Devitt was mad – about life, love, literature. Anyone who delves into his marvellous essay ‘Unlocking the Word-Hoard’ or his three volume anthology (co-edited with Anne O’Donoghue), ‘Bronze by Gold’, will see what I mean. John is survived by his wife, Irene, daughter Anne and sons Jonathan and Jerome. We will miss him. Richard Kearney (1968-1972)
EDDIE BARBER 1958-1964 dmund (or Eddie as he was regularly known by his school friends) was a man of many par ts. Somewhat nomadic in his early life, living in various British cities and boarding in St. Gerard’s, Bray and Glenstal, he finally came to settle in the environs of London where he commanded a boutique firm of accountants with offices in the City and in the suburbs of Hertfordshire. He was a fellow-traveller with a gang of students who moved seamlessly from St. Gerard’s to Glenstal in the 1950’s and 60’s and upon leaving school in 1964, ventured forth to Balnagowan and UCD to try his hand at medicine. One year later he had left for the U.K. where he had family and eventually settled into the life of accountancy. In latter years, he had rekindled his contacts with the Irish mob with whom he shared his school days, and it was largely in the sporting arena that these contacts were revived. Eddie was bewitched by Cricket and immersed in Rugby, Rowing and Tennis, managing to be the lucky owner of debenture tickets for major venues of the above spor ts. The annual pilgrimage to Hong Kong for the Sevens was usually a saga in itself! Apart from
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Potemkin’ or ‘The Last Tango in Paris’. Many Irish citizens of the time called for this last film by Bertolluci to be censored but to John it was the ingenious tale of a broken heart. John knew all about that having lost his first beautiful wife - whom we knew as ‘Nurse Anne Devitt’ - in childbirth in 1969.
his great interest in sports, he was a consummate diner and belonged to a quirky group named The Thunderers who met monthly in different London (and global) clubs to wine, dine and sometimes whine about life; afterdinner speaking (or ‘interruptions’ to use the Thunderer’s terminology) was one of his many gifts. In this capacity he was the organizer-in-chief of the Glenstal Past-Pupils gathering in The reform Club in November 2006, an event which may yet get legs to become an annual occasion, in which case a glass of “shampoo” as he shamelessly called Champagne, should be raised to celebrate this final bequest to Glenstal Society. Larger-than-life in more ways that one, Eddie collapsed and died suddenly in his office in February of this year. He had celebrated his 60th bir thday a few months previously. His funeral was private. Many will retain fond memories of his joie-de-vivre and his capacity to share in his great love of sport. Eddie McGrath (Br. Timothy). Edited by Andrew Nugent osb Layout & Print by INTYPE Ltd.
My Rock Roots
Letter from the President
By Nick Kelly (‘79)
It was a great honour to be elected last April. Since that time I have come to marvel at all the hard work being done behind the scenes: Secretarial Work, Website, Dinners, Golf, Reunions, Fundraisers. Our flagship project is, of course “Ubique” and my thanks to all who contributed to its production earlier in the year. A special word of appreciation to Fr. Andrew.
T
he reason you start doing something, and the reason you continue are not necessarily the same. I started playing the communal Spanish guitar that lolled unloved in the corner of the Housemaster’s office in a doomed attempt to force my classmates to like me. (I’d previously tried to make myself indispensable to them by turning myself into a good tennis player. That hadn’t worked either). As the oldest child of a somewhat Luddite family, popular music was utterly alien to me, as were many vital social skills, when I arrived in the school in 1975. Lights out was a terrifying time for me, and this was no irrational fear. But when they weren’t throwing me or my belongings out of the dorm window onto the battlements, my dorm-mates listened incessantly to rock music on clandestine cassette players, volume finely calibrated to just below the authorities’ auditory range. It soothed the savage beast in them. And, because no stereos were personal in those days, the forgotten cretin in the corner got to listen too. To this day, the opening bars of the Wings album “Band on The Run” (“Stuck inside these four walls”) can catapult me back to the Small Tower. The mid-70s are now looked upon as something of a nadir in popular music. In retrospect those long hours spent nodding sagely along to the earnest noodlings of Yes, Barclay James Harvest, and Bachman Turner Overdrive seem a tragic waste of time and hormones. At the start of fifth year, the more dedicated and spoilt returned to school bearing shining electric guitars. A school band was formed, the criteria for membership being one part rudimentary musical ability, two parts class standing and two parts equipment ownership (Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones, of course, only got his start because of his collection of amps.) There was no question whatever that I
would make the ranks of this lofty collective, but I was infected by their seriousness of purpose. In the same way as I’d battered a tennis ball up against the gym wall until it splintered to master the backhand, I twisted my fingers around the thick neck of that Spanish guitar until I’d taught myself all the chords (not just the intro) of that bane of music shop owners, “Stairway To Heaven”. On the night of the great concert, the whole school gathered in the gym, monks and teachers to the front. After a competent opening set from our young Greek teacher’s folk trio, the main attractions took the stage. They played, we watched respectfully from our seats. Between us gaped 10 feet of boarded gym floor. Somewhere midway through my peers’ ramshackle set, it struck me that this was all wrong. In a move quite outside my own character, I stood up and rushed to the front of the stage to boogie along. The whole school followed. Perhaps that was the moment I grasped that music, like sex, is a coolfree zone. Some weeks later, a controversial new 7-inch single made its first appearance on the 5th Year common room turntable. The snarling, sneering voice of Johnny Rotten appalled the Claptonloving band members, but not me. This was the final push I needed – proof positive that musical excitement was no more to do with technical ability than with personal popularity. That term I bought myself my first guitar in Savins for £40, a sunburst Concerter acoustic. I have it still. Ten years after I left Glenstal, my then band The Fat Lady Sings were touring Ireland to promote our debut album. We accepted an invitation from a group of 5th Years to play an early show in the school before our scheduled late night gig in Limerick city. My main impressions of that triumphant return were that the teachers in the front row had aged shockingly while the monks seemed completely unchanged, and that this new generation of Glenstal boys had no inhibitions about dancing.
Dear Members,
E-mail is the most cost effective and efficient method of keeping in touch with our 1,700+ Members. So: Get literate, and keep in touch! In order to streamline the activities of the Society I am currently formulating rules/guidelines to improve the running of our affairs. The concept is: a framework which will ensure continuity and will assist in meeting the challenges of the future. I would welcome your input ~ please send me any ideas you may have at president@myubique.com or 086-389 6931. A draft document will be presented for discussion at our AGM in April ‘08. Next year is the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the School. To celebrate the event, the Westbury Hotel has been reserved for Friday 4th April ‘08 for a Gala Dinner. The venue has parking and is ideal for those living outside the Pale being located at the top of Grafton Street. Special group rates are available for those wishing to stay at the Hotel. Spouses and Partners are welcome. Any offers of sponsorship will be greatly appreciated. Kind Regards, NOEL O’GORMAN
TOPIC: LONDON DINNER Friday 2nd November 2007 ANNUAL DINNER this year will be in the ARMY & NAVY CLUB (www.armynavyclub.co.uk) Location: 36 Pall Mall, London Date: Friday November 2ND 2007 Time: 19.30 for 20.00 Dress: Black Tie Price: £80 per person (members only) ORGANISING COMMITTEE: Christopher Dorman-O’Gorman, Ian Lynam, Nigel Hanley, Gearoid Bradley.