Portraits of Clongowes Lunch

Everyone one has a story. Everyone doesn’t always want to share it however, for one reason or another. Every Clongownian, for the most part, is still policed by that humility inducted as part boarding school life. That somehow knowing your place. Regardless of who you are, what you are or how you, in the real world. Or where you sit on LinkedIn. Portraits of Clongowes is about that daily life in CWC and the memories and reflections many chosen to share about life ever since. In its perfections and imperfections. After all, the place was not for everyone. 

 Thus, the e podcast is a blend of stories, some, nostalgia and a general look back over various decades. A reminiscence too on how the vocation to educate by those countless selfless Jesuit teachers, who, we thought all just lived in the splendour and luxury of the Castle. Where Clongowes did what it said on the tin, take us in as boys and sending us in due course on our way as men years later. The life learning of Clongowes crafted certain ways of thought and behaviours, with a concern for others being paramount amongst them perhaps. 

The commonality of voice in all the Portraits has convinced that there is a thing we all share. So intuitive that there is no word that quiet summarises it fully to my mind. Yet a commonality that clearly manifests itself clearly across every interview in men for others The teachers and staff throughout various generations clearly generate a respect and admiration that is still voiced many decades later.

 That roll of honour is lengthy and sadly some of those voices silenced now by the passing of time; Lawton, Power, Brereton, Lawler, O’Beirne, Casey, O’Connor, Crowe or O’Dowd, Murray or Miller. Yet the voices of Brendan Cullen, Liam O’Connell, Martin Nugent, Hugon Simm and Mocky Shiel are still clear and steadfast. Their commitment to our education, with passage of time, has dwindled little become even more valued. Time has a funny way of doing that to one.

For all those who participated in the Portraits, and continue to do so, I thank and salute you very much. Not only for courage of sharing your experiences with the prying ears of your peers, but the honesty, thoughtfulness and frankness of each that has been so impressive. Be it the palpable courage of Jack Kavanagh or the whispering knowledge of horse trainer, John Oxx. It is hard to individually mention fairly all the ‘portrayers’ as everyone impressed as human beings. Even the initially reluctant such as Richard Bruton, who found the trip down memory lane somewhat energising as reminiscences came back to him as he spoke. 

The privilege of hearing these stories first hand had been a unique experience and then to share it a growing responsibility. It is a testament to the work of all those teachers over the years, initially with the Jesuits in the community and subsequently with the lay teachers, how that mutual respect is heard and still voiced to this day in all the Portraits of Clongowes. That was very evident too at the lunch hosted in The Merrion Hotel in April where Mick Medeiros OC’18 was the keynote speaker

 A very unique occasion and made possible by Peter MacCann OC’79 in The Merrion Hotel, along with the support of Willie Burns and the OC’79 year, not forgetting the particular generosity of Mick O‘Leary, also OC’79. Indeed, last series of the podcast would not have been even possible without the vision, support and energy of Dec Ryan OC’81 to whom I also owe a huge personal thanks! Not forgetting the vital sponsorship of Jigsaw - Youth Mental Health.

*Portraits of Clongowes is a Podcast series available on iTunes; Spotify; Google Podcasts and most other platforms. The podcast is produced by Peter Rice and recorded at Dublin South Podcast Studios in Dundrum.