Derek Gormley: 38 years after first setting foot onto St. Laurence College land, here I am, doing more homework, although this time it is voluntary (but still at Bro. Jim’s request). “For the web page,” he said, “do it on your windows.” (When I went to school, spiders spun webs and you looked out windows, not at them as Bill Gates has almost everyone doing now.)
Who am I? Hello folks. Derek Gormley here, class of ’73, though I stopped going to school in ’71 – knew better than parents or teachers – me? I wish. That was a lifetime ago. To those who left in recent years, you would probably not remember the pre-fabs, but for us old boys, that’s where it all started – outside toilets, too, but we won’t go there. There were two pre-fabs – one each side of the gate. Mr. McGuinness is there in his black robe and a leather strap putting the fear of God in us; Mr. Heaney, a young blond, then driving an orange MG; Bro. John O’Connor, Headmaster; Bro. Bob Kelly (Uncle Al and ex-U.S. Navy, a lovely gentleman from New York City whose stories I will remember forever – and also his baking of strawberry pies, so good!)
Bro. Fred came too, to build the new school, although I think John Sisk gave him some assistance. I remember sitting in the pre-fabs on top of the hill, watching as a crane lowered the circular steel band into place to connect all the beams around the dome in the library – only for the engineers to find out that it was too small. There was a long delay as it came from Germany , I think.
As the building progressed, with construction on-going, Bro. Fred brought students into B1 and B2 to do Woodwork classes. Imagine the fun Health and Safety would have with that sort of thing today.
So much is different today. In the old days, you could walk around the corridor in either direction; no female students to distract you from your work and you had corporal punishment. That strap hurt, I know, but it did no harm. We had respect for our elders and for other people’s property.
As I mentioned earlier, I did attend the College for three years, doing my Inter Cert in ’71. As time went on, I met and married Sandra, my present wife (that will keep her on her toes). We have 3 children: Robert Owen and Karen – all past-pupils of St. Laurence College. Robert (RobG) is a radio broadcaster and DJ. Owen is working in Retail Security Management and Karen is doing a PLC course in Child Care and Montessori Teaching and is going to do another in Office Management. They all did their studies and passed their Leaving Certs. in the College – a thing I never thanked the College or the teachers for, but would like to put that right now: “Thank you, All!”
I live in Shankill with my family and have maintained contact with the Marianist Community since we first met in 1968.
To the old boys, I would say, “Go back and visit the College: the new Sports Hall, the new Computer Room and the new Prayer Room should all be seen. The Prayer Room is unbelievable: a quiet, calm place with amazing stained glass windows and a wooden wall which amazed me. How it was done I do not know.
The building as a whole is a credit to Bro. Fred, Alan Kelly and all the crew who now maintain it.
Fr. Neville and Bro. Gerry are past-pupils, while Bro. Fred and Bro. Jim are part of the furniture. A lot of teachers I knew retired: Frank McGuinness, Paschal Byrne, Mike Heaney, Jim Kavanagh, Pete Glennane, PJ Carty, Declan Murphy, Madeleine O’Shea – all good people who gave their time to educating both myself and my children. “Enjoy your retirement, you deserve it.” Others have gone as well. “Best wishes to you all.” I think Ted Doherty is still around there somewhere (I think it will take a bulldozer to get him out. But in a way, that’s what St. Laurence College does to you: it brings you in, cares for you, feeds you and slowly you become part of it all. Look at me: 38 years on, past pupil, past chairperson of the Parents’ Committee and I count Bros. Fred, Jim and Gerry and Frs. Mike and Neville, not just as Marianists, but good friends – and that’s not forgetting others who passed through: Bro. Ed, Bro. Kelly, Fr. Richard, Bro. Bob Flaherty, and the Spanish Marianists: Bro. Julian, Bro. Tomas, Bro. Carpentero – the list goes on and on, just like me.
To all at the College and St. Columba’s (the Marianist community residence), “Thank you. My life is richer for having known you.” To all past-pupils, “Tell as many as you can about this web page – getting people back in contact is good.” I helped to organise a Silver Jubilee Reunion in 1992 but had a lot of trouble contacting people. God willing, in 2017, a Golden Jubilee will be celebrated and I hope to see you there.
Take care and enjoy your life. [April '06]
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