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class of 48/49 reunion


Posted by Oliver Killeen on August 27, 2012 at 08:13:42:

a cara.....its been said.....a safe ...but chilly way of recalling the past is to force open a crammed drawer.....if you are searching for something in particular you don't find it.......but something falls out at the back that is most times more interesting......my memory bank holds a cornocopia of lifwtime events that are triggered by many unrelated everyday events.....and so it was at 5.30 am this morning the sun was creating a jeweled spectacle on the waters of lake ontario......i was standing in my crows nest high in this concrete jungle i call "home"...sunburts swere beaming out in celestial radiant rays......the vast lake waters.....from rochester new york ...to toronto....twinkle and sparkle....like the jeed rings in johnny hynnes window......the city streets are quiet.....the odd siron can be heard in the distance....just to remind us ....the naked city never sleeps.....below me ...there is the occassional early bird walking a dog.....the school underneath me is deserted ....its brick structure baked in the scorching summer sun....the playground is empty....and the clay is dry...and dusty....this heat....has been a feature of this torontos summer....there has been little respite from the searing blazen ball.....the automated school bell is also silent...as this is sunday.....so its off....but monday to friday....the bell rings ...class assembly...recesses...and class dismissed.....i sip on my mug of coffee....gazing on the scholl yard....i realise i ought to be jetting over to ireland and castlebar this weekend.....i had been envited to the classof 48/49 reunion...since that invitation my intentions were resolute....that i would be there .....i had tentative travel arrangements...but other matters presented...that required me staying in toronto....ah!...thank god for that some are muttering....there is a god after all....but for those i must advise i am going this fall.....but the reunion is happening ...and how well i remember all my class friends.....we all started off together in mrs. mcdoanaghs class....40/41....for me those early beginnings...were traumatic....i was terrified....even mrs.mcdonaghs harmonium was not sufficent enough to ease the scare.....her room was walled in mini blackboards and i suppose most of us from time to time worked on those boards...in those days they called it infants...low and high....but it was all the same....we moved on to first class....under the tutellage of brother raphael.....he punished with a two leather pieces tied together.....half into that first year sean heydon joined our class.....sean was son of supt. richard heydon of the garda siocholoonie.....sean was quiet...and in fact in those early days he sat beside me...but soon he paired up with kevin oconnell...i then sat beside jimmy ryan....there was tom dempsey and richard king...who sat in the front row....as the first year was closing bro raphael was moved suddenly....and we were left to the guidance of joe dunne...and spidge armstrong....until a mr. daly arrived...and took us to year end....mr daly was a nice man....gentle and musical...i cant ever remember him raising his voice.....alice cooper sang schools out for summer...and so it was.....in second class we were un techered for the first few days.....and then he arrived....bro. abban.....he came in with no pretentions....like a lion.....his first proclomation....i dont use the cane on the first day....he had stated his case...issued his warning....soon he appointed a water carrier ....he drank alot of water....and soon vincent mcneely was assigned the job...bro.abban had a big cider bottle...which was filled daily fromthe water tap in the monastery garden....we got used to rolls of wall paper been flung over the blackboard....they wer filled with information....but they sure as hell scared the shit out of us....every conceivable weapon was used in punishment...plats from the willow trees....rubber hose ...lats from maps...legs of chairs....the school in those days were cold and damp heated in the winter by turf fires.....but our class was always hot....i can still see john feeney seat jumping backwards and forwards as bro abban went on the rampage...himself and tommy doherty ...jumped quite a bit.....paddy lally ....seemed to absorb alot of punishment...but paddy took it with a smile.....frank tonra and pete moran from ballymacragh got up in the act..harry farrell...sean nolan...noel mcging..the pluck bros ...mikey and olly....and my cousin pete murray...from moneen there was sean rice...and patsy haugh....and sean omaille from drimneen.....mickey waters and mickey garvey too took their lumps....paddy moylette and des ainsworth....were more of the class..as was brendan "lar" lyons.......sean gilboy....jimmy madden ..joe foy........made up more of the numbers....jimmy madden mispronounced soldier one day....when he told bro. abban hed bring his father down if he slapped him ....bro abban was unmerciful.......but summer came and we thought we would get away from bro.abban next class....no such luck he brought us through to primary cert....we feared every day...comfirmation preparation...or any other activity....through the years to sixth class we acquired amny drop downs...sean cunningham....jimmy deere...paudeen guthrie....we well remember sean cunningham have jimmy deere throw his bag out the window at days end....bro abban never let us go home early...so sean would woul raise his hand...an bhuilk cead agam dul amacht.....and off he went...and this became a daily ritual....bro. abban taught with fire...but he also was instrumental in organising the first scholl sports events....although he enjoyed murtaghs guinness in the evening...he loved sports...and in fact he guided the mchales...in those early street leagues....and so we eventually arrived at 48/49......primary cert...it was a tough year....but we made it......on the day of the primary cert bro.abban put a table in the school yard...with boxes of roses or cadbury chocolates and sweets..on our last week of school i had my jaw broken by karl wheymere...a german refugee....i insuklted him by giving him the nazi salute....howeber he and i remained friends ubtil i flew the coupe for blighty......we broke up that year ...and some of us moved on to st. geralds.....my self and lar lyons won the scholarship to st.geralds...and it seemed we were tied to the hip....and in a sense we were because i walked to my grandmothers every day for lunch with him....he introduced me mary jo moylette that davits tce beauty.....but life goes on ....and many of this famous class has passed on ....sean heydon ...frank tonra...and noel mcging...others i havent seen in many years....mickey waters i met in london ...he became a godparent to one of my sons.....mickey garvey....i met in london in hammersmith....but havent seen him since the night we hired tom tunney to take us to wesport......when he bet paddy moylett the price of the dance if the scalls would drink 6 pints in six swallows....blowser walsh....got the results....a floor full of potatoes carrots and meat.....and now as the gang gather in castlebar next week for this great occassion ...my heart will be there.....i can hear the stories....and i can laugh with the craic....i can chant the auld song.....we have some of us travelled the world ...but we all brought a piece of castlebar with us......yes...the old home town looks the same....

slain.....agus....
......tog go bog e....

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