President's Welcome Fellow Clongownians and Union members, it is truly a great honour for me to take over this very illustrious chain of office from Ambrose O’Sullivan as the 75th President of the Clongowes Union. It was a proud moment for me, particularly in view of the fact that my father, Tom Murphy, held this chain in 1983/84. He died in 1996 at 80 years of age. My father was the first of his family to come to Clongowes. He left in 1934; I left in 1965, my brothers, Brendan in 1963, Adrian in1966, Darra in 1970. My two sons, Darra and Rory, were also here, leaving in 1995 and 2002 respectively. Brendan’s son, Andrew left also in 2002.
We are making a renewed effort to ensure this website is up to date and that it becomes a reliable reference point in relation to Union activities. I invite you to check it regularly. I also envisage it being used by members wishing to advertise class reunions, etc..
The Union organises a number of social activities which bring members together and I would urge your participation. These include the Annual Dinner in February, a musical evening in December, the annual retreat, and the Golf Society, which is very efficiently run by Tom Coughlan and Robert Walsh. There are also events organised by the Junior Branch for those who have left Clongowes within the past 10 years.
The Union also supports a number of charitable organisations, such as the Clongowes Youth Club, Clongowes Union Benevolent Association (CUBA), and a nominated charity.
The Youth Club, based in Coppinger Row off Clarendon Strret in Dublin city centre, is run by a dedicated team of Old Clongownians and friends, under the guidance of Nat Lacey. I would like to congratulate Nat on his recent marriage to Clodagh Beirne.
CUBA provides financial support and other assistance to Old Clongownians, or their families, who are enduring difficult times. It is always in need of our financial support and I would strongly encourage those who have the means to do so. Also they are more than happy to receive information about anyone you might know whom they might help, and any approach will be undertaken with the utmost discretion. Mr Michael Moore (’82) is the Chairman who can be contacted directly or through any member of the Union Committee.
Again the Union has some very active branches, such as the Ulster, Connaught, GB, and USA branches, and also Union representatives on most continents. We fully support and encourage these branches and I would like to thank everyone involved for their dedicated work.
The Union has close associations with the Unions of other Jesuit schools in Ireland. At present I am trying to revive the Irish Federation of Jesuit Alumni. I wish Michael Sheil SJ, Union past-President, safe travel to Bujumbura, Burundi, Africa, where he will be accompanying three recent past pupils from Clongowes to represent Ireland at the World Federation of Jesuit Alumni at their Congress in July ’09.
The Union also maintains close association with the school. Rev. headmaster, Leonard Moloney S J, and Fr Rector, Bruce Bradley SJ are active Committee members, and all the teachers in Clongowes are automatically honorary members of the Union.
I would finally like to thank all the members of the Committee for their immense support and diligence, and also Sinead Clarke for her help during the year. I congratulate Laurence K. Sheilds on his election as President of the Union for 2010/11.
I look forward to meeting many of you during the coming year
Raymond Murphy
President of The Clongowes Union |
