EVENTS REPORTS
40 Year Reunion Class 1973 - Blackrock College and BCRFC Stradbrook
| Date : | Friday, 1st March 2013 |
Like the Mounties, the 40th year reunion always gets their man! And so it was for the likely lads of 1973, when they got together to consider the problems of the world, in this, their 40th year out and over the fence. Seventy five stout and true denizens of (you can't knock) the 'Rock 'made it along to celebrate still being here to tell the (tall) tale.Â
The day began with a small band of hardened and dedicated golfers who played 18 holes at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club and proved that not only Tiger nor Rory, know a thing or two about golfing. Denis Mc Sweeney stole the honors and a bottle of champagne to help him on his way.Â
While the golfers were slurping their soup, another band of 'Rockers were slurping something entirely different in Dave Crowe's Emporium in Ballsbridge. Again, a small band of hardy bucks sorted out the problems of the world, just from a different angle.
After golf and slurpees,, it was time to get down to business and meet up at the College for the pre-mass reception. It was gas to see that everyone suffered from the same shortsightedness and lack of memory, when it came to names. Being this ripe age, nobody gave a toss and everyone introduced themselves by name to avoid any serious cases of mistaken identity. The ambiance was one of warm renewals and everybody could have stayed there for the night chatting - but holy God beckoned.Â
Tom Nash presided over a fabulous mass with touching words about those who have passed on and inspirational encouragement for those of us who are left. Candles were lit for the 10 people known to have passed on and another for those who have passed but whose passing is not known. Sadly, hardly had the candles been extinguished when we learned of the death of Conor McNestry. The mass was a marvelous event, even for the skeptical among us, with Tom Nash's sense of humor pervasive, as always. Paul Oslizlok gave a rousing inspiration and a number of others read contributions. A special mention to the beautiful voice and harp accompaniment provided by the two ladies.
 Then on to Stradbrook where the entire group got together for the first time. Photos were taken on entry and in for a quick pint and reminisces before dinner. The meal was lovely (full marks to Knights) but the craic, the camaraderie and stories of what has happened in each others lives, was the real theme of the night. Given our vintage, nobody was impressed with success, wealth and material well-being. The talk was all about knowing and understanding how each person had experienced life in the intervening 40 years. It had been that long since some of the lads had seen each other but they just slid back into the groove like donning an old slipper. The boarders who shared rooms at school, might never have been apart. The day boys told the truth about those girlfriends they never actually scored,despite frequent early reports of massive conquests.
The meal started at eight and there were still a lot of people with no homes to go to at four the following morning. Nobody there could tell you where the time went to. There was (obviously) no dancing, no entertainment and no distractions. The whole night was taken up with conversation, reminisces and sharing memories.We even has speeches on behalf of the borders ans day pupils fondly recollecting on the experiences or school. Sounds as exciting as an evening watching the Late-Late Show but for those who left Blackrock College in June 1973, it was an outstanding success. So much so, that there were calls for more frequent reunions. Whatever about that, those who made it to the 40th, had a blast. Unfortunately, we could not make contact with everyone who left in '73 but 75 souls made it along and that is a good turnout in the depths of recession. It is hard to describe the warm, fuzzy feeling that we all came away with but it was there - in spades. Bonds made in those formative years, and many kids came right up from childhood in Willow Park, are always very fundamental. 40 years apart is only a moment if you had seen the lads, huddled in small groups giggling again, as if they were still in 'Rock. Massive stuff! Looking forward to the 50th already.
Â
The day began with a small band of hardened and dedicated golfers who played 18 holes at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club and proved that not only Tiger nor Rory, know a thing or two about golfing. Denis Mc Sweeney stole the honors and a bottle of champagne to help him on his way.Â
While the golfers were slurping their soup, another band of 'Rockers were slurping something entirely different in Dave Crowe's Emporium in Ballsbridge. Again, a small band of hardy bucks sorted out the problems of the world, just from a different angle.
After golf and slurpees,, it was time to get down to business and meet up at the College for the pre-mass reception. It was gas to see that everyone suffered from the same shortsightedness and lack of memory, when it came to names. Being this ripe age, nobody gave a toss and everyone introduced themselves by name to avoid any serious cases of mistaken identity. The ambiance was one of warm renewals and everybody could have stayed there for the night chatting - but holy God beckoned.Â
Tom Nash presided over a fabulous mass with touching words about those who have passed on and inspirational encouragement for those of us who are left. Candles were lit for the 10 people known to have passed on and another for those who have passed but whose passing is not known. Sadly, hardly had the candles been extinguished when we learned of the death of Conor McNestry. The mass was a marvelous event, even for the skeptical among us, with Tom Nash's sense of humor pervasive, as always. Paul Oslizlok gave a rousing inspiration and a number of others read contributions. A special mention to the beautiful voice and harp accompaniment provided by the two ladies.
 Then on to Stradbrook where the entire group got together for the first time. Photos were taken on entry and in for a quick pint and reminisces before dinner. The meal was lovely (full marks to Knights) but the craic, the camaraderie and stories of what has happened in each others lives, was the real theme of the night. Given our vintage, nobody was impressed with success, wealth and material well-being. The talk was all about knowing and understanding how each person had experienced life in the intervening 40 years. It had been that long since some of the lads had seen each other but they just slid back into the groove like donning an old slipper. The boarders who shared rooms at school, might never have been apart. The day boys told the truth about those girlfriends they never actually scored,despite frequent early reports of massive conquests.
The meal started at eight and there were still a lot of people with no homes to go to at four the following morning. Nobody there could tell you where the time went to. There was (obviously) no dancing, no entertainment and no distractions. The whole night was taken up with conversation, reminisces and sharing memories.We even has speeches on behalf of the borders ans day pupils fondly recollecting on the experiences or school. Sounds as exciting as an evening watching the Late-Late Show but for those who left Blackrock College in June 1973, it was an outstanding success. So much so, that there were calls for more frequent reunions. Whatever about that, those who made it to the 40th, had a blast. Unfortunately, we could not make contact with everyone who left in '73 but 75 souls made it along and that is a good turnout in the depths of recession. It is hard to describe the warm, fuzzy feeling that we all came away with but it was there - in spades. Bonds made in those formative years, and many kids came right up from childhood in Willow Park, are always very fundamental. 40 years apart is only a moment if you had seen the lads, huddled in small groups giggling again, as if they were still in 'Rock. Massive stuff! Looking forward to the 50th already.
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