Page 14 - The Gonzaga Record 1985
P. 14
purposes after the usual troublesome alterations. This is nearly always the price
one has to pay in beginning with an old building. But often there isn't any
alternative. By the time you have bought the land your resources probably will not
stretch to building a completely new school, desirable though that obviously would
be.
What eventually counted against Churchtown House was the lack of playing
fields. What might be adequate at the very initial stages of the school would not
suffice as the school advanced to its full size. The long and tiresome experience of
Belvedere College on the north side of the city served as a guide in this whole
matter. The playing fields for Belvedere were out in Cabra. Who would care to
repeat on the south side the man-hours lost both by Community and boys in going
to, and returning from these playing fields, especially after school classes?
Churchtown House began to recede from view and eyes turned elsewhere. For a
brief period attention was focussed on a property called Oaklands in Rathgar. It
never became a serious contender as a site for the new school. Apart from other
considerations it was considered a bit too near St Mary's College, Rathmines.
Milltown Park
Attention was now directed nearer home. Could Milltown Park be persuaded to
part with some of their farm land for the school? It was suggested that the land
between Shamrock Rovers ground and the garden of Milltown Park would make a
good site for the school. It had the advantage that the school would have a frontage
on to Milltown Road. With a little arm-twisting perhaps Milltown Park would sell
around 2t acres for playing fields! The minutes for the monthly consultation of Fr
Provincial and his Consultors has the following; 'Tentative suggestions were made
for the New School to be erected on Milltown Park site. Buildings comprising some
eight classrooms and Community quarters for some 14 Jesuits could be built. A
beginning could be made with four classes. It was also pointed out that building a
school along the Miltown Road frontage would preclude a road being built through
the Milltown Park grounds at a future date.'
It is of interest to notice as far back as 1948 that reference to a fear of a road
being built through the Milltown grounds. Even after Gonzaga College had settled
into its present grounds, this fear kept recurring. And it wasn't a baseless fear. On
one Public Works map for future road construction a road was shown running
through the present large rugby field. This spectre of a road through the grounds
reappeared from time to time. The danger seems to have receded now.
Negotiations and planning for the new school at Milltown Park continued
through 1948. Then two events took place which radically changed the whole
picture. The first was the disastrous fire at Milltown Park, and the second was the
coming on to the market of the Bewley estate which was adjacent to Milltown
Park.
The Milltown Park fire
At 5.40 on th e morning of 11 February 1949 fire devastated one large wing
of Mill town Park. Over thirty students of theology were living in the wing that took
fi re. The fire spread with appalling rapidity. Racing along the waxed flooring of the
corridors, the whole wing was ablaze within ten minutes of its first discovery. There
6
one has to pay in beginning with an old building. But often there isn't any
alternative. By the time you have bought the land your resources probably will not
stretch to building a completely new school, desirable though that obviously would
be.
What eventually counted against Churchtown House was the lack of playing
fields. What might be adequate at the very initial stages of the school would not
suffice as the school advanced to its full size. The long and tiresome experience of
Belvedere College on the north side of the city served as a guide in this whole
matter. The playing fields for Belvedere were out in Cabra. Who would care to
repeat on the south side the man-hours lost both by Community and boys in going
to, and returning from these playing fields, especially after school classes?
Churchtown House began to recede from view and eyes turned elsewhere. For a
brief period attention was focussed on a property called Oaklands in Rathgar. It
never became a serious contender as a site for the new school. Apart from other
considerations it was considered a bit too near St Mary's College, Rathmines.
Milltown Park
Attention was now directed nearer home. Could Milltown Park be persuaded to
part with some of their farm land for the school? It was suggested that the land
between Shamrock Rovers ground and the garden of Milltown Park would make a
good site for the school. It had the advantage that the school would have a frontage
on to Milltown Road. With a little arm-twisting perhaps Milltown Park would sell
around 2t acres for playing fields! The minutes for the monthly consultation of Fr
Provincial and his Consultors has the following; 'Tentative suggestions were made
for the New School to be erected on Milltown Park site. Buildings comprising some
eight classrooms and Community quarters for some 14 Jesuits could be built. A
beginning could be made with four classes. It was also pointed out that building a
school along the Miltown Road frontage would preclude a road being built through
the Milltown Park grounds at a future date.'
It is of interest to notice as far back as 1948 that reference to a fear of a road
being built through the Milltown grounds. Even after Gonzaga College had settled
into its present grounds, this fear kept recurring. And it wasn't a baseless fear. On
one Public Works map for future road construction a road was shown running
through the present large rugby field. This spectre of a road through the grounds
reappeared from time to time. The danger seems to have receded now.
Negotiations and planning for the new school at Milltown Park continued
through 1948. Then two events took place which radically changed the whole
picture. The first was the disastrous fire at Milltown Park, and the second was the
coming on to the market of the Bewley estate which was adjacent to Milltown
Park.
The Milltown Park fire
At 5.40 on th e morning of 11 February 1949 fire devastated one large wing
of Mill town Park. Over thirty students of theology were living in the wing that took
fi re. The fire spread with appalling rapidity. Racing along the waxed flooring of the
corridors, the whole wing was ablaze within ten minutes of its first discovery. There
6
