Page 25 - The Gonzaga Record 1985
P. 25
New Playing Fields.
The first major expansion of the original grounds was the acquisition from
Milltown Park of the large field where the Senior Rugby pitches are now. It was
known as the Railway Field, the name no doubt acquired from its proximity to the
defunct and always to be regretted Harcourt Street-Bray railway line. As has been
stressed already, Gonzaga College owed much gratitude to Milltown Park. Still , it
was possible while acknowledging that large fact to harbour designs on such a
desirable field for games. Needless to say, the Bursar at Milltown Park did not see
matters in quite the same way. Milltown Park ran a small but an efficient farm, and
that same field was one of the best pasturages, and in summer, the best hay field the
farm possessed.
The issue was not immediate or pressing. The school was still very small. The
front lawn and the field behind St Joseph's (where the theologians lived) provided
enough space for immediate needs. But it was clear that as the school grew in
numbers the large Railway Field would be a marvellous solution to a growin g
problem. So, battle was joined. Gonzaga's main argument was that the hardship of
not having the field would far outweigh the inconvenience: suffered by the Milltown
Park farm in losing the field. In the end, it would appear that higher authority was
appealed to (foul play?) and after some arm-twisting Milltown Park yielded up the
field. But not without some compensation. Gonzaga got its large playing field , but
the field on the left of the avenue as one approaches the school, and which was part
of Gonzaga grounds, was handed over to Milltown Park. (It now is the site for th e
Jesuit convalescent home Cherryfield Lodge.) Milltown also got the garden which
was attached to St Joseph's (Sandford Grove). It now contains the out-door
swimming pool of Milltown Park. Milltown al so demanded the right to the grass
from the Railway Field during the summer. This right was exercised for some
years. So all in all , in spite of the cries of anguish, Milltown didn't suffer all that
much, while Gonzaga acquired a most valuable asset.
Many years later, Gonzaga made another favourable deal with Milltown Park .
The remarkable decline in vocations from the 1970s meant that the soccer pitch
which used to be used by the theology students was scarcely used at all. There
weren't enough students to field two soccer teams. Gonzaga now rents from
Milltown that soccer field , and also the field contiguous to the wall aroun d
Shamrock Rovers ground. How lucky Gonzaga College is to have its playi ng fi eld s
around the school, and not to have been forced to acquire fi eld s this side of Bray. if
even that would have been possible!
Moving the School to St Joseph 's
While Gonzaga College had been settling down to li ve with the Jesuit
Community in Sandford Hill, the theologians from Milltown Park continued to li ve
in St Joseph's (Sandford Grove). But from 1950 Milltown Park had to face the
problem of replacing the building that had been burned down in the fire of
February 1949. The new wing that began to ri se earl y in 195 1 is the red brick
structure one sees on the left as one comes up the avenue close to our fam ous
copper beech. The necessity of putting up thi s building probabl y explains why
Milltown could no longer carry the debt of acquiring the Bew ley propertie .
17
The first major expansion of the original grounds was the acquisition from
Milltown Park of the large field where the Senior Rugby pitches are now. It was
known as the Railway Field, the name no doubt acquired from its proximity to the
defunct and always to be regretted Harcourt Street-Bray railway line. As has been
stressed already, Gonzaga College owed much gratitude to Milltown Park. Still , it
was possible while acknowledging that large fact to harbour designs on such a
desirable field for games. Needless to say, the Bursar at Milltown Park did not see
matters in quite the same way. Milltown Park ran a small but an efficient farm, and
that same field was one of the best pasturages, and in summer, the best hay field the
farm possessed.
The issue was not immediate or pressing. The school was still very small. The
front lawn and the field behind St Joseph's (where the theologians lived) provided
enough space for immediate needs. But it was clear that as the school grew in
numbers the large Railway Field would be a marvellous solution to a growin g
problem. So, battle was joined. Gonzaga's main argument was that the hardship of
not having the field would far outweigh the inconvenience: suffered by the Milltown
Park farm in losing the field. In the end, it would appear that higher authority was
appealed to (foul play?) and after some arm-twisting Milltown Park yielded up the
field. But not without some compensation. Gonzaga got its large playing field , but
the field on the left of the avenue as one approaches the school, and which was part
of Gonzaga grounds, was handed over to Milltown Park. (It now is the site for th e
Jesuit convalescent home Cherryfield Lodge.) Milltown also got the garden which
was attached to St Joseph's (Sandford Grove). It now contains the out-door
swimming pool of Milltown Park. Milltown al so demanded the right to the grass
from the Railway Field during the summer. This right was exercised for some
years. So all in all , in spite of the cries of anguish, Milltown didn't suffer all that
much, while Gonzaga acquired a most valuable asset.
Many years later, Gonzaga made another favourable deal with Milltown Park .
The remarkable decline in vocations from the 1970s meant that the soccer pitch
which used to be used by the theology students was scarcely used at all. There
weren't enough students to field two soccer teams. Gonzaga now rents from
Milltown that soccer field , and also the field contiguous to the wall aroun d
Shamrock Rovers ground. How lucky Gonzaga College is to have its playi ng fi eld s
around the school, and not to have been forced to acquire fi eld s this side of Bray. if
even that would have been possible!
Moving the School to St Joseph 's
While Gonzaga College had been settling down to li ve with the Jesuit
Community in Sandford Hill, the theologians from Milltown Park continued to li ve
in St Joseph's (Sandford Grove). But from 1950 Milltown Park had to face the
problem of replacing the building that had been burned down in the fire of
February 1949. The new wing that began to ri se earl y in 195 1 is the red brick
structure one sees on the left as one comes up the avenue close to our fam ous
copper beech. The necessity of putting up thi s building probabl y explains why
Milltown could no longer carry the debt of acquiring the Bew ley propertie .
17
