Page 79 - The Gonzaga Record 1986
P. 79
to follow? The committee wanted to eered by the Fifth Year Project!
support: March 18 arrived. Tee-shirts and col-
a third world charity, lecting buckets were distributed. Had
- a national Irish charity, and everything else been thought of? After
- a purely Dublin-based charity a slight delay, while the band arrived,
the boots were unveiled to a barrage of
After meeting representatives from a oohs and ahs! It was all systems go
number of charities it was eventually then as we moved off, accompanied by
decided to help Gorta and St Vincent Garda outriders and 'Colonial' march-
de Paul Society and Simon and Anna ing band. We had to stop momentarily
Liffey Project (Drugs Rehabilitation). as the corps of photographers recorded
Although alternative routes were the event with Fr Barber, Mr Gerry
discussed, it was generally felt that the Martin (St Vincent de Paul) and Mr
Limerick route was the most feasible Ronnie Smiley (Gorta) piloting the
in terms of length and spacing of boots. After both boots had journeyed
towns, etc. The next difficulty that through Ranelagh it was on to Charle-
arose was what to push. Various Heath mont Bridge and an emotional fare-
Robinson-like schemes were discarded well to the Dublin pushers and band.
and eventually the committee plumped We were only beginners at the art of
for the idea of two boots - one for pushing a boot at this stage and there
the Limerick route and one for was some early apprehension that we
Dublin. Credit must be given to had lost our way. This was not the case
Hannan Mullet whose idea it was to however, and despite nearly losing one
construct the boots, and he, Ray collector on a bus, which decided to
McDonnell and their 'boot crew' move off as he was collecting on it, we
-eventually fashioned two veritable eventually arrived on the Naas dual
masterpieces! carriageway. We covered this expanse
Once the preliminary decisions had of road well and arrived in Naas in
been taken, the rest of the committee record time to be met by Fr Brennan.
beavered away at their respective tasks. The day's takings amounted to £477,
One must have pity for Aran Maree, and our spirits were buoyed by this.
who fought a lone crusade to obtain The next day's haul was comparat-
permits from the gardai eventually suc- ively short, 13 miles, but was impor-
ceeded in negotiations this obstacle tant for collecting. Although we let
course. He it was also who managed to one or two innocent passers-by slip
cajole the Mt Vernon High School through our net in Naas, just about
Band from Boston into seeing us off. every shop, car and pedestrian were
As can be imagined, the project in- collected from in Newbridge and Kil-
volves .the writing of a vast quantity of dare. Nobody got away, and when we
letters and all the committee particip- began to ask people for the fourth or
ated in this. As 18 March approached, fifth time, we decided to call it a day.
the pace of the project machinery shif- After the long stretch across the Cur-
ted up a gear. Committee members ragh, it was a tired group that reached
were to be seen rushing about in a dis- Monasterevan to be greated by Mr
tracted manner, and even the odd ab- Byrne. By this stage certain people
sence from class was tolerated! One were beginning to feel the effects of
tale, which is definitely not apocryphal badly blistered feet, but there was no
involves the 'procurement' of a vital moaning in what was a very harmon-
trolley from CIE on St Patrick's Day. ious group.
This is made all the more incredible as Days three and four are a bit hazy in
CIE were only told two hours before the memory, consisting of seemingly
that their trolley was being command- endless round of collecting, pushing,
77
support: March 18 arrived. Tee-shirts and col-
a third world charity, lecting buckets were distributed. Had
- a national Irish charity, and everything else been thought of? After
- a purely Dublin-based charity a slight delay, while the band arrived,
the boots were unveiled to a barrage of
After meeting representatives from a oohs and ahs! It was all systems go
number of charities it was eventually then as we moved off, accompanied by
decided to help Gorta and St Vincent Garda outriders and 'Colonial' march-
de Paul Society and Simon and Anna ing band. We had to stop momentarily
Liffey Project (Drugs Rehabilitation). as the corps of photographers recorded
Although alternative routes were the event with Fr Barber, Mr Gerry
discussed, it was generally felt that the Martin (St Vincent de Paul) and Mr
Limerick route was the most feasible Ronnie Smiley (Gorta) piloting the
in terms of length and spacing of boots. After both boots had journeyed
towns, etc. The next difficulty that through Ranelagh it was on to Charle-
arose was what to push. Various Heath mont Bridge and an emotional fare-
Robinson-like schemes were discarded well to the Dublin pushers and band.
and eventually the committee plumped We were only beginners at the art of
for the idea of two boots - one for pushing a boot at this stage and there
the Limerick route and one for was some early apprehension that we
Dublin. Credit must be given to had lost our way. This was not the case
Hannan Mullet whose idea it was to however, and despite nearly losing one
construct the boots, and he, Ray collector on a bus, which decided to
McDonnell and their 'boot crew' move off as he was collecting on it, we
-eventually fashioned two veritable eventually arrived on the Naas dual
masterpieces! carriageway. We covered this expanse
Once the preliminary decisions had of road well and arrived in Naas in
been taken, the rest of the committee record time to be met by Fr Brennan.
beavered away at their respective tasks. The day's takings amounted to £477,
One must have pity for Aran Maree, and our spirits were buoyed by this.
who fought a lone crusade to obtain The next day's haul was comparat-
permits from the gardai eventually suc- ively short, 13 miles, but was impor-
ceeded in negotiations this obstacle tant for collecting. Although we let
course. He it was also who managed to one or two innocent passers-by slip
cajole the Mt Vernon High School through our net in Naas, just about
Band from Boston into seeing us off. every shop, car and pedestrian were
As can be imagined, the project in- collected from in Newbridge and Kil-
volves .the writing of a vast quantity of dare. Nobody got away, and when we
letters and all the committee particip- began to ask people for the fourth or
ated in this. As 18 March approached, fifth time, we decided to call it a day.
the pace of the project machinery shif- After the long stretch across the Cur-
ted up a gear. Committee members ragh, it was a tired group that reached
were to be seen rushing about in a dis- Monasterevan to be greated by Mr
tracted manner, and even the odd ab- Byrne. By this stage certain people
sence from class was tolerated! One were beginning to feel the effects of
tale, which is definitely not apocryphal badly blistered feet, but there was no
involves the 'procurement' of a vital moaning in what was a very harmon-
trolley from CIE on St Patrick's Day. ious group.
This is made all the more incredible as Days three and four are a bit hazy in
CIE were only told two hours before the memory, consisting of seemingly
that their trolley was being command- endless round of collecting, pushing,
77
