Page 77 - The Gonzaga Record 1988
P. 77
Tens played the corresponding team from St Gerard's, Bray in an away
match. We were greeted at the St Gerard's School gates by the home side
who offered us every courtesy, insisting on carrying our gear for us to the
pavilion. Batting first, however, they were less obliging, scoring what for
boys of that age was the mammoth total of 130 odd for two. The St
Gerard's umpire, presumably considering that other players should be
given a knock, was said to have been heard to threaten one of his opening
bats, who was scoring slowly and renewing his guard each time he faced
the bowling afresh, that the would 'have his life' if he made 50 - a
warning which was ignored. The St Gerard's captain, a tall dark-haired
boy called Moore, eventually strode out to the wicket to declare the
innings closed. He then showed himself a devastating opening bowler and
Gonzaga were all out for nine runs with 1\tlarcus Hunt the least
unsuccessful bat with one not out, and four byes the top contributor to
the score. Fr Keane was doubtless mortified though he had the generosity
not to let us see it; but in a return match later that season, we were
allowed to avail of the superior skills of Charles Lysaght, Jerry Liston
and Brendan Walsh, and secured an honourable draw. Later, under Fr
Keane's patient coaching, the standard of cricket at Gonzaga improved
considerably.
Fr Joe Veale arrived just as I came up into Senior 1. No doubt there was
a general rise in standard when one went into the Senior School from the
Prep. School but he immediately stood out by comparison with the
teachers of previous years. His classes involved a much greater degree of
critical discussion and appraisal of things. His meticulous and sometimes
scarifying use of the red pen on the weekly essay jolted one out of any
sense of complacency in writing English. He seemed to raise being taught
to a new level, based on a sense of adult responsibility and of the
seriousness of life. Later he was to teach us Religious Knowledge as well.
He rarely sent anyone out to be biffed; his classes were ruled by moral
authority and force of personality. Perhaps in keeping with this, I
thought that in personal relationships he was more reserved than other
masters.
When he founded An C6mhdhail, my class were at first excluded from
the debates. The sense of deprivation whetted our appetites. When we
were eventually admitted, An C6mhdhail opened up a marvellous new
field of school activity. To capture an audience, even briefly, or to come
up with a telling riposte to a heckle, was heady wine. Ross Geoghegan
and Anthony Clare established themselves as the leading debaters in my
class. Heckling, provided it was to the point and not merely disruptive,
was actively encouraged, undoubtedly with a view to the L & H, which,
as school-leaving age approached, Fr Veale urged those of us who wou ld
go to UCD to join. In my Fifth or Sixth Year we went to Clongowes for
a debate on capital punishment. The home team, hearing of An
C6mhdhail's practice of heckling, insisted that speeches must not be
interrupted save by means of a request to the speaker, which he could
75
match. We were greeted at the St Gerard's School gates by the home side
who offered us every courtesy, insisting on carrying our gear for us to the
pavilion. Batting first, however, they were less obliging, scoring what for
boys of that age was the mammoth total of 130 odd for two. The St
Gerard's umpire, presumably considering that other players should be
given a knock, was said to have been heard to threaten one of his opening
bats, who was scoring slowly and renewing his guard each time he faced
the bowling afresh, that the would 'have his life' if he made 50 - a
warning which was ignored. The St Gerard's captain, a tall dark-haired
boy called Moore, eventually strode out to the wicket to declare the
innings closed. He then showed himself a devastating opening bowler and
Gonzaga were all out for nine runs with 1\tlarcus Hunt the least
unsuccessful bat with one not out, and four byes the top contributor to
the score. Fr Keane was doubtless mortified though he had the generosity
not to let us see it; but in a return match later that season, we were
allowed to avail of the superior skills of Charles Lysaght, Jerry Liston
and Brendan Walsh, and secured an honourable draw. Later, under Fr
Keane's patient coaching, the standard of cricket at Gonzaga improved
considerably.
Fr Joe Veale arrived just as I came up into Senior 1. No doubt there was
a general rise in standard when one went into the Senior School from the
Prep. School but he immediately stood out by comparison with the
teachers of previous years. His classes involved a much greater degree of
critical discussion and appraisal of things. His meticulous and sometimes
scarifying use of the red pen on the weekly essay jolted one out of any
sense of complacency in writing English. He seemed to raise being taught
to a new level, based on a sense of adult responsibility and of the
seriousness of life. Later he was to teach us Religious Knowledge as well.
He rarely sent anyone out to be biffed; his classes were ruled by moral
authority and force of personality. Perhaps in keeping with this, I
thought that in personal relationships he was more reserved than other
masters.
When he founded An C6mhdhail, my class were at first excluded from
the debates. The sense of deprivation whetted our appetites. When we
were eventually admitted, An C6mhdhail opened up a marvellous new
field of school activity. To capture an audience, even briefly, or to come
up with a telling riposte to a heckle, was heady wine. Ross Geoghegan
and Anthony Clare established themselves as the leading debaters in my
class. Heckling, provided it was to the point and not merely disruptive,
was actively encouraged, undoubtedly with a view to the L & H, which,
as school-leaving age approached, Fr Veale urged those of us who wou ld
go to UCD to join. In my Fifth or Sixth Year we went to Clongowes for
a debate on capital punishment. The home team, hearing of An
C6mhdhail's practice of heckling, insisted that speeches must not be
interrupted save by means of a request to the speaker, which he could
75
