Page 65 - The Gonzaga Record 1990
P. 65
difficulty of life in Dublin, the problems arranged a sponsored tea-drink which
of raising a family and of being was unbelievably successful. It soon
unemployed. became clear that people would give
All the participants from Gonzaga money no matter what we did but the
found their plunge beneficial and more conventional of the class raised
enjoyable and ome took part in the thousands of pounds on sponsorship
Rever e Plunge which started last year cards.
and took place this Easter. And so it came to pass that on 2 April
I was glad to ee that the 5th Year
1990, (after thinking of that day since
project recognised the value of the Plunge Prep. 1) , we too stood on the tarmac of
thi year with badly needed financial
support. On behalf of all the plungers of Gonzaga with our tortoise and our Pink
Elephant as our celebrities pulled up. The
1989 I would like to thank Martin Lord Mayor of Dublin, Sean Haughey,
Brennan and all the others involved in
organising the Plunge for a great made an excellent speech (despite the
experience. doubts of the more politically minded of
us about a Fianna Fail person actually
Stephen Kearns (Senior 6A) coming near the school) before pushing
off 'Clarebell' on her 6-day trip around
Dublin. Peter Sutherland, who seemed to
know absolutely everybody present or
THE FIFTH YEAR pretended to (maybe he should become
PROJECT 1990 a diplomat) stopped chatting briefly to set
'Frederick' on his way. Maxi was in a
Another year, another Fifth Year and yet rush to get to a rehearsal but her
another strange little creature on rubber attendance was nevertheless appreciated.
wheels leaves the veranda to begin a 120 At the end of the school drive it was
mile journey to Limerick. It was under time for the parting of the pushers and
the headmastership of Fr Murray that the looking over our shoulders we watched
project first began; it has continued, the slender curves of Clarebell 's lean
through the headmasterships of Fr torso waddling into the adventurous
Barber, Fr Brennan (Fr Fifth Year territory of Dublin city.
Project!), and now Fr Sexton. It was with Our first few miles progress was
this strong sense of 'if they've done it so excited and affluent. Four miles later I
can we' that the new committee made its watched worried faces slumping towards
first steps forward in early October. Our the ground. It was after someone had
first task was to find out what exactly we explained that we had not in fact gone 10
should be doing (this incidentally is like miles that the full extent of our
trying to find the meaning of life) and undertaking sunk in. A heavy silence
then to try to do it. This we did and 1 ,000 hung over us as we tramped, does
letters, hours of phonecalls and days of marching, towards Naas. Suddenly after
meetings later, permits, radio coverage, much rain and a sausage sandwich and
company sponsorship and accommoda- coffee in a truckers' 'cafe' (thi s prefab
tion had been arranged. with cooker has not yet been vi sited by
Soon the whole year was working Helen Lucy Burke), we arrived in
easily. Marc Butterly and Stephen Daly Kerdiffstown House. Warm showers, a
built a small, squashy tortoise called hot dinner and BEDS greeted us. We
'Frederick' while Eoin Tierney and took off our boots expecting not to have
David Boland did major hip replacements any feet. We were all very di sappointed
on the now ageing, and renamed due to to find our feet sitting there in perfect
a typing error 'Clarebell', the world condition. This Fifth Year Project lark
famous Pink Elephant. The formidable was a doddle. Bed early after a really
team of Mr O'Higgins and Mr Powell good night.
63
of raising a family and of being was unbelievably successful. It soon
unemployed. became clear that people would give
All the participants from Gonzaga money no matter what we did but the
found their plunge beneficial and more conventional of the class raised
enjoyable and ome took part in the thousands of pounds on sponsorship
Rever e Plunge which started last year cards.
and took place this Easter. And so it came to pass that on 2 April
I was glad to ee that the 5th Year
1990, (after thinking of that day since
project recognised the value of the Plunge Prep. 1) , we too stood on the tarmac of
thi year with badly needed financial
support. On behalf of all the plungers of Gonzaga with our tortoise and our Pink
Elephant as our celebrities pulled up. The
1989 I would like to thank Martin Lord Mayor of Dublin, Sean Haughey,
Brennan and all the others involved in
organising the Plunge for a great made an excellent speech (despite the
experience. doubts of the more politically minded of
us about a Fianna Fail person actually
Stephen Kearns (Senior 6A) coming near the school) before pushing
off 'Clarebell' on her 6-day trip around
Dublin. Peter Sutherland, who seemed to
know absolutely everybody present or
THE FIFTH YEAR pretended to (maybe he should become
PROJECT 1990 a diplomat) stopped chatting briefly to set
'Frederick' on his way. Maxi was in a
Another year, another Fifth Year and yet rush to get to a rehearsal but her
another strange little creature on rubber attendance was nevertheless appreciated.
wheels leaves the veranda to begin a 120 At the end of the school drive it was
mile journey to Limerick. It was under time for the parting of the pushers and
the headmastership of Fr Murray that the looking over our shoulders we watched
project first began; it has continued, the slender curves of Clarebell 's lean
through the headmasterships of Fr torso waddling into the adventurous
Barber, Fr Brennan (Fr Fifth Year territory of Dublin city.
Project!), and now Fr Sexton. It was with Our first few miles progress was
this strong sense of 'if they've done it so excited and affluent. Four miles later I
can we' that the new committee made its watched worried faces slumping towards
first steps forward in early October. Our the ground. It was after someone had
first task was to find out what exactly we explained that we had not in fact gone 10
should be doing (this incidentally is like miles that the full extent of our
trying to find the meaning of life) and undertaking sunk in. A heavy silence
then to try to do it. This we did and 1 ,000 hung over us as we tramped, does
letters, hours of phonecalls and days of marching, towards Naas. Suddenly after
meetings later, permits, radio coverage, much rain and a sausage sandwich and
company sponsorship and accommoda- coffee in a truckers' 'cafe' (thi s prefab
tion had been arranged. with cooker has not yet been vi sited by
Soon the whole year was working Helen Lucy Burke), we arrived in
easily. Marc Butterly and Stephen Daly Kerdiffstown House. Warm showers, a
built a small, squashy tortoise called hot dinner and BEDS greeted us. We
'Frederick' while Eoin Tierney and took off our boots expecting not to have
David Boland did major hip replacements any feet. We were all very di sappointed
on the now ageing, and renamed due to to find our feet sitting there in perfect
a typing error 'Clarebell', the world condition. This Fifth Year Project lark
famous Pink Elephant. The formidable was a doddle. Bed early after a really
team of Mr O'Higgins and Mr Powell good night.
63
