Page 204 - Gonzaga at 60
P. 204
204
GONZAGA AT SIXTY: A WORK IN PROGRESS
Gareth Pelly The Junior Cup finalists, 1989
I atended Gonzaga College from 1982 – 1992 and some of the fondest memories I have from
that wonderful ime involve represening the College at rugby. Coaching in the Prep School
during my ime was done predominantly by the parents of the boys. This was in the days of pre
Celic Tiger Ireland and obviously the fathers involved had more freedom or a greater inclinaion
to take a half day from the oice then might be the case today. They were enthusiasic mentors
with varying degrees of experise who ensured that we all got a very posiive introducion to the
game and gited many of us a lifelong love of the sport. Joe Boland, Tony Gleeson, Niall Pelly and
Barry Bresnihan, who died in July this year, were the mainstays in this operaion.
Upon entering the Senior School, responsibility for our rugby development was entrusted
to members of staf. Fr Brennan, Mr Joe O’Briain, Mr David Keenahan, Mr Noel McCarthy and
current Headmaster Mr Kevin Whirdy who all played a signiicant role in shaping us as rugby
players. Undoubtedly however, the pinnacle of our playing careers was when, coached by Mr
Bobby Byrne and Mr Jim Walsh, we reached the inal of the 1989 Junior Cup and lost narrowly
to Terenure in a replay. This relaive achievement provoked great excitement amongst the enire
Gonzaga community and remains a very proud memory for me. I suspect it cemented my bond
to the school and was instrumental in my subsequent decision to return there to teach.
While studying for my degree in UCD, I was asked to assist in rugby coaching at the school.
This was a massively educaional and enjoyable experience. The enthusiasm of the pupils was
hugely infecious and you gained an insight into and appreciaion for the work done by the
teacher you were assising. This pracise of inviing recent past pupils to coach in the school
has been expanded in recent years. I believe it is an excellent method of ensuring that you
have commited young coaches with an emoional investment in the success of the team they
are responsible for. Furthermore, it ensures the students know and idenify with their coaches,
having looked up to them when they were in school.
When I returned to the College as a Teacher in 2003, the experience of coaching was very
diferent then what I remembered as a player and a student coach. For one thing, the faciliies
had improved beyond belief. When I let in the early ’90s, we were sill geing changed in the
dilapidated old stables that were posiively Dickensian. The magniicent Sports Hall and suite
of new changing rooms ofered a sharp contrast. The addiion of new changing rooms and a
dedicated weights room in 2009 has coninued this development. However, it was not just the
physical environment that was diferent. The number of pupils had increased signiicantly as
well, meaning that they were many more teams represening the college.
There is no doubt that coaching rugby to boys you also teach has many beneits for both
GONZAGA AT SIXTY: A WORK IN PROGRESS
Gareth Pelly The Junior Cup finalists, 1989
I atended Gonzaga College from 1982 – 1992 and some of the fondest memories I have from
that wonderful ime involve represening the College at rugby. Coaching in the Prep School
during my ime was done predominantly by the parents of the boys. This was in the days of pre
Celic Tiger Ireland and obviously the fathers involved had more freedom or a greater inclinaion
to take a half day from the oice then might be the case today. They were enthusiasic mentors
with varying degrees of experise who ensured that we all got a very posiive introducion to the
game and gited many of us a lifelong love of the sport. Joe Boland, Tony Gleeson, Niall Pelly and
Barry Bresnihan, who died in July this year, were the mainstays in this operaion.
Upon entering the Senior School, responsibility for our rugby development was entrusted
to members of staf. Fr Brennan, Mr Joe O’Briain, Mr David Keenahan, Mr Noel McCarthy and
current Headmaster Mr Kevin Whirdy who all played a signiicant role in shaping us as rugby
players. Undoubtedly however, the pinnacle of our playing careers was when, coached by Mr
Bobby Byrne and Mr Jim Walsh, we reached the inal of the 1989 Junior Cup and lost narrowly
to Terenure in a replay. This relaive achievement provoked great excitement amongst the enire
Gonzaga community and remains a very proud memory for me. I suspect it cemented my bond
to the school and was instrumental in my subsequent decision to return there to teach.
While studying for my degree in UCD, I was asked to assist in rugby coaching at the school.
This was a massively educaional and enjoyable experience. The enthusiasm of the pupils was
hugely infecious and you gained an insight into and appreciaion for the work done by the
teacher you were assising. This pracise of inviing recent past pupils to coach in the school
has been expanded in recent years. I believe it is an excellent method of ensuring that you
have commited young coaches with an emoional investment in the success of the team they
are responsible for. Furthermore, it ensures the students know and idenify with their coaches,
having looked up to them when they were in school.
When I returned to the College as a Teacher in 2003, the experience of coaching was very
diferent then what I remembered as a player and a student coach. For one thing, the faciliies
had improved beyond belief. When I let in the early ’90s, we were sill geing changed in the
dilapidated old stables that were posiively Dickensian. The magniicent Sports Hall and suite
of new changing rooms ofered a sharp contrast. The addiion of new changing rooms and a
dedicated weights room in 2009 has coninued this development. However, it was not just the
physical environment that was diferent. The number of pupils had increased signiicantly as
well, meaning that they were many more teams represening the college.
There is no doubt that coaching rugby to boys you also teach has many beneits for both
