Page 38 - Gonzaga at 60
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GONZAGA AT SIXTY: A WORK IN PROGRESS
‘ENLARGEMENT OF MIND’
The enrichment of experience even within the orthodox subjects and the dedicaion of
members of staf over the last forty years have seen to the ‘Enlargement of Mind’ at Gonzaga:
4
Padraic O’Sullivan’s tours to Rome and Greece, and his introducion of a Philosophy Society; Ita
MacConville’s years of taking First Years to the Burren; Joe O’Briain’s promoion of Astronomy;
years of exposure to the classical composers in their home countries; trips to the beachheads of
Normandy and other history tours led by Howard Welch; taking students to the producions of
Shakespeare in Straford; years of organisaion of French and German exchange programmes. An
editor of the Gonzaga Record comments on the student reports of these trips:
‘What we ind in each of them is the individual nature of the discovery of these various
places and cultures, and a desire to it this larger view of the world into the context of
school life.’
‘Enlargement of mind’ (Newman’s wonderful phrase, which is simultaneously so Ignaian)
rather than ‘specialisaion’ remains central to the school’s success. It is why it is possible for an
editor to ask a Kevin McLaughlin or a George Dockrell to write either about his career in sport at
naional level, or about his love of music. Gonzaga ofers a most unusual richness and variety, an
opportunity for a very rounded educaion; a student of Lain in 2010 may also be instrumental in
Working together
the introducion of hurling to his class-mates; a member of the Panthers may be a highly- ranked
chess-player.
Although the standard curriculum has not expanded remarkably (‘much less [introduced]
the technical and pracical subjects’: Fr Barber, GR 2006), there are changes of emphasis. Against
the trend, the classical languages have been maintained, and with marked success. The remarks
made annually at Graduaion by deparing Sixth Years about the enrichment they took from
these subjects, and the regret of some at having abandoned them at Junior level, are jusiicaion
enough, were it needed. Since the departure of Fr Keane the maintenance of the classical
tradiion established by himself and John Wilson has been kept alive and lourishing by Padraic
O’Sullivan. Irish has now a reputaion and respect that certain prejudices of the early days made
impossible. One hears of the eforts of An tAthair O’Laoghaire to reintroduce Honours Irish to a
select few. That it now lourishes to a degree is thanks to the brand of vigorous teaching that was
Noel McCarthy, to the love of language shown by David Murray (not to omit his excursions into
the Cúirt an Mheáin Oíche) and to the wonderful comedy of exasperaion mixed with paient
dedicaion that Brian Regan has shown to students of Irish neglecful of grammar.
Maths at the highest level has lourished for almost forty years under Denis Cusack’s
withering confrontaion of student inadequacy; at lower levels under David Keenahan’s paient
explanaion and Kevin Whirdy’s minimalist ‘Don’t try to understand this – just do it!’ There have
been disinguished wins in internaional Maths Olympiads. Science, no longer on the informal
fooing, is developing fast. Tom Slevin’s success in producing results in Chemistry is legendary.
Biology began with John Mulgrew in the ’70s. His lessons, not always grounded irmly in the exam
Noel Barber SJ addressing
the Jubilee Dinner 4. Prospectus: Gonzaga College Dublin
GONZAGA AT SIXTY: A WORK IN PROGRESS
‘ENLARGEMENT OF MIND’
The enrichment of experience even within the orthodox subjects and the dedicaion of
members of staf over the last forty years have seen to the ‘Enlargement of Mind’ at Gonzaga:
4
Padraic O’Sullivan’s tours to Rome and Greece, and his introducion of a Philosophy Society; Ita
MacConville’s years of taking First Years to the Burren; Joe O’Briain’s promoion of Astronomy;
years of exposure to the classical composers in their home countries; trips to the beachheads of
Normandy and other history tours led by Howard Welch; taking students to the producions of
Shakespeare in Straford; years of organisaion of French and German exchange programmes. An
editor of the Gonzaga Record comments on the student reports of these trips:
‘What we ind in each of them is the individual nature of the discovery of these various
places and cultures, and a desire to it this larger view of the world into the context of
school life.’
‘Enlargement of mind’ (Newman’s wonderful phrase, which is simultaneously so Ignaian)
rather than ‘specialisaion’ remains central to the school’s success. It is why it is possible for an
editor to ask a Kevin McLaughlin or a George Dockrell to write either about his career in sport at
naional level, or about his love of music. Gonzaga ofers a most unusual richness and variety, an
opportunity for a very rounded educaion; a student of Lain in 2010 may also be instrumental in
Working together
the introducion of hurling to his class-mates; a member of the Panthers may be a highly- ranked
chess-player.
Although the standard curriculum has not expanded remarkably (‘much less [introduced]
the technical and pracical subjects’: Fr Barber, GR 2006), there are changes of emphasis. Against
the trend, the classical languages have been maintained, and with marked success. The remarks
made annually at Graduaion by deparing Sixth Years about the enrichment they took from
these subjects, and the regret of some at having abandoned them at Junior level, are jusiicaion
enough, were it needed. Since the departure of Fr Keane the maintenance of the classical
tradiion established by himself and John Wilson has been kept alive and lourishing by Padraic
O’Sullivan. Irish has now a reputaion and respect that certain prejudices of the early days made
impossible. One hears of the eforts of An tAthair O’Laoghaire to reintroduce Honours Irish to a
select few. That it now lourishes to a degree is thanks to the brand of vigorous teaching that was
Noel McCarthy, to the love of language shown by David Murray (not to omit his excursions into
the Cúirt an Mheáin Oíche) and to the wonderful comedy of exasperaion mixed with paient
dedicaion that Brian Regan has shown to students of Irish neglecful of grammar.
Maths at the highest level has lourished for almost forty years under Denis Cusack’s
withering confrontaion of student inadequacy; at lower levels under David Keenahan’s paient
explanaion and Kevin Whirdy’s minimalist ‘Don’t try to understand this – just do it!’ There have
been disinguished wins in internaional Maths Olympiads. Science, no longer on the informal
fooing, is developing fast. Tom Slevin’s success in producing results in Chemistry is legendary.
Biology began with John Mulgrew in the ’70s. His lessons, not always grounded irmly in the exam
Noel Barber SJ addressing
the Jubilee Dinner 4. Prospectus: Gonzaga College Dublin
