Page 39 - Gonzaga at 60
P. 39
syllabus, brought insight, erudiion and humour into the classroom, and an
uncommonly advanced understanding of the interdependence of ecological
systems, which capivated students while not necessarily increasing their
points. Eamon Ryan and Ciaran Cufe, two of the present Green Party
members of government, have acknowledged most emphaically John’s
inluence on the formaion of their personal philosophy. Biology has
developed in the steady hands of Marina Crawford and others. The awards
won in numerous Young Scienist compeiions and Science Olympiads are
testament to growth in this area.
French remains the core modern language, while German has had a
chequered existence as students discover the equal demand for study in a
subject they may have chosen on a whim. The record shows the decades
of work by the language departments, and in paricular Anne Nevin, in
arranging exchanges, cultural visits and interschool debaing.
Economics has also become a mainstream subject, taught irst by Joan
Whelan, and now by Oliver O’Brien. The subject has a high standing in the
College as a result of their teaching
Fr Veale’s beloved Rhetoric (it receives longer treatment elsewhere) has both been taught Cian Hughes demonstrates
by Laurence Dufy, and praciced with huge success since his arrival. A tradiion kept alive by Fr programmable wheelchair
at the YOUNG SCIENTIST
Alan Mowbray, and Denis Cusack, it spread to junior years irst through Fr Brennan’s Forum, and 2002
has been fostered since by Rosemary O’Brien and Caroline Staunton.
Siing in the Naional Concert Hall, or at a less formal musical venue, or in one of Dublin’s
theatres, faces in the orchestra, the band, or on stage, or the portraits of Irish writers hanging in the
foyer, remind one how Gonzaga (notably in the persons of Gerry Murphy and Darragh O’Connell)
has encouraged its students to conidently pursue a life in the arts, rather than the more secure
professions. This is due enirely to the aestheic subjects inding their righful place in the formal
curriculum. They are dealt with at length elsewhere. A certain Jesuit once railed biterly against the
philisinely narrow emphasis on sport in (even) Jesuit colleges: looking at Gonzaga, he may rest well.
SERVICE
In a homily delivered as Headmaster on the occasion of the opening of the new Science
Block in 1982 – a homily, he says ‘which oten returns to haunt me’ – Fr Noel Barber quotes what
he calls ‘an uncommonly relecive speech [by] a member of the Dáil’. The speaker pointed out
that ‘in our post aluent society there is an estrangement between those who have the ability,
the iniiaive and opportunity to gain material wealth and those who lack [them]’. Fr Barber
comments:
‘There follows, on the one hand, an incapacity to understand the process or even the
need to create wealth, and on the other, an insensiivity to the plight of those who have
not been blessed by material success. There has resulted from this a divided society which
uncommonly advanced understanding of the interdependence of ecological
systems, which capivated students while not necessarily increasing their
points. Eamon Ryan and Ciaran Cufe, two of the present Green Party
members of government, have acknowledged most emphaically John’s
inluence on the formaion of their personal philosophy. Biology has
developed in the steady hands of Marina Crawford and others. The awards
won in numerous Young Scienist compeiions and Science Olympiads are
testament to growth in this area.
French remains the core modern language, while German has had a
chequered existence as students discover the equal demand for study in a
subject they may have chosen on a whim. The record shows the decades
of work by the language departments, and in paricular Anne Nevin, in
arranging exchanges, cultural visits and interschool debaing.
Economics has also become a mainstream subject, taught irst by Joan
Whelan, and now by Oliver O’Brien. The subject has a high standing in the
College as a result of their teaching
Fr Veale’s beloved Rhetoric (it receives longer treatment elsewhere) has both been taught Cian Hughes demonstrates
by Laurence Dufy, and praciced with huge success since his arrival. A tradiion kept alive by Fr programmable wheelchair
at the YOUNG SCIENTIST
Alan Mowbray, and Denis Cusack, it spread to junior years irst through Fr Brennan’s Forum, and 2002
has been fostered since by Rosemary O’Brien and Caroline Staunton.
Siing in the Naional Concert Hall, or at a less formal musical venue, or in one of Dublin’s
theatres, faces in the orchestra, the band, or on stage, or the portraits of Irish writers hanging in the
foyer, remind one how Gonzaga (notably in the persons of Gerry Murphy and Darragh O’Connell)
has encouraged its students to conidently pursue a life in the arts, rather than the more secure
professions. This is due enirely to the aestheic subjects inding their righful place in the formal
curriculum. They are dealt with at length elsewhere. A certain Jesuit once railed biterly against the
philisinely narrow emphasis on sport in (even) Jesuit colleges: looking at Gonzaga, he may rest well.
SERVICE
In a homily delivered as Headmaster on the occasion of the opening of the new Science
Block in 1982 – a homily, he says ‘which oten returns to haunt me’ – Fr Noel Barber quotes what
he calls ‘an uncommonly relecive speech [by] a member of the Dáil’. The speaker pointed out
that ‘in our post aluent society there is an estrangement between those who have the ability,
the iniiaive and opportunity to gain material wealth and those who lack [them]’. Fr Barber
comments:
‘There follows, on the one hand, an incapacity to understand the process or even the
need to create wealth, and on the other, an insensiivity to the plight of those who have
not been blessed by material success. There has resulted from this a divided society which
