Remarks At The 125th Anniversary Of Christian Brothers College
Sidney Hill, Cork, 15th November 2013
It is my pleasure to be in Cork this morning to join you in celebrating the 125th anniversary of Christian Brothers College. May I thank Principal Dr. Laurence Jordan for his kind invitation to attend today’s celebration and all of you for the great welcome you have given me.
Tá ról tabhachtach glactha ag an Cholaiste seo, “Christians” mar a thugtar air i gCorcaigh, i saol an phobail ó bunaíodh é breis is céad bliain ó shin. Mar is eól don uile duine anseo inniu, is é oideachas ar ardchaighdeán an bealach is fearr chun saol bríoch de chinnireacht agus de sheirbhís a bhaint amach. Ní féidir meas faoina luach a thabhairt ar an fhreagracht atá ar institiúidí oideachais cosúil leis an ceann seo i múnlú scileanna foghlama agus scileanna carachtair a thabhairfidh ár n-óige leo chuig a n-aosacht.
[This College, or “Christians,” as it is known around Cork, has played a highly important role in the life of the community since its foundation over a century ago. As all of you gathered here know very well, high quality education is the best path to meaningful lives of leadership and service. One cannot underestimate the responsibility held by educational institutions such this one in shaping the learning skills but also the skills of character which our young people will carry into adulthood.]
A first incarnation of this College was set up in the 1850s, by the Vincentian order. In 1888, when the Christian Brothers took over its management at the invitation of the Bishop of Cork, Most Rev. Dr. O’Callaghan, Catholic education was still suffering from the results of two centuries of penal enactment. Those days are long gone and, one hundred and twenty five years later, as it continues to operate under the Edmund Rice Schools Trust, the challenges faced by CBC are of a different nature.
What has not changed, from the time of the first Brother, Br. Dominick Burke, down to the days of Brother Laurence Reynolds and those of the College’s first lay Principal, Dr. Laurence Jordan, is the commitment of CBC’s educational staff to the promotion of Christian values and the emphasis on both academic and moral formation.
The role of Christian Brothers College in ensuring that its students become well-rounded persons is all the more crucial as it welcomes boys from four up to nineteen years of age. Such combination of primary and secondary level education is a rare feature in the Irish schooling landscape.
The beautiful grounds in which we stand this morning remind us of the College’s development and transformation over the years. Indeed in 1988, on its centenary year, CBC moved from its original site in St. Patrick’s Place, located just a short walk from here.
Thanks to the professionalism of its management, and the help of the community and past pupils, various new facilities have been added to the College campus, such as computer rooms, a science department and art studios. These facilities ensure a good foundation for an education which meets the requirements of our contemporary world.
I would like to avail of this occasion to acknowledge the great people this institution has nurtured, young men who went on to make a contribution to various sectors in Irish society. Those with an interest in politics will remember Peter Barry, who was a colleague of mine in Parliament, and whose grand-son, Michael Clune, is with us today. CBC has also given Ireland such eminent rugby players as Donal Lenihan and Noel Murphy. And of course many of the CBC students went on to pursue brilliant academic careers, such as Edward Walsh, founding President of the University of Limerick and Gerry Wrixon, former President of University College Cork.
My conviction is that the best possible education is based on a holistic approach which takes into account not only the academic but also the spiritual, personal and physical needs of young people. Education should encourage the study of the world around us, promote the search for meaning in all things, while respecting the infinite variety of students’ interests, personalities and particular circumstances. One of the core responsibilities of our schools is to produce intellectual curiosity, rather than marketability or a narrow orientation towards a specific career.
Of course education in Christian schools is also characterised by a set specific purposes and values, central to which is the commitment to a spirituality and demanding faith premised on solidarity and justice. These schools are places where students can be encouraged to grow an awareness of the needs of others, and a readiness to place their talents and skills at the service of others. There is much value in such an educational mission, devoted to the nurturing of well-rounded young people of competence, conscience and compassion, who will be of service in the world and have the generosity to make a contribution to society.
But there is another, more specific dimension to CBC’s educational mission, which has to do with “Christians’” intricate links with Cork and its region. As I unveiled the sculpture which was commissioned to mark the College’s historical, spiritual and academic significance, my eyes were drawn to St. Finnbarr’s Cathedral, and the phrase “Ionad Bairre Sgoil na Mumhan” came to my mind. “Where Finbarr taught let Munster learn” is indeed a fitting motto for CBC’s students to keep in mind, with they having clear sight of St. Finbarr’s Cathedral from these grounds.
Running a College such as this one cannot take place without the full-hearted dedication of the entire educational community, and I would like to congratulate all the members of both the teaching and ancillary staff for their commitment to the education and welfare of the boys who attend CBC. This concerns not only work in the classroom but also the time and efforts generously allocated to extra-curricular activities.
May I also commend the voluntary work undertaken by the Parents’ Council and the members of the Board of Management, who come from various walks of life and are so well able to act in concert for the students’ best interest.
It is especially crucial for young people to be given an opportunity to develop a sense of civic responsibility during the formative years of adolescence. The college provides ample possibilities in this regard. I am pleased to note that the school has supported the establishment of a Students’ Council, which empowers students to affirm their participation in the collective life of the school. The students are also to be commended on the publication of the college newsletter, a publication of high standard indeed.
CBC also encouraged students to participate in mid-term educational tour programmes to many destinations across the globe. I was particularly impressed to hear of the intrepidity of the twelve students who recently climbed the Kilimanjaro Mountain. In doing so, they raised €12,000 which were donated to the Chernobyl Children’s Project and Our Lady’s Hospital. May I commend these twelve students on both their courage and their generous spirit of service to others.
Such ability to combine reflection and action is the best that we can hope for our young people. Indeed while it is important to foster critical thinking in students, to cultivate their capacity to reflect deeply on what they have learned, it is as essential – I believe – to encourage them to move beyond knowledge to action. Active citizenship is not just words. It is about taking charge of positive change.
I have no doubt that CBC is equipped with the necessary vision, human resources, intelligence, and open-mindedness to successfully answer the important question of knowing how to adapt to the new challenges of contemporary life while maintaining its identity and values. Christian Brothers College is well able to embrace change in appropriate ways, ensuring that the education it provides meets the ethical needs of modern day learners, and facilitates the development young people who themselves will be capable of excelling and contributing meaningfully to society.
Tá súil agam go mbaineann sibh taitneamh as an comóradh 125 bliain agus guím gach rath ar bhur obair luachmhar sna blianta amach romhainn.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.
[I hope you all enjoy the 125th anniversary celebrations and I wish you well in your valuable work for many years ahead.
Thank you.]