The class of 1962 to 1967

I started attending the Latin School in 1962 and there were 42 beginners. Not all of them started the first day and not all of them finished the year. The following were the 42.

First Years of 1962-1963

John Murray                             Pat Corrigan

Fintan Daly                               Gene Dowling

Gerry Masterson                      Martin McGurk

Brian McGlade                        Thomas Croghan

Peter Lee                                 Brendan Grimes

Mark Reilly                              Noel McGlade

Michael Cully                           Ciaran O’Rourke

John Lee                                  Liam McNamee

Éamon Maguire                        John F McManus

Michael Kiernan                        Pat Lennon

John A Shields                          Michael McAdden

Donal Brady                             Vincent Tierney

P J Harton                                Patsy Foy

Gerry Lyons                             Michael Morris

Oliver McNamee                    Pat Redahan

Pat Mulligan                             Seán Lynch

J J Masterson                           Gerry Reilly

Benny Cumiskey                     John F Murtagh

Leo Reynolds                           Pat Lennon

Tom Grey                                 Dessie Hughes

Dan Halton                               Seán Sullivan

Of the 42 above, my notes from the time say that Halton and Hughes only came two days. Dessie Hughes was from Coalisland, Co Tyrone and won a Minor Championship medal playing midfield with Colmcille in 1963. I cannot understand how a lad that young could be midfield on a minor team in 1963, but maybe he was older than the rest of us.

Grey stayed only a month. Gerry Reilly finished at Christmas. Reynolds and Mulligan finished before the summer exams. The following had been in first year the year before: F Daly, P Lee, Shields, Brady, Tierney, Mulligan, Lynch, G Reilly and Gray. Mark Reilly started the Christmas before.

The five teachers in First year were

            Fr James Faughnan (Principle) – Maths and History

            Fr Phil McGee – English – and Geography

            Fr James Bland – Irish

            Fr Dan Kelly- Greek and Christian Doctrine

            Sean O’Reilly- Latin (sometimes Geography)

The first four teachers mentioned above are all now deceased

The only pupil above that I know to be deceased is Patsy Foy from Miltron, Aughavas. However there are many of them that I do not have any information on now.

Second Years of 1963 – 1964

There were 21 pupils in second year, just half of the number that had started in 1962. The following remained in First year: Murray, Corrigan, Daly, McGurk, B McGlade, Croghan, Cully, McManus, McAdden, Harton, Morris, O McNamee and J J Masterson. Michael McCabe joined us having been in second year the previous year

The second year class was as follows:

Gene Dowling                           Sean Sullivan

Pat Lennon                               Michael Kiernan

Pat Redahan                             Mark Reilly

Peter Lee                                 Noel McGlade

Brendan Grimes                       John Lee

Patsy Foy                                 Michael McCabe

John F Murtagh                        Liam McNamee

Ciaran O’Rourke                     Benny Cumiskey

Sean Lynch                              Donal Brady

Gerry Masterson                     Éamon Maguire

Gerry Lyons

Noel McGlade only stayed a month in Second year. Sean Lynch finished after Christmas. There was therefore 19 at the end of the school year.

The same five teachers operated during 1963-1964

Third Years of 1964 –1965

Brendan Grimes and Mark Reilly did not return at the start of the school year. John Dermody came from the Convent in Granard at the beginning of September. There was therefore 18 in third year as follows:

Gene Dowling                           Sean Sullivan

Pat Lennon                               Michael Kiernan

Pat Redahan                             John Dermody

Peter Lee                                 Donal Brady

John Lee                                  Gerry Lyons

Patsy Foy                                 Michael McCabe

John F Murtagh                        Liam McNamee

Ciaran O’Rourke                     Benny Cumiskey                                

Gerry Masterson                     Éamon Maguire

Patsy Foy left before Christmas

The same five teachers operated during 1964-1965

Fourth Years of 1965 –1966

Apart from Patsy Foy, the same group were in fourth year as in third year. There was therefore 17 in fourth year

Gene Dowling                           Sean Sullivan

Pat Lennon                               Michael Kiernan

Pat Redahan                             John Dermody

Peter Lee                                 Donal Brady

John Lee                                  Gerry Lyons

Éamon Maguire                        Michael McCabe

John F Murtagh                        Liam McNamee

Ciaran O’Rourke                     Benny Cumiskey                                

Gerry Masterson       

For fourth year there was one new teacher. Fr Bland left to teach in St Mel’s at the start of the 1965-1966 year and he was replaced by Hugh McDonald from Nenagh, Co Tipperary.             Bhí sé ag muineadh Gaeilge.

Fifth years of 1966 – 1967

Pat Redahan went to Good Counsel, New Ross, Co Wexford at the beginning of school year. That left 16 in the class.

Gene Dowling                           Sean Sullivan

Pat Lennon                               Michael Kiernan

Gerry Masterson                      John Dermody

Peter Lee                                 Donal Brady

John Lee                                  Gerry Lyons

Éamon Maguire                        Michael McCabe

John F Murtagh                        Liam McNamee

Ciaran O’Rourke                     Benny Cumiskey

Hugh McDonald, teacher, left and he was replaced by Frank Heslin a native of Scramogue, Co Roscommon