John O Neill RIP

 Uncategorized  7 Responses »
Jul 262016
 

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Sad to announce that John O Neill passed away this morning. He had been diagnosed with lung cancer, the day of our last reunion in November 2015. I did not know John very well in Gormanston, we became friends after the first reunion in 2007. He knew how computers worked, which is what he did for the Bank of Ireland and helped Pat Keenan and I organise the reunions.

We used meet in Dublin when I was home both of us being partial to a Cuban Cigar. We were so different, yet I enjoyed his company so much, and then sharing similar journeys with terminal cancer. A practicing catholic he did not believe I would end up in hell as most of my friends predict. In fact his biggest concern on being told his cancer was terminal was that he would have to listen to me all the time in Heaven, he was relieved when the doctors, gave up looking for my cancer a few moths ago. John’s cancer was progressing, he texted me; ” Looking on the bright side, at least I will be able to Rest in Peace, they wont be taking you for a long time, now Bowie got there first”.

Will miss you John. I have sent my condolences to his wife Harriette and Children Ian and Anna

Richie Lanigan

 

Get Together for class of 1974; November 7th in Dublin

 Uncategorized  20 Responses »
Sep 032015
 

x indicates people who have been contacted by e-mail, # means they are coming. If you are in contact with any of the lads from our year will you check they know.

19.00 meet in the bar at Wynns Hotel www.wynnshotel.ie  Dublin to eat at 19.30

4 course menu choice of: Soup, Melon, Goats cheese salad for starter. Roast rib of beef, Supreme of chicken,  Poached salmon or Tortellini and choice of 3 desserts. Cost £30 per head. Pay on the night.

 

There is a 10% “early bird” discount  on accommodation rates if booked now they are keeping rooms for us until November 1st

 

Barrett, Sylvester (Clare)

Browne, Declan (Roscommon)

Carey, John (Tipperary) x

Carrol Frankie (Kildare) x

Claffey, Michael (Westmeath) x

Clarke, Raymond (Dublin) x#

Clear, Richard (Dublin) x

Coughlan, Donal (Dublin) x#

Costello, Francis (Dublin) x#

Costelloe, John (Kilkenny) x#

Coughlan, Anthony (Cork) x

Crossan, Conal (Mayo) x #

Cullen, Michael (Wexford)x

Delahunty, Peter (Dublin) x

Doody, Brian (Laois) x #

Doran, John (Dublin) x

Dwyer, Victor (Louth)

Fahy, Brendan (Louth)

Fenn, Timothy (Cork) x

Fitzsimons, Ross (Dublin) x

Fitzmaurice, John (Galway) x

Folan Ciaran x#

Flynn, Patrick (Cavan) x#

Gallagher, Liam (Cavan) x #

Gallagher John (Mayo) X

Greene, Gerard (Dublin) x

Grimes Eoin (Meath) x

Harkin, Kieran (Carlow) x

Herbert, Ciarán (Dublin) x

Hickey, Eamonn (Dublin)x

Horan, Donal (Kerry) x

Howard Connor x

Hoey James (Dublin) x#

Kehoe, Michael (Tipperary) x

Kelleher, Joseph (Kerry) x#

Keena Pat (Carlow) x#

Kierans, Mark (Louth) x

Kirwan, Gearóid (Galway) x

Lanigan, Richard (London) x#

Mangan, John (Galway) x #

Meyler John (Wexford) x

Moran, Ogie (Kerry) x

Moran, Gerard (Tipperary) x

Mulligan, Brian (Louth) x

Mulvin, Patrick (Offaly) x

Murray, Andrew (Dublin) x

McAndrew, James (Mayo) x

McCutcheon, Christopher (Cavan) x

McGahern, Dermot (Longford) x

McGann, Art (Dublin) x #

McGettigan, Paul (Donegal) x

McGovern, Barry (Dublin)

McMullin, Michael (Donegal) x

McNamara, Kevin (Clare)

Newcomer, Kevin (Dublin) x#

Nolan, Thomas (Donegal)

O’Brien, Laurence (Meath) x#

O’Callaghan, Enda (Donegal)

O’Connell, Donal (Kerry) x

O’Connor, John (Leitrim) x

O’Donoghue, John (Mayo) x 

O Donoghue Martin (Dublin) x

O’Dwyer, Peter (Dublin) x

O’Farrell, Brian (Dublin) x#

O’Meara, Paul (Clare) x

O Murchadha Ruairi x #

O’Neill, John (Louth) x#

O Reily Brendan Louth) x

O’Sullivan, Pádraig (Kerry)

O Shea Dan (Meath) x

Rackard Bobby ( Wexford) x#

Reynolds, Christopher (Meath) x

Ronayne Colm (Dublin) x

Scallan, Gerard (Mayo)

Scanlan, Evan (Cavan) x

Jimmy Scanlon x

Shannon, Gerard (Leitrim) x

Sheehan, Niall (Dublin)x

Tunney, Cathal (Donegal) x

Veale Peter (Cavan) x

Vaughan, Thomas (Galway)

Warren, John (Cork) x#

Whyte, John B. (Meath)x

Wickham, Joseph (Dublin)

Woods, Kevin (Louth) x

Walsh, Aidan  x

Young Tom (Cavan) x#

 

Noel McGahern 1956 – 2013

 In Memoriam  4 Responses »
Mar 272013
 

Gormo Class CNoel had Moved to Australia a number of years ago, was living in noelPerth with his family and working with prisoners with mental health problems. Below is how Noel described himself on Facebook and having talked to him a few times during the last 12 months, I would say its fair to say neither of us had changed much over the last 38 years, we spent over an hour on Skype last February talking about the old days.

Noels description of himself on Face Book;

Definitely an acquired taste. Could a played for Leeds Utd in the 70s but concentrated on Table Tennis as foresaw Chinas rise & felt TT more beneficial for work in China.Untitled-7
Got on plane in Heathrow 1983. Dude in pub said ticket was for Bejing but was for Bombay.Worked passage to Perth & continued my missionary work which impacted greatly on my TT career.Focused on swimming which was necessary for survival.Trialled for Ireland Olympic team for LA but was knocked out by Monica Smith.
Focused on golf & took same pills & played off same handicap as as Kim Jung IL

He did not spend a great deal of time on Face Book but some of his comments could of been made 40 years ago, in August he commented about the Kilkenny hurlers ;”Why are Kilkenny so greedy. Its time they moved aside and let Longford win the hurling .Last time I was home Longford Slashers had a really good u14 team they were hoping would go on to great things. Are Kilkenny subject to regular drug testing? The last banter John O Neill and I had with him on Facebook was in late September, when I posted this picture on his Facebook profile His response was ”  Yep still barred from Mullingar! Still was worth it as life was never dull with Richie around. Highlight of Gormo trip to Rome was definitely the passion of the Communist Rally. he had earlier described Mulingar which happened in second year. I think after the Leinister Final as “our crime spree in Mullingar”. He said “I was an innocent culchie being led by cockney with no fear of the local papers. They were fun & innocent times”.

After second year Noel did not have anybody leading him anywhere. We had  some great times having fun in Gormanston, Rome, Carrick on Suir, and London in the summer of 73 and I will talk about my personal recollections of Noel. click “responses” on top right hand corner of page.

Condolences can be expressed to family  at Noel McGahern Guest Book

Chelsea V Leeds Cup Final and 1970 World Cup

 1969 / 70  1 Response »
Apr 112012
 

I was aware of the 1966 world cup because it was in England but paid litlle attention to the games. The opening game was very boring but 1970 was different, we were collecting coins of the players when you got petrol. I had been going to occasional Arsenal games for a few years, however it was the Leeds  Chelsea cup final that go me and many others really excited about soccer. Then we went home for the summer holidays and if you had been in any doubt the world cup and Brazil convinced everybody to have a team and many collected the stickers of players.

Beatles Break up

 1969 / 70  2 Responses »
Apr 112012
 

April 1970 Paul MaCartney announces Beatles break up Hendrix dies Janis Joplin, Jagger gets done for pot and Isle of  White Festiva l and Rory Galagher and Taste began to form music preferences

Friends and fights

 1969 / 70, 1970 / 71, 1971 / 72  No Responses »
Apr 112012
 

Every week I think I was in a fight, I had a temper in the

early years, remember even going for Blacksod, which I was always going to come out second best. He held me upside down and banged my head on the floor, Martin Harvey who I knew from Ring came to my rescue.  Everyone would form a circle and if there was not enough action push you together

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March 4th 1970 The preps hunger strike

 1969 / 70  No Responses »
Apr 102012
 

First time in my life I saw the effects of organised activism and its stayed with me all my life. John Lennon returned his OBE and his “Bedin” Mai li  Ali. Anti apartheid protest against rugby in January. Troubles in Ireland, Ministers accused of arms smuggling.

Sunday Night Films October 9th Ghengis Kahn

 1969 / 70  No Responses »
Apr 102012
 

Sunday night Films. Still remember the excitement generated when Ghengis Khan entered the baths and all the naked women with bits of railing covering the interesting bits. The Diary says it was October 9th. When did they stop the films, I always know when I saw a fil in the hall. Von Ryans Express, The Rise of the Phoenix

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