Past Pupils Union

Relaunch of Past Pupils Union.

It is hoped to reactivate the College's Past Pupils Union. We need your help. Any interested past students are asked to contact the Principal by email, post or phone. It is hoped to have a meeting soon to restart the PPU. Details will appear on the website.

Archbishop Sean Brady was made a cardinal by Pope Benedict on 24th of November 2007. Twenty four 24 new Cardinals, which include Archbishop Brady received the red skull cap and beretta from Pope Benedict XVI in a ceremony at St Peter's Basilica in Rome which was attended by a large circle of friends from the Cavan regions and further afield.
He now joins Irish Cardinals Cathal Daly and Desmond Connell.

On hearing about his appointment, Archbishop Brady said,
"I am deeply honoured and humbled by Pope Benedict's announcement that I am to be made a Cardinal. Today's news is a mark of the affection and esteem of the Holy Father for the whole Church in Ireland".

"This small country is to have three cardinals for the first time in its history. I ask people for their prayers as I undertake my new responsibilities within the universal Church."

Most Rev. Dr. Sean Brady was installed as Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All-Ireland on Sunday, November 3rd, 1996.

Archbishop Brady is better known to us in St. Patrick's College as "Father Sean". A native of Laragh, he was a student here in the college for five years before starting his studies for the priesthood in Maynooth. Having studied in Maynooth and Rome, he was ordained to the priesthood on February 22, 1964. He continued to study Canon Law in Rome before he was appointed to the staff of St. Patrick's College in 1967. He spent 13 years in the college, teaching a variety of subjects including Latin, Commerce, Religion and French. A keen follower of Gaelic Football, he trained college teams at all age levels.

In 1980 he was appointed Vice-rector of the Irish College in Rome and Rector in 1987. In 1990, when Jack Charlton and the Irish Soccer team visited Rome, it was Fr. Sean that introduced them to the Pope. As a result, four years later, when he was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh, the Daily Mirror ran the following headline:"Football-crazy priest fixed it for Big Jack to meet the Pope". In 1993 he returned to Ireland and was appointed parish priest of Ballyhaise, Co. Cavan. In December 1994 he was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh, and was ordained in February, 1995. With the retirement of Cardinal Daly, Archbishop Brady succeeded him as Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All-Ireland. He became the 115th successor to the See of St Patrick.

Most Rev Dr Leo O'Reilly

 Leo O'Reilly was ordained Coadjutor Bishop of Kilmore on Sunday 2 Feb 1997.

He is a past student of the college as well as a former member of the college staff from 1969 to 1976.

Born near Cootehill in 1944, he attended St Patrick's College before going to Maynooth. He was ordained on 15 June 1969 and was appointed to the staff of St Patrick's College.   In 1976 he went to Rome to study Biblical Theology and was appointed Director of Studies in the Irish College, Rome, in 1977.

In 1981 he returned to Ireland and was appointed chaplain to Bailieboro Community School where he stayed until 1988 when he volunteered to join the Kilmore mission to Minna, Nigeria. There he worked for two years in Gwada and was then appointed to teach Scripture in the Missionary Seminary of St Paul, near Abuja. In 1995 he returned to Kilmore and was appointed parish priest to Ballyhaise, replacing Mgr Sean Brady, the new archbishop of Armagh.

Our thanks to Colm Connaughton, Cavan, for the photograph of Bishop O'Reilly

The class of
1971

Silver Jubilee Reunion 1996
The class of 1971 held its reunion in August 1996. Among those present were:

Pat Fulton, Kevin Mulligan, Pat Carolan, Tom Burns, P.J. Rudden, Michael McNiffe, Hugo Murphy, Val McCaul, T.P. Smith, Gerry Reilly, Sean Sharkey, Michael Smith, Liam Browne, Seamus Watters, Gerry Smith, Damien Traynor, Ciaran O'Keeffe, Paddy Conaty, Cathal Magee, Michael Alymer, John Brady, Turlough Smith, Frankie O'Reilly, Frank King, Donald Brady, Kevin Boylan, Dessie Denning, Paddy Magill, Padraig Brady, Ollie Leddy, David Hickey, Fr Liam Kelly, Eamon Gillick, Sean Martin, Fr McTiernan (Rev President), Eugene Reilly, Felim McKiernan, P.J. Dunne.

The class of
1970

Silver Jubilee Reunion 1975
The class of 1970 held its reunion in the College on 12 August 1995. Among those who attended were:
Brian O'Brien, Anthony McCann, James McKeon, Hugh Brady, John McEntee, Declan Reilly, Donal Murray, Eamon Kilkenny, Philip Lynch, Sean Coyle, Paddy Greenan, Noel Feehan, Maurice Brady, Patrick O'Reilly, Oliver Gilroy, Sean Kelleher, Tom (T.P.) Smith, Damien Treanor, Jimmy Smith, Joe Farrell, George Smith, (Fr) Gerard Alwill, Paddy Sexton, Martin Gaffney

The St Patrick's College, Cavan class of 1960-1965 met formally for the first time in 41 years at a re-union on Saturday, April 22nd. Members of the year assembled in the college during the afternoon. They retraced their steps around the school, visiting the classrooms, their dormitories and the Infirmary. They were particularly interested in a display of photographs of college life in the sixties. Following refreshments, the past pupils attended a Memorial Mass in the refurbished College Chapel for the deceased members of the class - Fr Seamus Gilroy, Benedict Bennett, joe Galligan, Jim Brady and Liam Baxter. The mass was celebrated by Fr Oliver Kelly. The final part of the
re-union took place in The Cavan Crystal Hotel, Dublin Road, Cavan. Former teachers who attended were Fr Benny Maguire, Fr Pat Brady, Tommy Mc Tiernan, Fr Felim Mc Govern, Jim Mc Donnell, Jim Burns and Ray Walsh.
Details of the photograph and a DVD of this special occasion can be got by emailing stpatscavan@eircom.net.



Back row l-r: Peter Duffy (Westmeath), Eamon Maguire (Cork), Seamus Bennett (Dublin), brother of the late Benedict Bennett, Michael Callaghan 9Ballyjamesduff), Jimmy Fay (Kilnaleck), Seamus Gorman (Westmeath), Brian Gaffney (Dublin), Dr Liam Mc Niffe, Principal St Patrick's College, Cavan. Terry Toal (Mullingar), Michael Smith (Coothill), John Mc Kiernan (Cork), Jim Burns (Dublin) former teacher, JJ Reilly (Cavan), Eamon Comiskey (Laois), Keelin Gallogly (Swinford, Co Mayo),
Middle row, l-r: Padraig Mc Morrow (Kilkenny), John Murray (Dublin), Con Dolan (Cavan), Roy Mc Cabe (Dublin), Lorcan Murphy (Bettystown), Chris Smith (Canada), Fr Oliver Kelly (Lavey), Padraig Campbell (Ballyjamesduff), Philip Fitzsimons (Dublin), and Damien Fee (Dublin).
Front row, l-r: Frank Brennan (Dublin), Eamon Sexton (Dublin), Seamus Mc Govern (Cavan), Nancy Brady and Sr Eileen Brady, wife and sister of the late Jim Brady, Eileen and Miriam Gilroy, sisters of the late Fr Seamus Gilroy, John Sullivan (Dublin), Greg Patten (Dublin), Peter Mc Namee (Mullingar), Justin O'Reilly (Dublin) and Peter O'Reilly (Belfast).

Click here to see some archive photographs from those years.

Classes of 1962 and 1963.
Renunion in the College October 2003.
First row: Fr Felim Mc Govern, Seamus Kennedy, Jimmy Coyle, Paddy Trainor, Fr Denis Murray.
Second row: Padraic Fitzsimons, Jimmy Carroll, Jim Mc Bride, Oliver Mc Cann, Damien Keogan, Joe Colston, Noel Brady, Joseph Prior, Tom Brady, Jim Cosgrove.
Third row: Paddy Mc Dermott, Brian O' Reilly, George Crowe, Dermott Burke, Jim Maguire, Andrew Sharkey, Jim Donohoe, Paddy O'Rourke, Christopher Sheridan, Aidan Gorby, Thomas Sweeney.
Fourth row: Fr Thomas Maguire, Fr. Pat Brady, Patsy Lee, Liam Coyle, Raymond Dunne, Brendan Kiernan, Austin Gilroy, John Kelly, Brian Sullivan, Pat Denning.
Fifth row: Jerome Casey, Brian Kennedy, Terry Brady, Maurice Tubman, Jim Galligan, Ray Carolan, Charlie Flynn, Michael Dolan, Francis Garvey, Peter Galligan.
Sixth row: Cathal Harten, Eamonn Tubman, Frank Mc Kiernan, Eamonn Cooke, Paddy Lyons, Bishop Leo O'Reilly, Jimmy Stafford, Oliver Plunkett, Eamonn Olwill, Fr Michael Fitzpatrick.

Class of 1946-51 Re-Union: September 2001.

The Class of 1946-51, St Patrick's College held their 50th Anniversary re-union at the College on September, 8th 2001. On their arrival, the group were warmly welcomed by the Principal, Fr Gerard Alwill.
Mass was concelebrated by Fr Benny Maguire and Fr Michael Conaty. The President then took the group on a tour of the College, the old study-hall, the class-rooms, the science laboratory, the dormitories and spoke of all the changes that had taken place in the 50 years since they had left St Pat's.
Lunch at the kilmore Hotel, Cavan was followed by an organised and enjoyable visit to the Co.Cavan Museum in Ballyjamesduff. The group reassembled at the College in the early evening, where group photographs were taken at the College entrance. An excellent dinner was provided by the College's Staff Chef in the Priests/Staff Dining room.
At the end of a most enjoyable day, the Group dispersed to go their own ways, as they did in 1951.

Front,L-R: Cyril Cartwright, Paul McKiernan, Paddy McGorry, Manus Martin, Brian O'Reilly, Peter paul Smith.
Middle. L-R: Denis McCarthy, Fr Michael Conaty, Gene Cullivan, Charles O'Rourke, Edmund Smith.
Back. L-R; Seamus MacGabhann, Ciaran McIntyre, Fr benny Maguire, and Jimmy Cullen. (Photograph by Colm Connaughton)

Thank you to Mr Denis McCarthy for writing this report.