Changed times in Cahersiveen as past pupils meet 50 years on

FIFTY years is a long time, so the class of 1968 from CBS Cahersiveen had plenty to catch up on when they met in their home town for a school reunion. In fact, some of them hadn’t met since school, so it was a trip down memory lane to recollect a time when things were very different in their home town – and in their school.

Only three past pupils worked in the locality after leaving school – Hugh Maguire, Pat O’Leary and Mick O’Sulllivan. Then there was a group who ended up in Tralee – Michael Golden, Séamus Hoare and Oliver Ring, with Tim Horgan in Castleisland. John M Curran, Brendan Garvey and Danny Shea made it over to Cork and the remainder moved further east – Seamus Foley, Haulie Hallissey, John Mc Loughlin and the late Teddy O’Donoghue all worked in Dublin, Seán Murphy worked in Dundalk and the late Joe Walsh in Longford. Meanwhile, Tony Shea, Ballinskelligs is in London.

Founded in 1860, CBS Cahersiveen amalgamated with the Presentation Convent in 1992 and ultimately, in 1999, became Coláiste na Sceilge.

However, these past pupils remembered the old school vividly, once used as an auxiliary workhouse, it was bulldozed shortly after they graduated to make way for the new school which currently houses the local library.

The class began secondary school in the autumn of 1963 when JFK was assassinated and in their Leaving Cert year in 1968 his brother Robert Kennedy was also assassinated.

“Like all past pupils of their generation the Class of ‘68 has seen enormous changes in their lifetimes,” said past pupil John McLoughlin.

“In small schools like CBS Cahersiveen, the teaching of foreign languages and science were in their infancy. Latin, maths applied maths and mechanical drawing were the mainstay of the educational system, together with English, Irish, history and geography. The Internet and the speed of today’s communications were but a far off dream.”

Pat O’Leary, local historian and former student said: “Cahersiveen town too is unrecognisable since the 1968 past pupils completed their studies when the town had 52 pubs, 11 tea-houses, eight butchers, five harness-makers and six shoemakers”. “The town had three doctors, four priests (two of them Monsignors), five Christian Brothers and an endless number of nuns,” he added. Changed times indeed!

Photo by Christy Riordan Class of ‘68 Cahersiveen CBS reunion: From left sitting Anthony O’Shea, Pat , Sean Murphy, Sheamus Hoare, Michael Golden; Back Brendan Garvey, John McLoughlin, Mike O’Sullivan, John M Curran, Oliver Ring and Haulie Hallissey.