VAST ARRAY OF ITEMS NOW ON DISPLAY AT SCHOOL
HISTORIC DAY FOR ALL AT ST JOSEPH’S SCHOOL TK WHITAKER COLLECTION UNVEILED AND NEW PAST PUPILS ORGANISATION FORMED
IT’S not often that a school gets to celebrate a milestone - but having two - on the same night - was no problem to the crew at St Joseph’s Secondary School last week.
The school was honoured to officially unveil the Whitaker Collection and at the same time launch the St Joseph’s CBS Whitaker Alumni.
TK Whitaker (pictured) - one of the greatest economists that Ireland has ever produced - was a very student at the school and during his lifetime built up an extraordinary amount of honours.
Now they are on display at the school, courtesy of the Whitaker family.
Three generations of the family joined staff, students, past students and retired teachers at the event and heard principal David Madden speak of the great links that endured down the years between the former pupil and the establishment, now on the Newfoundwell Road, but in the centre of town when Ken attended.
Chairman of the Board of Management, John McEneaney, said the night was the celebration of a rich past but was a reflection of how far the school had come and like TK Whitaker, hoped the young men of today would use it as a seed for their future.
He praised the staff for their efforts, stating that they were the inspiration for a future generation.
As part of the night, Third Year student JP Hughes and teacher, Michelle Foy, combined with a poem in Irish and a stunning piece on the violin to recall TK’s great love of his native language.
Fifth Year, Neil Holdcroft, also spoke of the legacy Ken Whitaker had left, telling how he used to come to school half an hour early for French lessons from Peadar McCann.
Some years later, he met Charles de Gualle and spoke perfect French to him!
Deputy Principal Paul Savage outlined the idea behind the Whitaker Alumni, taking on the role of the Past Pupils Union, and designed to bring former students together.
He said he hoped that establishing closer bonds to past pupils would help the school secure work placements for students, something vital in the present curriculum.
He praised the role of the union, established 60 years ago, and what they had achieved down the years.
A special presentation of a lamp, made by Cyril Gillen from a walnut tree that fell at the Oldbridge estate, was made to the family before Ken Whitaker, TK’s son, told of the pride the family had in the collection now on display and the fact that they were seeing it all together for the first time.
‘It was very important to us that these documents were not dispersed or allowed rot in an attic because they were a lifetime’s accumulation,’ he remarked. ‘ The family have great memories of Drogheda and holidays here and how a walk of the town would end at Paradise Cottage on William Street.’
He said his father would often say that the school played a big part in his life and they were proud to be back in Drogheda to see his vast array of awards on display.