The Boys are Back in (Carrick) Town!

 

On the weekend before last there was a reunion of my 1975 Leaving Cert class from the Patrician High School in Carrickmacross, county Monaghan.
It was, as Thin Lizzie use to sing, a case of “The Boys are Back in Town”! For we had such great fun together and it really felt like it was only yesterday that we all left the High School for the very last time after completing our Leaving Cert exams.

After the Leaving Cert, our career paths went in many different directions including into farming, the trades (plumbing, electrics), medical, business, construction, army, engineering, teaching, law and scientific research. Some stayed in Ireland, some emigrated. To me, in spite of Ireland being in the 1970s a very poor country with a large uneconomical small-farming base, there were better options being considered by young people, in the sense that we understood that not everyone needed to possess what was then a traditional largely lecture hall based academic degree (without real world practical experiences) to secure a job. The mass exodus over the last few decades away from farming and the trades professions has created at one level an unsustainable society where many individual citizens are also sadly disempowered unable to fix a leaking pipe, repair a tyre puncture or wire an electrical plug.

I was born and lived in Dublin until I was 12 years old where my dad worked on the CIE buses and my mom had a grocery store. In my final months at primary school, my parents decided to reclaim the rural life of their childhood and we moved to my mom’s home town of Carrickmacross. I was heartbroken, having to leave the up-tempo urban lifestyle and all my childhood friends to move to rural Ireland. Though I would have known county Monaghan well from visiting the country cousins for ‘working on the farm’ summer holidays, nevertheless it was a culture shock for me when the smells and sounds of cattle, pigs and farmyard poultry replaced the familiar sounds of seagulls, crashing waves and boats of the Irish Sea as well as the buses, trains, parks and busy shopping streets of our capital city. I expected that I would never settle down on ”the stony grey soils of Monaghan” (to quote local poet Patrick Kavanagh).

How wrong was I!
For within days of moving to Carrick and starting school, I felt so at home, adopted quickly and made friendships that would last a lifetime. Though we as a collective have met rarely over the decades, nevertheless when it does happen it is always joyful as we happily reminisce about the days of our youth. We all agreed last weekend at our reunion that we never had a bad day in the High School run by the Catholic religious order of the Patrician Brothers, who also operated the BISH in Galway city.
A lot of scandals have come to light since the mid 1990s about the clerical sexual and violent abuse in Ireland towards children and young people during the 20th century. Yet thankfully none of us had encountered this at the High School where the teaching staff (except one or two!) were excellent educators and the Brothers operated what we would now view as a very liberal regime for its time. Furthermore the progressive Christian teachings of giving active respect to others of all backgrounds, especially those who were suffering and in need which we were taught then, I have tried to live by ever since.

“The Times they were a changing”
Impacted by the rise of a distinct ‘youth culture’ in music, fashion, beliefs and politics worldwide, we often looked, behaved and had values so different than that of our parents. A generation gap was opening up in this era. For it was the time of ‘flower power’, civil rights’ struggles, liberation movements and teenage rebellion. As a young idealistic lad, I believed the then Labour Party leader when he promised that Ireland in the 1970s would be socialist and that the old conservative clientelism politics would disappear for ever. The conflict and war in Northern Ireland was literally on our doorstep in Carrickmacross and some of us knew people actively involved.
We were probably the first generation in Ireland to be able to holiday on a tiny budget across the continent of Europe and further afield, travelling by train (Inter Rail) and staying in hostels where we would meet, socialise and be influenced by teenagers from different cultures and nationalities.

It was a wonderful time to be young and to be in school! Our class produced the first regular school student newsletter, set up the first student representative council, introduced soccer into the school (the ‘ban’ by the GAA against soccer, rugby and hockey only officially ended in the early 1970s), and held the first all-out student strike/boycott. We were allowed to dress how we wanted (e.g. long hair, platform shoes or sneakers, paisley shirts and bell-bottom jeans), play basketball, volleyball, soccer as well as Gaelic sports, organise chess evenings after school hours and a weekly leisure afternoon with table tennis, pop/rock music and reading activities. Quiz tournaments regularly brought us through British Army checkpoints over the Border to schools in Armagh. ‘Hops’ (discos) were held in the local community hall organised with the convent girls where we danced to the Glam Rock sounds of T-Rex, Slade, Suzi Quadro, Sweet and Dave Bowie. We had our first ever ‘tuck shop’ that opened daily selling sweets and soda drinks. The school invited girls in for the first time (female students from the ‘Tech’ next door who would come to us for French and Maths and we would go to their school for metalwork and carpentry). Teenage boys and girls could met up for coffee or a ‘mineral’ (lemonade, orange) after school or in the evenings at the local café.

Carrick had its own cinema that was showing the latest Hollywood blockbusters (Kung Fu movies with Bruce Lee, American Graffiti, Earthquake, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Last Picture Show, Poseidon Adventure, Soldier Blue, James Bond…). Happy Days!
At the Reunion on Friday in Markey's Carrickmacross we hosted a display of memorabilia from the 1970s- playing LPs on a record player from Neil Young, Horslips, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Diamond, Byrds, Dylan; viewing old school books such as Buntus Cainte, ‘Explorations’, ‘Soundings’ and Peig Sayers; as well as ‘Shoot’ soccer magazine and comics such as DC’s Superman, Marvel’s Avengers, TV21’s Captain Scarlett, Thunderbirds and Star Trek; and writing with chalk on a big blackboard. My favourite item though was the cassette recorder. For it was myself that introduced this revolutionary music device to the school! We used it to often secretly (under the desk!) record the teachers in the classroom, record (illegally) music from BBC’s Thursday’s night’s Top of the Pops and from LPs onto blank tapes. We also joined an UK-based music library club where we monthly obtained on loan rock/pop albums on cassette that we recorded (illegally again!) before returning by post mail.
Sadly a number of our former classmates are no longer with us. So we paid quiet respect for Brendan L, Brian, Mark, Padraic, Paul and the others who have passed on.
The next morning we visited the old school with its prefab (which was our first year classroom) still standing to happily reminisce even more.
And then in the afternoon I travelled by train to Dublin with my brother Michael Smith and my son Shane to watch Leeds United play AC Milan at a capacity-filled (51,000!) Aviva stadium. Leeds back in the top English league and playing against a top team from Italy- it was just like the old days!!!
Finally a big ‘Bualadh Bos’ to Peter Callan, Pierre Finnegan and Owen Finnegan for organising a memorable school reunion. Looking forward to the next one already!!

p.s I am on the far right of the top photo taken in our Biology Lab during our Leaving Cert year. We are all holding the lab's poor unfortunate plastic skeleton!
I am second on the right of the bottom photo taken at our reunion proudly wearing my 'Rod Stewart on Tour' teeshirt!

Graduation Day in a Little School on a Hill in Connemara

A few days ago, I completed my official involvement with St. Theresa's National School, Cashel, Connemara. In my capacity as chair of the board of management (to Dec 1 2019), I gave a speech of thanks and best wishes to the graduation class of 2020 at their online (Zoom) conferring.

With only a few dozen pupils in this fine learning establishment. Andrew and Arnold were the entire graduation class of 2020. But if it is a small school, it is one with a very big heart as wide as the Atlantic Ocean whose waters almost lap against its gates.

As with many little rural schools across Ireland, it is the heart beat of the local community giving meaning, purpose and identify to its people.

Thanks to the force of nature that is its principal Cepta Stephens, the graduation celebration of last Tuesday, though taking place online in the strange surreal environment that is COVID 19, was the living embodiment of all that is good and beautiful in our people and in our countryside.

All the children and parents of the school took part in the ceremony. There were excellent live music performances and literary renditions from many of the children; the showing of thematic videos; a presentation in story and in imagery of the history of the two graduates during their school days, from infant to senior class; tributes from the parish priest, music mentor, parents' representative, board of management, and from all of their fellow classroom pupils (3rd, 4th & 5th classes). Uachtarán na hÉireann/President Michael D. Higgins even ‘turned up’, starring in a short film that he made for the benefit of all the primary school graduates of 2020 (It surprised and impressed Andrew and Arnold as I am sure that it did for all graduates). The two hour ceremony was so enchanting, so emotional, so friendly.

I am a big fan of all the schools of Ireland. But I have a special affinity for the small rural school which, in a world of impersonalised fast-moving globalisation, is in many cases the key custodian and embodiment of local identity. When such an institution is forced to close its doors, then a sense of community can soon disappear.

The principals in these little country schools have one of the toughest 24/7 (but most rewarding) jobs in the country- having to be teacher, administrator, parents’ liaison, sports manager, musician, friend, doctor...the list is endless!

In mid 2016, Cepta asked me to consider becoming chairperson of this school located in the heart of southern Connemara. Having long being an admirer of her visionary principalship and holistic teaching, it did not take me long to say ‘yes’.

But my involvement goes back to 2005. Over the years, I have mentored heritage, medical, scientific, Internet Safety and coding programmes in the senior of the two classrooms. I hope that this continues on into the distant future as I see a school that provides top class education to its pupils and one is strongly supported by the local community.

Finally as I said in previous postings written during the Great Lockdown, I also see a bright future for all of rural Ireland if green, smart and community-centric sustainable policies are implemented.

Christmas in Galway: The School Concert

One of the highlights for many people in rural communities and urban neighbourhoods across Ireland is the hosting of the annual Christmas concert in the local school.
It is when the children become the stars of their locality as they sing, dance, do comedy and tell stories to an audience comprising their parents, grandparents, cousins, friends and neighbours. 

Due to globalisation, mechanisation of farming, a drop off in regular attendance at traditional Irish places of worships and the ongoing population drift to the big cities, the local school is the only glue that binds many rural communities together. These learning institutions are the living active embodiment and repository of all the knowledge, experiences, ballads, poems, literature, arts, culture and history of a local community. If they close the lifeblood and heritage of a locality going back generations can be lost for ever.
The small country and neighbourhood school provides all too rare opportunities for local people to come together and to be involved in their local area.
The Christmas concert is a great example of collective community volunteerism in action. Usually a small army of parents support the teachers by preparing/serving food, selling tickets, securing spot prizes and constructing stage props.
But it is the teachers that are the unsung heroes of such events as weeks of rehearsals with their pupils teaching them to act, to play musical instruments and to sing finally pays off.
I attended the Christmas concert this year in St Theresa's National School in Cashel Connemara where I watched the children perform in the Nativity play and in lots more beside. So well done to the principal Cepta Stephens the teachers, the parents and particularly the boys and girls for a most enjoyable experience.

Working with An Garda Síochána on Internet Safety

Over the last few years, I have spent a lot of time co-presenting workshops/talks with An Garda Síochána on Cyberbullying & Internet Safety to pupils, students, parents and teachers in primary and post-primary schools.
Having the Garda present at these events has reinforced the importance of this issue to the participants. Their understandable knowledge of the relevant legislation, their status as officers of the law and their first-hand experience of both victims and perpetrators of cyberbullying has proved invaluable in highlighting this growing problem within modern society particularly amongst young people. 

Over the last few weeks, I have visited second level schools such as Galway Community College and Colaiste Bháile Chláir with Garda Marcus and Alan who are two of the most conscientious public servants that I have ever meet. They personify all of the positive societal attitudes that police enforcement agencies are meant to represent, namely to protect the vulnerable and to promote the common good.

Galway is ‘Youth Coding Capital’ of Europe

Coderdojo session, NUI Galway

An information and registration event for both young people and parents interested in having their children learn computer coding will take place from 2pm-3pm in the Insight Centre for Data Analytics in the Dangan Business Park, NUI Galway.

Coderdojo session, NUI Galway

The event will introduce attendees to the programming and electronics courses being provided in a relaxed social environment from mid October by Coderdojo, Ireland’s fastest growing youth movement. Sessions will be held in the IT Building and at Insight in the university. At a dojo (Japanese term for training centre), young people between the ages of five and seventeen learn how to code, develop websites, apps, programs and games. Dojos are set up, managed and taught by volunteers. The first Coderdojo was established in Cork in June 2011 by James Whelton and Bill Liao. Since then it has become an Irish technology export success story active in forty-three countries.

Coderdojo session, NUI Galway

According to Brendan Smith, one of Coderdojo Galway’s co-founders, “There is a real appetite amongst our young people to learn how to code. They want to move on from playing computer games to making their own versions. This is shown by the fact that every Saturday, in towns across Galway including Athenry, Clifden, Eyrecourt, Kinvara, Loughrea, Mountbellew and Tuam as well as in NUI Galway, hundreds of enthusiastic children and teenagers create their very own games, digital stories and web applications facilitated by volunteer Coderdojo mentors. 

Coderdojo session, NUI Galway

The language used for beginners to coding is Scratch. Developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Scratch is the most popular computer language for young people worldwide, being a significant catalyst in the huge uptake in coding across the world over the last few years. It has a cross-disciplinary ethos and structure that combines mathematics with elements of arts, engineering and personal development. So we are using this opportunity to encourage our young coders or ‘ninjas’ to showcase their projects to the general public.” 

Computer Coding class in Galway Primary School, mentored by Insight volunteer

Brendan goes on to say that “Coding is the new literacy of the 21^st century. It will be as important for our children to learn how to programme as it is how to read and to write. It is the foundation stone on which the modern technology age is being built. Hence for Ireland to develop a sustainable knowledge economy and society, it is vital that we harness the creativity of our youth to innovate the beneficial products and processes that the world needs. Thankfully there is at present a convergence of a diverse range of digital initiatives happening in this region that could transform Galway into becoming the Youth Coding Capital of Ireland and indeed of Europe.  The success can be demonstrated by the fact that during the inaugural Europe Coding Week held last November, not only was Ireland the most active country but Galway city and county hosted the highest concentration of events of any location in Europe.

The region has elements that could allow it to become known as the ‘Silicon Galway Bay’, a European version of California’s Silicon Valley. Many of the world’s leading corporations in the biomedical and information technology sectors such as Avaya, Boston Scientific, Cisco, Electronic Arts, Hewlett-Packard, Medtronic and SAP, are already based here. These industries have developed links to research centres located in GMIT and NUIG such as Insight, Ryan and REMEDI which are providing the scientific expertise to sustain their presence in Galway and underpin their status as leaders in cutting edge product development. Insight at NUI Galway for instance is part of a cross Ireland university research centre designed to provide a national ICT research platform based on world-class research programmes that will serve as a global beacon for the science and application of Big Data Analytics. 

Digital Female Solidarity: 'Rail Girls' workshop Insight NUI Galway June 2014

There is also the presence locally of Irish-owned high tech manufacturing and services industries such as Creganna and Storm Technologies. But we can be even better than Silicon Valley in many respects. For whilst the San Francisco Bay area is the world’s premier powerhouse of leading edge industries, technological innovation and research, nevertheless there are serious social and economic problems that  manifests itself in a high income disparity, a disconnect between businesses and local communities as well a low percentage of quality opportunities available for the indigenous population with approximately 50% of the jobs in the high tech sector being taken by people from outside the United States. Yet Galway has traditions and characteristics that, supported by new government education policies, should ensure that our local school-going populations and communities secure the maximum benefit vis-à-vis employment and services. 

091 Labs stand at the Galway Science & Technology Festival, NUI Galway

Key to this development is the teaching of coding to our young people in schools and clubs, which is happening at a higher level here than anywhere else in Ireland thanks to the volunteerism and deep sense of ‘community solidarity’ that is such a strong feature of Galway society. 
This is epitomized by the actions of the prime ‘movers and shakers’ in the industrial, political, educational and local government sectors who have over the years collaborated under the auspices of the Galway Education Centre, Junior Achievement and the Galway Science and Technology Festival, to deliver important learning initiatives in schools and colleges across the Western region. 

Computer Coding class in Mayo Post-Primary School, mentored by Insight volunteer

Modern version of Meitheal reaching into schools
 In a modern industrial urban version of ‘Meitheal’ that was once the hallmark of traditional Irish rural community support, these visionaries have promoted and harnessed an army of young professional mentors from industry and third level colleges who give their time and energies to teach in primary and post-primary classrooms delivering science courses whilst acting as positive ‘role models’ for our young generation.  

School Mentors, Hewlett Packard

Over the last year, volunteer tutors from Hewlett Packard, GMIT and NUI Galway have worked together to coordinate the delivery of computer programming courses to thousands of pupils and students in over sixty primary and post-primary schools across counties Mayo, Westmeath and Galway.

Local young people’s clubs such as ‘091 Labs’ and the Coderdojos are providing informal after-school digital makers’ environments. 

Ciaran Cannon TD for east Galway and former Minister of State at the Dept of Education has taken a very pro-active ‘hand-ons’ approach in promoting digital creativity in schools and amongst communities. Government educational reform has ensured that five decades after the tentative introduction of computing into Irish schools, coding will soon become part of the national post-primary curriculum at junior cycle level.  We are therefore witnessing the birth of the first generation of Irish children that can code, people who are truly ‘digital creators’ rather than just passive ‘digital users’.

Bernard Kirk(director of Galway Education Centre; Dáire Smith (Coláiste Iognáid); Brendan Smith (Insight & Coderdojo) & Ciaran Cannon TD)

There is a vibrant digital buzz about Galway that is found no where else in Ireland which also finds expression not just through youth-based coding clubs, high tech manufacturing sector; business associations such as ITAG; presence of world renowned IT research third level institutes but also through perpetual trophies such as ‘John Cunningham Memorial Coderdojo Awards’; the annual ‘Rails Girls’ conference which highlights the role of women in technology; and the popularity of the NUIG-based ‘Computer and Communications Museum of Ireland’ which give due recognition to the strong historical connections of Galway with the origins of the global village and its five decades long associations with leading edge computing.”

Computer & Communications Museum of Ireland, Insight NUI Galway

The Village School - the Heartbeat of Rural Ireland

Enjoying a communal meal, GAA Community Centre, Kiltormer June 2014

Last Saturday, I attended a wonderful 50th celebration of a school in the little village of Kiltormer in east Galway. Thanks to the herculean efforts of principal Grainne Dooley, the teaching staff of Margaret, Sean and Mary and their committee, the local population united in a supreme effort to celebrate, not just the opening of the present St. Patrick's National School in 1964, but even more to celebrate the meaning of 'community'.

Traditional musicians, GAA Community Centre, Kiltormer June 2014

There was an array of exciting events to mark the occasion: a parade, a communal mass, children's outdoor fun activities, a display of vintage farm machinery, a hurling match comprising players from across the decades; young traditional Irish musicians, an in-school local history museum and an exhibition of photographs of Kiltormer in times past.

Artifacts and old photographs on display, Kiltormer school celebrations, June 2014

I played a small role in this event by helping the school host an open community night where people from all across the locality brought in old photographs reflecting life in days gone by. 
These images are still being digitised, cleaned up and posted online as part of a digital heritage archive action known as BEO (Irish for Alive) which could become the most important national heritage project since the 1937 Irish Folklore Commission. It will reinforce the connections with the Irish Diaspora.

Eyreville demesne, 1930s

Like many towns and villages across rural Ireland, Kiltormer has been devastated by a high level of emigration exacerbated about by the economic collapse in 2008 that resulted from the activities of a greedy unpatriotic troika of property speculators, bankers and politicians. But the problem goes much deeper and further back in time, to 1973 when the state joined what was then known as the European Economic Community(EEC). The key characteristic of Ireland for over 5,000 years has been agriculture. But ever since the early 1970s, there has been a huge exodus of people away from farming as the policies of successive governments favoured the big rancher, supermarkets and agri-corporations at the expense of the family farm. This is not what the population expected- we were promised a sustainable agriculture that would give a living wage to farmers and their families.
The small manufacturing industries that once dominated rural towns have all but closed down as a result of cheap imports, with their localities failing to secure replacement jobs in the new technologies sectors such as biomedical and computing. 

Kiltormer village, 1932

Ghost Villages
Ireland in the 21st century has become a land of ghost townlands and villages as young people emigrate to Australia, Canada and elsewhere  to find employment.
As we the people and our descendants are being forced to pay for the gambling debts of financial and property speculators and their cronies, austerity measures are leading to the closure  of Garda stations. post offices, pubs, marts and schools across the country. 

Kiltormer School, 1959-'60

The decline of the small rural school
Schools are the lifeblood of rural Ireland.  Without schools, communities die. More than ever before, we need to ensure that the schools stay open so that the heritage, stories and memories of a hinterland are still treasured and passed on to a new generation; and the children and their parents continue to transform the word 'community' into a living reality. 

Carrowreagh Bog

Hopefully the politicians of this land wake up soon to the destructive nature of their economic and social polices on rural Ireland. So well done to St. Patrick's National School Kiltormer for the wonderful work that they are doing to help reverse what can feel like a terminal decline. Giving people a sense of place will give them an identity,  a sense of value, of belonging and of purpose. Everyone involved is a true patriot.

Hurling match, Kiltormer Celebrations, June 2014

A Parent’s Time of Bittersweet

 

Photo shows Daíre with his teacher Máire Browne, his school bag & his bike(!) on his last day in Scoil San Phroinsias. Notice his whiteshirt that is covered with personal messages from his classmates, a lovely tradition now common in Irish schools.

As a parent I have experienced over the last few month’s extreme emotions, those of great sadness and those of great joy.
On June 26th, my youngest son Dáire left his primary school for the very last time, thus bringing to an end an unbroken family connection with Scoil san  Phroinsias in Galway city that went back to June 1996 when my oldest son Shane started his education there.
When I collected Daire on that June day I shed a few tears not just because I was a proud parent, but because  I realised that, for me, it was also the end of an era. 

I loved that school so much, the commitment of its teachers; the joy and enthusiasm of its pupils; the colour and variety of projects on display in the classrooms; the great array of concerts, fests, sports days and fund-raising that were held in and on behalf of the school. It is a fine institution with a strong learning, respect and discipline ethos. Scoil san  Phroinsias was and is the hub of the local neighbourhood; it is what binds us together as a community.

But on a personal level there is void inside me that will not be filled for a very long time. For I enjoyed so much being a father of a young child. I enjoyed walking up to school in the morning, holding my child’s hand, talking to him about his friends and his class, sharing a joke or two with other parents as I waved him goodbye from the school gate.  Now I know that I will never experience those feelings again, ever.

On a professional level, I work as a university Education Science, Technology and Heritage Outreach Officer. My main area of activity is in schools. So I would always bounce ideas and projects off my sons that I was working on, get their opinions, before I would roll them out into the classrooms. Over the years, I have learnt so much from my children. They (along with Cepta) were my mentors, my advisors, my confidantes. I am so lucky to have such great kids.
In June, Shane completed his last undergraduate examination at NUI Galway.
On Monday, Daíre  started his first day in post-primary school.
Life goes on and so must I. New challenges await.

Still, I always treasure happy memories of the boys’ childhood days.
On behalf of Cepta and myself, thank you so much Shane, Daire and Scoil San Phrioinsias.

Dáire's last school lunch pack