60 years a-thriving – Reunion of Class of 1959

Fourteen members of the class of 1959, held their 60 year reunion in Elm Park Golf Club, Dublin 4 on Saturday 16 June, 2019.

Attending on the day were - Margot Doyle, Enda O’Leary, Sheila Forde, Lorna Madigan, Anne O’Sullivan, Katherine Duffy, Marie O’Reilly, Madeline O’Sullivan, Beatrice Doran, Barbara Doyle, Maureen Nagle, Kathleen Perry, Muriel Hunt, and Patricia Dain.. They are delighted to share memories of this special day.

Drinks first outside as the sun shone from a blameless sky, and the class of 1959 gathered for lunch. The wide glass doors of the clubhouse dining room looked across the grounds, as we took our places along the crisply clothed rectangular table and made our choices: starters of smoked salmon and prawns or non soup, mains: hake or beef and dessert of apple pie or meringue with strawberries.

But the serious business of the day was catching up with each other, relating the latest news. Not everyone was in regular contact so the opening chat was desultory - who had done what? how was who now? Until someone came up with the idea of everyone giving a precis of their life. Along both sides of the table memories of past and present doings were recounted - with a nod from many to the formative foundation we'd received doing our years in Muckross. There were funny and happy memories, sad too - some of our classmates died too early, more had lost partners, but resilience shone through.

We talked of the blue uniforms of Junior school and our parents' penchant for buying roomy ones; we remembered a trip to Knock Shrine when it never stopped raining; the Tostal Festival when someone was a butterfly, someone else a bird and others under the baton of Sr Cecelia, sung in the choir; 'Vin' caught someone playing hockey with a few inches of leg showing; another took a creative surname, consequences not amusing; another recalled the support she received from Sr Patrick while studying for her degree; we remembered the beauty of 'Barny'; the kindness of Sr Francis.

The careers we pursued escalated and changed with the rising tide of technology and life circumstances - academic, commercial, creative, caring. The places we travelled to and lived in reflected our interests; some of us married, had children who now have children of their own.

It was agreed that these reunions and memories are precious, and hope was in the air to, perhaps, make it a frequent occasion.

Left to right Beatrice Doran, Barbara Doyle, Maureen Nagle, Sheila Forde, Kathleen Perry, Katherine Duffy, Margot Doyle,

Back row left to right Enda O'Leary, Muriel Hunt, Lorna Madigan, Anne O’Sullivan, Patricia Dain, Madeleine O’Sullivan, Marie O’Reilly.