CPC 77ers reunion on Saturday

The girls of the 1977 Leaving Cert class in Cross & Passion College will be holding their first reunion next Saturday night, September 11.

The event is being held in Lawlors of Naas because nowhere in Kilcullen was available on the night says one of the organisers, Phyllis Blake, adding that there seems to be ‘a very good response’ so far to the idea.

Although they weren't able to get full records from the school that far back, the organisers reckon there should be up to 45 members in the two Leaving Cert classes that were in place in 1977. And, unlike what is probably the norm these days, it seems that they haven't spread too far away.

"Most of them appear to be in the Kildare area. We have two in America, one in Australia, and a few in England, but most of them are around. Some have been away and come back."

Among those who left that year is Constance Cassidy, who along with her husband Eddie Walsh currently owns Lissadell House in County Sligo.

Cross & Passion College, established in the late 1870s, was still an all-girls school at that time, so there are no boys on the list for the event. The College went co-ed in 1986. Also, there were quite a number of boarders in the college then. And Phyllis says she has been surprised at the numbers who hadn’t been in touch with each other since they had left.

“One girl I contacted, the last time I saw here was the day we walked out of the school together after the Leaving Cert. And it seems that this applies to a lot of the class.”

Up to last week there were still about half a dozen boarders whom the organisers were ‘struggling’ to contact. If any of them happen to be reading this, the the contacts are Miriam Deering at 086 80441151, or Phyllis Blake at 087 6602473. Or email phyllisblakebyrne@hotmail.com