CPC anniversary, the story
It was a cross-generations event, with current students and those from many years back all coming together to swap stories, see how the place has changed, and generally mark the impact which the arrival of the Cross & Passion Sisters to Kilcullen has made over the century and a quarter.
And though the nuns left some years ago, they were well represented. There on the night were Sr Maire O'Sullivan who is Provincial of the Cross and Passion Order and a former staff member from Kilcullen, and Sr Carmel Miley, past pupil and former staff member who still does some pastoral work in the school.
Representing Le Cheile, the school's current trust body that acts as trustee to school of 13 smaller orders like the C&P, was their CEO Eilis Humphreys. She presented an inscribed piece of glass to the current Principal, Catherine Moynihan to mark the occasion.
Among the past pupils were representatives from every decade back to the 1950s, and many of them brought treasured memorabilia to the occasion. Margaret O'Connell, whose son and daughter are recent past pupils, gave the school a loan of some books from her grandmother dating back to 1893/4. Her mother was Margaret Gavin and came from Kildare, and she was one of the first boarders in the school when in its early years. These books and copies were the centrepiece of the opening reflections which took place in the former convent chapel and provided a great link with those early days.
Nessa Dunlea loaned a painting done in art class in 1918 by her aunt Anna May O'Connell, who was a pupil at the time. She also had some original receipts for tuition fees for some members of the Dardis family back in 1911 and 1912.
Marie Moran reflected on the school in her time and recalled the trip to Lourdes in 1958 on the centenary of the apparition.
A special effort was made to contact members of the 1986/87 first year class. They started as the school celebrated its 100th anniversary and were the first coeducational class in the secondary school. They came from all parts of the country — Bantry, Wexford, Kinnegad and even London. They particularly enjoyed meeting up with each other and their former teachers.
Those of the girls who were boarding particularly enjoyed roaming the building, sharing stories and recalling where their beds had once been for five year of their lives.
The Art Department had a wonderful display of work of current and past students. The music department staged performances in various locations throughout the school with both present and past pupils. This was a particularly strong part of the night. The Transition Year students along with their teachers took charge of the catering and all was done in house — food cooked and served by them. There were displays in many other classrooms reflecting much of the work that currently goes on in the school on a daily basis.
The night was also used to officially open the Sacred Space, a building for spiritual reflection erected last year and clad with stone that came from the original wall around the Convent. It was the location for music, memories, and general coming together on the evening.
This article was first published on the Kilcullen Page of The Kildare Nationalist.
