AGM - Thursday May 27th 2021

The AGM takes place online starting at 7pm on the evening of Thursday, May 27th 2021. The meeting will take place over Zoom. To attend the meeting launch the Zoom App on your phone, tablet or laptop. Enter the meeting ID Number 99667667226. If asked for a passcode enter the number 776587. If you do not have the Zoom App then go to the Zoom website at https://zoom.us and click on Join (at the top of the page, right hand side). Next enter the meeting ID Number 99667667226. Else paste https://zoom.us/join directly into your browser and enter the meeting ID Number 99667667226.

Row Person of the Year 2021 - Mr. John Cullen

Following a Zoom Committee Meeting on December 17th, PPU President Jerry Carroll, announced the election of John Cullen (class of 1964) as Row Person of the Year for 2021. Jerry said that he could not think of a more deserving recipient of this prestigious award and he looked forward to presenting the PV Doyle trophy to John at a suitable date in 2021 when, hopefully, the “new normality” will come into effect. Further details of John Cullen’s career and outstanding work on behalf of the PPU are set out below.

Mr. John Cullen

John was a member of the centenary class of 1964. After school he joined the civil service and continued his studies in the evenings, graduating from UCD with a Diploma in Public Administration and a B Comm. His civil service career was in the Dept of the Environment and Local Government. John rose to a senior position and headed up a number of important and high profile developments. He joined the Institute of Public Administration for the final seven years of his career and retired in 2009.

John didn’t rest on his laurels when he retired and he joined the board of Oaklee Housing – a voluntary housing association – for a ten year spell and was its chair for five years. He also served as a board director of Choice Housing, the largest housing association on the island, based in the North, for nine years.

John played football and hurling at the ROW with some distinction. He hurled with Fontenoy Clanna Gael until he was “found out” (his own words!) at the age of 46. He was selected to play for Dublin on many occasions in his long career.

John served as President of the PPU in 2013/14 and 2014/15. During that time he spearheaded the 150 year projects and celebrations as well as the 1916 centenary commemorations. These were outstanding successes especially, the production of our 150 Year Book Cuimhneachan. John did an excellent job of editing the book as well as contributing many of the articles. There were many highlights to recall at that time, including the visit of our Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, to unveil a plaque to honour the school for its contribution to education over 150 years. John also spearheaded the Archive Project which set up a digital record of the school rolls stretching back to its foundation in 1864. This was a massive research project given the length of time involved and also the poor state of the records available. These important records of our historic alma mater are now available, on line, through the PPU website rowppu.ie thanks to John and the committee he lead at the time.

John still continues to serve the PPU as Hon Sec and his communication and organisational skills are invaluable.

Let’s hope that it won’t be too long until the President will be in a position to present the PV Doyle Trophy to John at a suitable ceremony.

Message from the President - December 2020

As well as announcing the award, Jerry wished all past pupils and their families every blessing and good wishes for Christmas and the New Year. reflecting on 2020, Jerry said that this has been a unique year for us all with the impact of Covid19 being felt right across the World. Some have suffered greatly and we should remember, in our thoughts and prayers, all those who have lost, as a result of the pandemic or other illness, a family member, a close relative or friend, or those who have been affected in any way by illness. Cuirmear i gcuimhne iad go leir

PPU WhatsAPP Groups

The use of WhatsApp on our mobile phones mushroomed in the early days of the Lockdown. Many families, sporting and other organisations set up WhatsApp Groups to provide a quick and convenient way to keep in touch and send photos etc. The PPU set up a Group called ROW News and a number of classes set up WhatsApp Groups to communicate with past pupils in their own classes. Each class is under the control of a Manager with responsibility to pass on to his class mates any news relating to past pupils which he receives from ROW News. Any member of a class group, not just the Manager, can send messages to his group. All group managers can also send messages to ROW News on the following mobile number (0872557298 Jim Conway).

The scheme has been very successful and many interesting articles, news items and photos have been flying around. A lot of ROW history, anecdotes, photos etc. have been passed around. My own Group (1962) has been very active and provided great entertainment during lockdown/cocooning days. That Group is managed by Michael O’Sullivan and now has 12 members, including one overseas member, Marius Sykes, who lives in England. Any past pupil who would like to get on a Group should text his phone number to his “Year Manager” if he recognises him below. If your year is not here just text your number to me (Jim Conway 0872557298) and Jim Conway put you on a Group.

Contact Numbers and Years

1973 Dan Ferrari 087 6238136

1976 John Costello 087 9802940

1971 Ed Hanlon 087 2551657

1967 Denis Kane 087 2546898

1966 Brendan Malone 087 2649144

1964 John Cullen 087 2312728

1962 Michael O’Sullivan 086 2591790

1961 Emmet Wilson 087 2492954

Deceased Past Pupils 2020

The PPU became aware of the deaths of six members during 2020. These were Chris Kane, Cyril Stirrat, Peter Dolan, Don Byrne, Charlie Glennon and Ray Duggan. All were prayed for during the Mass for St. Andrew’s day celebrated by the Archbishop on Sunday December 29th.

Row Person of the Year 2020 - Mr. Pat Neill

The President Jerry Carroll and Committee of the Westland Row Past Pupils Union are delighted to announce that the Row Person of the year is Mr. Pat Neill, Head of Security at the Dundrum Shopping Centre.
 Pat will be presented with the PV Doyle trophy at our Annual Dinner on Saturday January 25th

Mr. Pat Neill MBA

Pat completed his Leaving Cert in 1973 and joined an Garda Siochana in September 1974. He was appointed to the rank of Detective in 1978, involved in the newly formed Anti-Terrorist Unit. Pat reached the rank of Inspector and trained with most of the Anti-Terrorist Units in Europe and in New Jersey USA.

1993 to 2000, Pat managed the Specialist training school, Phoenix Park, Garda Headquarters.

1994 - Awarded the Toast Masters of the Year Award - Hellfire Toast Masters Club.

1994 - Received Garda National Award for developing a Drugs Awareness Information Strategy Programme for all Garda Districts, in order to deliver a a single message when lecturing to schools throughout the country.

1997 - Developed and co-ordinated the first course for the Criminal Asset Bureau (CAB) on Money Laundering and Asset seizing. (Garda, Customs and Revenue)

1998 - Developed the Batchelor of Arts Degree Programme “BA Degree in Police Management” for Senior Garda Officers (in association with Limerick University).

1997 - Conferred with the International Executive Master in Business Administration (IE.MBA), Smurfit Business School.

Pat acted as an advisor on the 2016 to 2022 DLR County Development Plan on matters relating to County Transportation. He ensures that the DLR Chamber is represented on the (SPC’s) advisory committees, Public and Social Housing Committees.

Pat represents Dundrum Town Centre Retailers on two of IBEC’s advisory committees relating to H&S in Retail and the Transportation Committee.

Member, Board of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown (DLR) Chamber of Commerce since 2008. From May 2016 to May 2018 Pat served as President of the DLR Chamber of Commerce. Pat remains a Director of the DLR Chamber to this day.

Annual Dinner. Westbury Hotel, January 26, 2019

This takes place, as usual in the Westbury Hotel, on Saturday 26 January 2019.   We are now opening bookings, price €60.   Please make contact with John Cullen, and I'll ensure that your name is in the pot

Row Person of the Year 2019 - Prof. Pat Felle

The PPU are delighted to announce that the Row Person of the Year for 2019 is Dr. Pat Felle. Dr Pat Felle. Associate Dean, Medicine (International)  Patrick Felle graduated from UCD School of Medicine in 1983, having spent some years in banking and ICT before his medical studies.  Following internship in the Mater Hospital Internship programme, he completed a BSc in Anatomy and Physical Anthropology, and was Research Fellow in Anatomy in UCD from 1986-1988.  He was  lecturer in Anatomy at RCSI from 1988-1994 and was then appointed lecturer in Anatomy at UCD.  He studied for an MSc in Healthcare Informatics in 1997 and established the subject area of Medical Informatics in UCD.  He is currently Head of Medical Informatics at UCD and Senior Lecturer in Anatomy, with a special interest in clinical neuroanatomy.  Dr. Felle has since graduation maintained a clinical practice.  He worked in family medicine in Canada in 1985 and has held a number of parttime clinical appointments since then, including 20 years as parttime Assistant in Emergency Medicine in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.  He recently returned to parttime family practice, with a special interest in dermatology.   Dr. Felle has extensive experience in international medical education.  He was lecturer and examiner in the postgraduate surgical examinations of the Royal College of Surgeons in the Middle East.  He has chaired the UCD Medicine Admissions Committee for some years.  In 2012 he was appointed Associate Dean for International Studies and is responsible for the international medical students who historically came mainly from North America, Malaysia and Singapore.  Dr. Felle has in the past three years actively diversified UCD recruitment of medical students to add many other countries including in this past year Mauritius, India, Trinidad & Tobago, Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Hong Kong and Nigeria.  These young people coming to Ireland to study medicine are adding to the rich international culture at UCD. 

Annual Dinner. Westbury Hotel, January 26, 2019

This takes place, as usual in the Westbury Hotel, on Saturday 26 January 2019.   We are now opening bookings, price €60.   Please make contact with John Cullen, and I'll ensure that your name is in the pot

Annual Mass 2019

As has been the practice in recent years, the annual Mass for deceased past pupils coincides with the St Andrews Day Mass.   This takes place at 11.30 in St Andrews Church, Westland Row on Sunday 2 December. The chief celebrant this year is the Archbishop of Dublin. There is also a lunch afterwards in the Grand Canal Hotel (€25) for those who wish to go. Please let John Cullen know if you know of any past pupils who died during the year, so that we can provide names to the parish

Row Person of the Year 2019 - Call for Nominations

We are seeking nominations from past pupils for Row Person of the Year 2019, to add to nominations made in previous years.   If you consider someone worthy of the honour, please let me know, setting out why you consider him/her suitable.   Please let John Cullen know not later than Friday 24 November.

Annual Dinner. Westbury Hotel, January 26, 2019

This takes place, as usual in the Westbury Hotel, on Saturday 26 January 2019.   We are now opening bookings, price €60.   Please make contact with John Cullen, and I'll ensure that your name is in the pot

Row Person of the Year 2018 - Jim Farrelly

The PPU are delighted to announce that the Row Person of the Year for 2018 is Jim Farrelly (aka Jim Farley). Jim graduated from the class of 1955 and immediately joined The Earl Gill band as a professional musician. While at the Row he also attended the Municipal School of Music to study clarinet and saxophone. In 1963 he went on to form The Jim Farley Big Band and played through the era of showband entertainment all over Ireland. Jim played with Jerry Lee Lewis, Louis Armstrong, Diana Ross, Sheba, Roly Daniels and other stars while they toured Ireland. Later Jim formed Jim Farley and the Top Hatters, a 22 piece band with 6 vocalists which toured/played in Europe. Jim currently plays with friends in a Dixieland jazz band each Sunday evening at Sin E on Dublin’s Ormond Quay. Jim married Terri in 1958 and they have 3 sons, Karl, Mark and Ian and 3 grandchildren.  Jim and Terri live in Clontarf.

Save the Date - January 27th, 2018

Annual Dinner. January 27th, 2018

The Annual Dinner will take place in The Westbury Hotel on Saturday, January 27th, 2018. All past pupils are encouraged to attend this important and hugely enjoyable annual event. We particularly encourage past pupils for whom 2017 is the 10th, 20th, 30th, etc. anniversary of finishing your studies at Westland Row CBS. We look forward to welcoming you to the 2018 Dinner.

Row Person of the Year 2018 - Call Closed

The call for nominations has now expired. We thank members for their nominations. The Row Person of the Year 2018 will be announced before the Annual Dinner in Jan 2018.

Row Person of the Year 2017 - Call Closed

The call for nominations has now expired. We thank members for their nominations. The Row Person of the Year 2017 will be announced before the Annual Dinner in Jan 2017.

Row Person of the Year 2017 - Nominations Sought

The PPU are seeking nominations for the Row Person of the Year. You are strongly encouraged to email your nominations to the PPU Secretary Jim Conway at jim.conway7@gmail.com. Please include a brief case in support of the nominee and contact details for him/her. All queries should be directed to Jim. Nominations should be received by October 30th 2016.

Window on the Past - The Kelly Brothers

November 1st 2016. Des Byrne has unearthed yet more examples of WR CBS pupils involved in 1916. Go to Window on the Past and download the piece on the Kelly Brothers, Joe and Thomas.

PPU AGM Wednesday, April 6th, 2016 at 7pm

The PPU Annual General Meeting will take place on April 6th. at 7 pm in the school and we urge as many past pupils as possible to come along and make your voices heard. The committee has been very busily engaged over the last few years with the 150th anniversary events and the publication of Cuimhneachan which was launched at the annual dinner in January. We are still hard at work on projects to commemorate 1916 and will shortly be announcing important events to remember past pupils who gave their lives and who participated in the struggle for the freedom we enjoy today – watch this space. In the meantime, we look forward to seeing you on the 6th. when all the old geezers in the photo below will be up for re-election. Jim Conway, PPU Hon. Sec.

A Decade of Remembrance

The School Management and PPU have been very active in promoting the role of the school and its past pupils during this, the decade of commemorating the momentous events which took place 100 years ago.

The most recent event, on 14 March, saw the direct descendants of the Pearse family attend at the school to present the Pearse coat of arms, sponsored by the PPU, to the school museum. The family members included Noel Scarlett, a sprightly 87 year old great grandson of the Pearses’ father. James Pearse re-married after the death of his first wife, and Noel is the grandson of the son, James, of that first marriage. That makes him a grand nephew of Patrick and Willie Pearse. Both sides of the family lived happily together in what was then Great Brunswick St, and later in Cullenswood House, Ranelagh. Noel was accompanied on the occasion by his two sons, Ciarán and Patrick, as well as Ciarán’s wife, Mary.

For further reading and some pictures from the event:

Click Here

“ROW” boy running for Seanad Eireann 2016

Past pupil Eoin Meehan MSc CITP FICS has thrown his hat into the ring as a contender in the upcoming Seanad race and is seeking support from fellow past pupils. Eoin is a very interesting character and it would be great to have a past pupil in the “corridors of power”. Eoin was actually born in London in 1962. His parents (both Dubs) had to emigrate due to economic circumstances but they brought the family home in 1964 and Eoin started school in Clarendon Street (where the Westbury is now) and then Westland Row. on graduating in 1979 Eoin did a computer programming course in AnCO (the predecessor of Fas) and developed a very keen interest in technology. Eoin kicked off his career as a commercial programmer working with a number of Irish software houses, in the early ’80’s.

In the late ’80’s Eoin started working with public data networks, as well as modems and dial-up (Remember that?) and then moved to a campus company based at UCD that allowed him to work with the Internet.

Eoin worked with Intel as a senior engineer building the production control systems for the new FAB14 manufacturing facility at Leixlip in the late ’90’s and also with Bank of Ireland on numerous occasions as an electronic messaging specialist and a Unix specialist.

In 2006, Eoin fulfilled a long held dream of attending Trinity. He was accepted as a mature student for direct access to a M.Sc course. Two years later Eoin graduated with flying colours with both his parents present on a very special occasion.

Since leaving college Eoin worked with an Irish company in the mobile the mobile telecoms industry, helping to build their consultancy division from 0 to 15 consultants working world wide and also as a senior consultant with Dell in London, specialising in technology transformation programmes for very large organisations.

Eoin also worked in TCD on an EU FP7 project – Networks for Communications Challenged Communities (N4C). Lately, Eoin co-founded a small start up , Sprism Ltd. with a colleague from his M.Sc course, Peter Williams, and they are working to commercialise his doctoral research into data dystems into data analysis and visualisation. This brought Eoin into the start up ecosystem and engagements with Enterprise Ireland, NDRC and others.

Eoin is a member of the Irish Computer Society and the first Chartered IT Professional to be chartered by the ICS. He is also a fellow of the Society.

In his spare time Eoin is a recreational motorcyclist and enjoys war games with his (now grown up) children. He also dabbled in martial arts and has progressed in Laido, the Japanese samurai sword art. He is also a sci-fi fan, plays the flute and was a member of the Irish Youth Orchestra and the Westland Row Concert Band.

The above is a brief Bio of Eoin and more details are available on his website http://www.eoinmeehan.com, Facebook and Linkedin.

We wish Eoin well in his efforts to make the Seanad.

Cuimhneachan 1864 - 2014

Our 150th. Anniversary Yearbook, Cuimhneachan 1864 - 2014, was launched at our Annual Dinner on Saturday last and already has received rave reviews. We believe that it will stand the test of time as a significant record of our historic school. It runs to 236 pages and is packed with photographs and information on achievements by pupils - past and present. The section entitled The Revolutionary Years, by Des Byrne, is an outstanding record of the involvement of past pupils and their families in the Easter Rising, The Great War and the War of Independence. This has particular significance this year. The publication is priced at €20 plus postage/packaging.

You can now order your copy/copies and make payment by either

a) a bank transfer to the PPU at:

     IBAN: IE 16 BOFI 9013 7810 3670 25 (no spaces)

     BIC: BOFIIE2D

OR

b) a secure credit card facility by clicking directly on the link below. Thanks to Brian Whelan (Row Person of the Year 2016) of Bermingham Cameras for making this facility available to the PPU.

The cost per copy to include postage and packaging is -

€27.50 for Ireland

€30 for UK/Europe

€35 for Rest of World

Any additional donation you wish to make to support the work of the PPU will be most welcome. Please email Jim Conway jim.conway7@gmail.com or Michael O'Sullivan mosullivan@bewleys.com with the full names and addresses for postage purposes.

On receipt of your payment and email your Publication will be posted to you. Many thanks for your support. If you happen to be in town you can collect your copy at Bermingham Cameras on Burgh Quay and save the postage cost. 

PPU Committee.

Click Here

ROW PERSON OF THE YEAR 2016 - BRIAN WHELAN

The Past Pupils Union is delighted to announce that Brian Whelan has been selected as Row Person of the Year 2016. Brian left the Row in 1969 to start work in the long established and well known camera and photographic business, Bermingham Cameras in Burgh Quay. Brian’s interest in photography had prompted him to seek holiday work in the shop over a few years and when the offer of a permanent position cropped up he jumped at it. The business went from strength to strength and Brian was made Manager in 1978. He acquired the business fully in 1997. The business continues to prosper and is now managed by Brian’s son. Brian married Marian in 1979. They have one son and three daughters. Brian will be presented with the P.V Doyle Memorial Trophy(the 39th. recipient) at the annual dinner at the Westbury Hotel on Saturday January 30th.

January Event

Annual Dinner - January 30th 2016

Annual Dinner on Saturday 30 January, 2016. The ticket price remains at €60. Venue: Westbury Hotel