St Gerald’s College will this year celebrate 100 years in Castlebar. The upcoming October Bank Holiday weekend will see the centenary celebrations in full swing. All past pupils and past members of staff are encouraged to join in the celebrations. To assist past associates of St Gerald’s College keep up to date with the centenary celebration, a website has been set up which includes details of the celebrations as well as lists of past pupils dating back to the early 1900s. This site can be viewed at www.stgeraldscentenary.com The celebrations will begin on Friday October 23 with a concelebrated Mass. The Mass will take place in the Church of the Holy Rosary at 7.30pm and all are welcome to attend. On Saturday October 24 the school will welcome back former students from the 1997 All-Ireland Gaelic football team and the 2003 All-Ireland team to play an All-Star challenge match. On the Saturday night the highlight of the weekend is a gala dinner dance. Tickets for this event are much sought after by past pupils and past staff, and this promises to be a great night. The event will take place in the TF Royal Theatre; following the dinner there will be ample opportunity for chat, music, and dance. Tickets for this event are available from Frank Durcan, the TF Royal Theatre, Downtown Records, Scriney’s, Tweed Centre and St Gerald’s College. A golf classic will also take place on the Saturday.
The St Gerald’s College Centenary committee are in the process of publishing a Centenary book to coincide with the weekend celebrations. The book has been compiled from examining all available archives that reference St Gerald’s College and promises to be a must have for local historians as well as past pupils. Photos of past pupils have been accumulated dating back to 1909 and these, together with all available class photos, will be included in the book.
There will also be many contributions from past pupils and staff telling of their experiences at St Gerald’s over the years. The book is receiving much interest prior to its publication; prior orders are being taken for the book which will be a limited edition. The orders can be placed at any ticket selling location. Bookings for dinner dance tickets are brisk and early booking is recommended. Tickets are being sold on a first come first served basis. Some past pupils have opted to group book, reserving tables in their class year so that they will be with old school friends on the night.
