By Paddy Walsh

It was a vaguely familiar face that caught Tommy Ronaghan’s attention in the Oasis Bar in Letterkenny around a quarter of a century ago.

“I met this guy a few times there and thought I knew him,” he recalls.

“I eventually asked him who he was and found out he was a Sergeant in the Guards. We continued on talking and then I found out it was a person I knew very well, Michael Gallagher, who was in the same classroom as me at St. Eunan’s.”

The conversation continued between the pair before Tommy happened to bring it around to a suggestion about organising a reunion of the 1970-1975 class. Michael readily supported the idea and so they agreed – Tommy would make contact with the townies while Michael would turn his attention to those who had boarded with him.

“What you have to remember is that while there were mobile phones around at the time there was no Whatsapp to get in touch with these lads,” Tommy reflects.

What they did have was a photograph of the class and from that they were able to draw up a list of their former classmates.

“At that stage of the proceedings we didn’t have a date set for the Reunion and didn’t know how we were going to do it. We hoped we’d be able to get inspiration over a pint of Guinness!.”

And over one or two more they did!. “We picked a date in September of that year and got the information around by word of mouth and through the papers and advertisements and so on.”

In all 31 former students turned up for the Mass in St. Eunan’s College chapel, the tour of the school (for those wanting to undertake it), and a meal in Gleneany House. Following that they headed to the nearby Oasis Bar where the idea to have a reunion had originally been mooted.

“We had a great night – very enjoyable and we decided to meet again there on the Sunday morning. I remember Michael Mellett coming in along with his wife, Margaret, and telling a few stories. And she said they’d stay for an hour before heading back to Dublin but in the end it was three hours!”.

Both Tommy and Michael Gallagher received letters from their former classmates thanking them for organising the event. “The whole thing helped make people stay in touch with each other so from that point of view also, it was a great success.”

Tommy’s own memories of St. Eunan’s are generally favourable ones. “Me and Brendan O’Donnell would head up together in the mornings and we are still friends after all these years.”

The mentors and teachers who influenced him most were Fr. Austin Laverty, Michael Cullen, Hubie Dorrian, Hugh Duffy, Dan Ryan, Sean Rabbitte and Mickey Kerr.

“I had very few bad days I have to say at St. Eunan’s and much of that was due to the friends I made and those teachers I mentioned. I fell out with nobody.

“I’d say the boarders probably had a harder time than we day boys had.”

And for those who suggest that the learning of Latin at secondary school back in the day was a fruitless exercise, Tommy has the answer from his own personal experience.

“Hugh Duffy taught it and it was very beneficial to me in later life when my job involved horticulture and the names of plants and shrubs were all in Latin.”

Meanwhile, the Letterkenny man is eagerly anticipating next week’s 50th Reunion.

“Hard to believe that time has flown by so quickly since our 25th get-together but I’m really looking forward to catching up with everybody.”

The 1970-75 St Eunan’s College class at their 25th reunion.

The initial catch-up will be in Blake’s Bar on Friday night, September 12, from 8pm.

A meet and greet takes place at the College on Saturday afternoon (1.30pm) followed by a memorial Mass at 2pm to remember those former classmates who have passed away in the intervening years.

There’ll be a guided tour of the old school at 3.30pm followed by refreshments and much banter.

Then on Saturday night, the revellers will meet up in the Mount Errigal Hotel, initially in Lillie’s Bar before making their way to the Glencar Suite for dinner at 7.30pm. More banter, some bread and butter pudding, and a lot of stories to relate and listen to!

And, of course, the musically minded and talented will be invited to bring along their respective instruments to add a musical leaning to the evening.

All will help bring the event into the small hours before some time later the 70-75 class will meet again for a farewell get-together and the promises of meeting up again before long.

And no doubt the memories evoked will also focus on the 25th reunion that came about as the result of a chance meeting in the Oasis Bar.