Athlone's Marist College to celebrate its glorious 125-year history

Athlone's Marist College is to commemorate its 125th anniversary with special events this Friday and Saturday. On Friday, the school hosts a golf competition at Athlone Golf Club, while an Open Day at the school is to commence at 11am on Saturday. There will be concelebrated mass with Bishop Colm O'Reilly at 5pm on Saturday and, following this, Minister of State Conor Lenihan - whose father Brian is a past pupil of the school - will launch a new book on its history. Entitled "Marist College Athlone - Celebrating 125 years", the book has been compiled and edited by a former teacher, John Kinahan. The first three Marist Brothers, including the first principal of the school, Brother Mungo, arrived to establish the school in Athlone in 1884. Current principal, Tom Blaine, said this weekend's events have been designed to pay tribute to the contribution the order made to education in the town. "From our point of view we'd just like to acknowledge the contribution to education that the Marist order have made over 125 years," said Mr Blaine. "We're also providing an opportunity for the past pupils to get together again." Mr Blaine joined the school as a teacher in 1978. When asked about the changes that have - and haven't - occurred since then, he replied: "The plant of the school has been modernised with double-glazed windows, and things like that, which made a huge difference. "The attitude of the whole system of teaching has changed. At that time the teacher spoke and everybody else shut up and listened, and God help you if you didn't - you got a belt across the ear. That's certainly all changed now. "The one thing that hasn't changed has been the atmosphere of the school," he said. "There was always a fabulous atmosphere at the school and that is still the case today. When visitors come to the school it's still the main thing they comment upon." "(Former principal) Bro. Gerard Cahill would have been responsible for that atmosphere, but there seems to be that kind of ethos in Marist schools. Our two sister schools - Moyle Park in Clondalkin and Marian College in Ballsbridge - would claim to have a similar atmosphere in their staff room and among their students. It's all based on mutual respect between the staff and students." Another change which has occurred in the school has been the gradual ending of the Marist Brothers' involvement in teaching. While Bro. Gerard is head of the school's board of management, Brothers are no longer among the staff at the school. Mr Blaine said that this change has compelled the school's lay staff to carry on the teachings and ethos of the founder of the Marist Brothers, St Marcellan Champagnat. "We've been very fortunate to always have the religious orders here in Athlone to maintain a Catholic ethos in their particular schools," he said. "The number of those religious orders who are actually present in schools is diminishing rapidly. There is an onus on lay people and boards of management in schools to ensure that the ethos of St Marcellan Champagnat is carried on for at least another 125 years more."