Past Pupils Union Revived

Centenarian Val Martin (Class of 1940) opened the event!

Garbally Past Pupils’ Union, an organisation representing former students and staff of Garbally College, is back up and running following a successful AGM.

Former students from afar as Queensland, Australia, and Boston, USA, were among the 30 or so past pupils who joined the event, which was held in Gullane’s Hotel, and live stream.

Arguably Garbally’s oldest past student, centenarian Val Martin (Class of 1940) opened the event with some reminisces on how he ended up attending the college despite the lure of Roscrea in his native parish of Portumna.

Following the approval of a new constitution, the AGM proceeded to elect Paddy Feehily (Class of ’72) as the PPU’s new president. Paddy, who was the last secretary of the PPU’s Dublin branch until it petered out in the late 1990s, said he was honoured to have been nominated for the role. He received his chain of office from Gary Hynes, whose father, Pat, was the PPU’s last elected president.

Martin Nunan (Class of ’93) was elected chairperson and Aidan Ryan (Class of ’86) vice-chairperson. Secretary is Damian Mac Con Uladh (Class of ’93) while Alan Harney (Class of ’14) is treasurer and Colm Croffy (Class of ’87) PRO. Mike Sheil (Class of ‘84) is a committee member.

Projects that they will be focusing on  include assisting with class reunions and other social events, marking the centenary of the move from the Pines to Garbally in 1923 and digitising old issues of the college annuals Gearrbhaile and the Fountain.

Originally originally established in 1929, almost 150 past pupils have already signed up to the PPU via the online registration form. The PPU can be reached on social media here