De La Salle College

[RickyO]

I attended DLS from 1956 to 1961 and still have many memories of the school.

Wilfred was the headmaster when I started but I think he was moved on after about four years and another Brother became head.

MacSweeny was our English teacher. I don't remember learning much in English. He seemed to come in and chat to us for 35 minutes about any subject we chose to raise and that lasted to the end of the lesson.

Bro. Alphonsus taught RE and his lessons were always interesting.

We had a science teacher called Mr. Whaley who used to come to school on his scooter. One morning, probably in 1957, I arrived at school and saw Wilf crying as he went into his office. We later learnt that Mr Whaley had been killed in a RTA on the way to school that morning. Our year was chosen to sing at his requiem the following week. I recall Mr. Whaley as a good man.

I wasn't keen on our Physics teacher Mr. Wilson. Perhaps one of the reasons was that he put me into detention three times in a week which meant I had to go to school on Saturday morning and that was a forty mile round trip for me.

Mr Gent taught chemistry, I think he was an old boy of the school.

Mr. Foley taught maths. One day he came into class sat down at the front and said 'number 1'. A few minutes later he said 'number 2'. This went on until the end of the lesson and he continued to sit there. One of the boys went out and brought Capt. Wall the PE master into the class who cleared us all out. It turned out Mr. Foley was diabetic and must have failed to take his medication that day.

Brother Syrenus taught history. He was a snuff taker. He did make the subject interesting and made sure his pupils knew all the facts. I bet most of us passed our GCE's in that subject.

JOS taught geography, the less said about that the better.

We had a pupil in the class called Jimmy Ryan. Wilf came in to give him the stick for some reason I cannot recall but after a couple of strokes Jimmy said

'I'll 'ave n'more o' that'. MacSweeny never let Jimmy forget the incident and some time later Jimmy left the school.

There was a Brother with ginger hair whose name escapes me at the moment,

Cyril I think. He used to prowl the playground every day. He never taught me but I think his subject was geography. He caught me smoking and gave me the choice of being reported to Wilf or taking punishment from him. I chose the latter. He kept me waiting for weeks or maybe months. In the end I went and asked him if we could get it over with. Six of the best. That was painful.

I was a poor student and I blame that on a bad home life, too much travelling to school and a bad attitude on my part.

 

Maybe the chemistry teacher Mr. Gent was Brian Gent who was a pupil with me in the forties. He was the smartest pupil at the college or even later that I ever studied with.

[rossyrooney]

wow this is interesting

 

You wouldn't have thought that had you attended the place matey.

 

It was a real eye opener and rather than instilling knowledge and tolerance into the pupils they chose to wield the big stick.

 

Bad memories of a bad time,most of the staff were either sadistic or crackers.

[pattricia]

You wouldn't have thought that had you attended the place matey.

 

It was a real eye opener and rather than instilling knowledge and tolerance into the pupils they chose to wield the big stick.

 

Bad memories of a bad time,most of the staff were either sadistic or crackers.

 

I was just down the road mate, at The Convent High School for girls. A very unhappy time for me, I couldnt wait to leave.

[ikepot44]

Such a spate of new messages detailing the daily brutalities of the De La Salle Brothers at our school, back in those good old days . . . !

 

But what we went through was as nothing to what the top Brothers inflicted on other lads, through their unbelievable naivete and stupidity. Just put BBC and James Carragher into your search engine, such as `Google', and see if you can believe your eyes. Forgiveness is all very well - but think of the truly ruined lives you are reading about . . .

 

And these people, our Brothers, had a licence to supervise the teaching and development of tens of thousands of vulnerable young boys. Including yours and mine . . .

[pjkay]

Such a spate of new messages detailing the daily brutalities of the De La Salle Brothers at our school, back in those good old days . . . !

 

But what we went through was as nothing to what the top Brothers inflicted on other lads, through their unbelievable naivete and stupidity. Just put BBC and James Carragher into your search engine, such as `Google', and see if you can believe your eyes. Forgiveness is all very well - but think of the truly ruined lives you are reading about . . .

 

And these people, our Brothers, had a licence to supervise the teaching and development of tens of thousands of vulnerable young boys. Including yours and mine . . .

 

Yes the Notorious De La Salle brothers...But lets not stop there..The Sisters Madalene(?) Even a movie about the cruelty and mistreatment of Children in their care..

This era has gone now thank goodness and we who came through it ,years ago have learnt some strong lessons. Never again we say..but there are still some parts of the world where there are injustices... Lets move on and enjoy the present and the future.

[hazel]

My brother, who started this thread, hated the De La Salle brothers all his life for their cruelty to the boys they were in charge of --including him.

 

But I found the Notre Dame nuns were strict but kind and always fair

 

hazel

[RickyO]

My brother, who started this thread, hated the De La Salle brothers all his life for their cruelty to the boys they were in charge of --including him.

 

But I found the Notre Dame nuns were strict but kind and always fair

 

hazel

 

My sister who went to Notre Dame in the forties says the same. Strict but fair. Sister Marie Claire was the head then I believe.

[hazel]

Hi RickyO

 

I went in 1947 and as I remember it was a Sister Marle-' Pierre' who was Head then, it's a long time ago but think it's right.

 

She was the one who interviewed me but must have left that year as when I started in the September the Head Teacher was Sister Monica.

I have a fleeting memory of being taken to see the notice over the outer door saying-------- Notre Dane High School for young ladies.

 

hazel

[POLSKI]

Andyman,

As a pupil at De La salle for 4 years, I know who I'm talking about,

Victor, Wilfred, Alpheus, Gabriel, Kevin etc. My reference to them being "Christian" brothers was generic, not specific.

I stand by my earlier point.

These were guys who hid from society because they couldn't get a girlfriend. Social inadequates with the freedom to bully kids. Most of them wouldn't have passed their teacher training had they not been members of a religious order.

I repeat...

 

 

Bad people

 

Bushbaby

 

Whoa ! What about Brother Spike (Anthony) ...top bloke. He'd turn a blind eye to us smoking in the potting shed right outside the brothers back door of their house.

If you got a wallop it's possibly because you deserved it. I received "6 of the best" from Wilf for 'wagging' school for a week. Wheal marks on my ar5e for a week and a bit but I didn't 'wag' it again. I don't believe they were bullies, just hard task masters. "Strapper" Grant gave me six on the backside, not because he was a bully but because I was chasing after another lad with boiling sulphuric acid in a beaker. I think I deserved a wallop for that one. Bro's MaxiMouse and SirryAnus were just grumpy old men as far as I was concerned but if you were prepared to get stuck into your work and tow the line then there was no problem. It's called discipline.....something thats lacking these days within society.

[RickyO]

Hi RickyO

 

I went in 1947 and as I remember it was a Sister Marle-' Pierre' who was Head then, it's a long time ago but think it's right.

 

She was the one who interviewed me but must have left that year as when I started in the September the Head Teacher was Sister Monica.

I have a fleeting memory of being taken to see the notice over the outer door saying-------- Notre Dane High School for young ladies.

 

hazel

 

Yes my sister has corrected me it was Sister Marie Pierre. My sister left in 1948.