Boost for Mayo college's music class thanks to former students

The music class of St. Gerald's College in Castlebar has been presented with a gift of a state-of-the-art amplifier by the Leaving Cert class of 1985 following a 40th year reunion event.

The class hosted a hugely successful anniversary night in Bridge Street Bar and had a large turnout with people travelling from all over the world including America, Luxembourg, Scotland, England and many places around Ireland.

The reunion was organised by Mick Baynes, Iarla Duffy, George Moran, Fergie Walsh and Padraic Chambers and had been in planning for over six months.

Padraic Chambers was the MC on the night and many of the former students regaled the crowd with stories from their school days from over 40 years ago and were entertained on the night by John Glesson with an 80s disco.

Principal Sean Burke organised a tour of the school for students during the day.

Some hadn't been back since their Leaving Cert in 1985 and afterwards it was decided that the class would make a presentation of a piece of equipment to the school and Sean suggested speaking with music teacher Jenny Hiney.

Jenny was delighted as she told the class that they had just got a new electronic drum kit but had no amplifier to play it through.

So Frankie McDonald of McDonald AV was contacted and he sourced and supplied amplification to satisfy the drums but also to be used for other instruments and as a rehearsal PA system.

The amplification was presented to the music class last Friday by Mick Baynes and Bernard Joyce on behalf of the 1985 Leaving Certs and the music class gave a lovely musical performance for them utilising the new system.

A detailed report on the 40th reunion, along with photographs, is in this year’s Castlebar Parish Magazine, written by Fergie Walsh.