By John Fitzgerald
Past pupils of the old Callan CBS have said goodbye to a popular Christian Brother.
Brother Jim Dunne, formerly of Portarlington Co. Laois, who taught at the secondary school in Callan in the 1970s, died peacefully on November 4th at St. Patrick’s Care Centre, Baldoyle.
The Christian Brothers have been ravaged by the appalling actions of a minority within their Order, so it’s a change, and a relief, to hear of the good brothers…the ones who followed in the hallowed footsteps of Edmund Rice.
Such a man was Brother Dunne, who made a hugely positive impact on the educational scene in Callan.
He arrived at the Callan CBS in September 1975 to replace Brother Coen as Principal.
He ushered in a new era of enlightened teaching at the school. Instead of the leather strap, he advocated learning through kindness and patient instruction, displaying an almost superhuman patience in even the most testing scenarios.
He evinced his superb organizational ability and administrative talents from day one. At every staff meeting, he sailed through the agenda, however challenging, getting to the nub of each school-related issue with a laser-sharp discernment.
To lighten the educational load for pupils, he introduced table tennis to the school, a first for the CBS.
In an online tribute, retired CBS Principal Frank McKenna, says, “There are any amount of anecdotes one could tell about Brother Dunne.”
He recalls that the brother’s organizational flair and success record were such that teachers joked: “if Dunne couldn’t do it, it couldn’t be done.”
Whether dealing with pupils or teachers, he brought out the best in them, and saw the good in everyone, believing it his Christian duty to follow the example of Edmund Rice in his own quest to broaden the reach and benefits of education.
I remember him as a teacher of French and Art, but also as the man who started a camera club in the school, which was a novelty at the time. He introduced scores of pupils to photography and they were soon using all kinds of cameras to capture their favorite moments, scenes, and to explore the potential of picture making as an art form.
The budding photographers used the old woodwork shed for the informal sessions. The camera club became the happiest part of the school experience for some lads, providing a welcome and even necessary break from the more demanding subjects that sapped their energies and taxed their brains as The Leaving loomed like Armageddon.
His love of classical music and art was untypical of the average teacher, at that time. They tended to be more into Gaelic Games and felt that “an auld slap or two wouldn’t go astray.”
Br. Dunne saw corporal punishment as undesirable in an educational setting. This was somewhat at variance with a prevalent view in teaching circles: the one that chimed with the title of a mid-1970s hit- song:
Dropkick me Jesus through the goalposts of life.
While encouraging participation in sport, with the usual emphasis on Gaelic games, as all teachers did, he offered a more nuanced “take” on the role of athletics, pointing out that it mustn’t take undue precedence, and stressing the preeminent value of the spiritual in our lives.
He reminded classes that education wasn’t just about short-term academic success or grades in The Leaving, useful though these were. It was a multi-faceted process that continued throughout life, and from his perspective, the faith that sustained him was at the core of living. It influenced and underpinned his approach to all aspects of life.
At a posting elsewhere in Ireland, he had a beautiful stained glass window with spiritual motifs installed in a school prayer-room. It remains as a testimony to his faith, and a resourceful depiction of the world beyond.
His teaching merit aside, Callan remembers- and honours- Br. Dunne for his role in the building of a new secondary school. After taking up his post at the CBS, he wasted no time in advancing both the cause of Edmund Rice’s canonization and the need to replace the school building that greeted him upon his arrival in West Street.
It was a decaying patchwork of timber, galvanized and prefabricated structures. In his estimation, it was no longer fit for purpose. Teachers and pupils shared his concern. Some of them felt caught up in a Victorian time warp as they taught or studied within its archaic confines.
With a missionary zeal, Br. Dunne kick-started a fund-raising committee to set about making the long cherished dream of a new school for boys a reality.
At a public meeting in Callan in 1978, he informed the large gathering that a staggering IR£100,000 would need to be raised in the locality towards the building of a new secondary school.
Undaunted by this dizzying target, Br. Dunne used his heaven-sent charisma and mesmeric powers of persuasion to motivate his fellow teachers and a network of community groups.
Under his inspired direction, they took onboard every conceivable fund-raising idea. Nothing was off the table when it came to reaching their financial target: Monthly draws, concerts, whist drives, dances, discos, field days, fancy dress parades. Farmers even donated bullocks.
One fund-raiser, however, instantly captured the public imagination and has passed into local folklore: The one-hundred-cycle race that had to be completed within a day.
Volunteers scoured the country for bikes. A team was formed and the first of the big cycling fund-raisers was organized in October 1979.
Nineteen cyclists set off from the CBS in West Street through wind and rain-swept streets and roads and across the toughest of terrain. Thanks to Br. Dunne’s initiative, Christian Brothers nationwide lent their backing to the venture, some of them taking their own bikes to join the race.
Among the locals to participate were the late Christy Vaughan and Philly Tobin, and a legendary character, Jim Bergin, who loved cycling. Jim saw the race as an unparalleled expression of community spirit.
Another local hero, Sean Holden, also got involved. As a longstanding member of the National Federation of CBS Past Pupils, Sean advised Br. Dunne on many a fundraising scheme. He also offered crucial advice on the intricacies of local attitudes and mindsets.
Marianne Lyons was the only woman on the first cycle race, but thankfully, other women later followed her example. Their pedal power was a wonder to behold in the 1980 race.
Between the cycle races and all the other fund-raisers, the school eventually left the proverbial drawing board.
Sadly, Br. Dunne was no longer at the CBS when the project he had pursued with unrelenting fidelity came to fruition. He had departed Callan in 1981 to take up a post in Liverpool.
Construction of the new CBS secondary school at Clashacollaire commenced in1982 and it finally opened its doors in 1984 to a fanfare of celebration and relief.
But Br. Dunne’s immeasurable contribution to education in Callan was on everyone’s mind when the ribbon was cut at the state-of-the-art building.
The great Man of God has now returned home and his many friends and past pupils pay tribute to him.
They cherish the life and achievements of a good Christian Brother- an exemplary devotion to his faith…his inherent decency…his commitment to education, sport, and the use of art to enhance human existence.
Predeceased by his sisters Blanche and Pat, brothers-in-law Paddy and Reg, deeply regretted by his brothers Donal, Jack and Liam, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and extended family, friends, fellow residents and Brothers in Religion.
