Community notes June 25th

A Former Leaving Cert Student Remembers

On Friday last as I did my usual voluntary role helping out at the annual Sciath na Scol finals at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, I talked with a former teaching colleague. He asked if I remembered what I did 50 years ago last Wednesday. I sometimes have difficulty remembering what happened last week not to mind going back to 1972. Anyway, to cut a long story short, we both sat the Leaving Certificate, he at The North Mon and I over the bounds ditch at Farranferris,deadly rivals on the hurling pitch but firm friends off the field. Sport has the capacity to cement everlasting friendships and long may it remain. We swopped stories and rejoiced that we were both in good physical shape after all the years. When we got going, it was surprising the level of recall we had about the exam. When the Leaving was over, it was then on to The Matriculation Exam (Matric.) This exam no longer exists. For those not familiar with such things, it was basically an entrance exam to university. I remember the first exam very well. It happened that there was a Farna victory dinner where medals were presented to the successful Harty and All-Ireland winning hurling teams (when The Canon,then Fr. O’Brien reigned supreme) as well as the Munster Senior“B” football winners at The Metropole Hotel the night before. Not ideal preparation for an important exam. As we proudly made our way from Mac Curtain Street up to Farna that night with our medals in our pockets (I am not at liberty to tell you what time of night it was, other than to say that it was well past our usual time). We slept soundly without a care in the world only to be awoken bythe dreaded school bell. That same bell was our alarm clock for the five years we were boarding and it dictated our every move. We breakfasted in The Ref. and walked down Shandon Street and out The Western Road,entering the portals of UCC before finding The Aula Max where we sat our exam that morning. At lunch time, all reported none the worst after three hours of endeavour. The other subjects came and went during the week and then we were free, free at last for the summer.The one advantage that The Matric had was that the results were issued well before The Leaving and if you passed, you were in the door. There were no A’s or B’s in those days, just honours, pass or fail in the Leaving and pass or fail in The Matric. To my surprise and to the amazement of others, the Matric was in the bag and there was less anxiety about the result of the other. It just goes to show, you have to be in the right frame of mind to perform to your max. What a laugh we had recalling events of 50 years ago. How the years have flown so fast, we recalled, as reality dawned. Tempus fugit. My Latin teacher would be impressed! Another time, another era.

A few words of advice to this year’s students, the Leaving Cert will come and go and there is life after it, despite what some might have you think.

Corpus Christi Procession

The annual Corpus Christi Procession at Timoleague made a welcome return on Sunday last. A large crowd participated and the weather was ideal for the occasion. As the procession made its way through the streets, many tourists who happened to be in the village at the time were captivated by the spectacle. Benediction was held at the Chapel Steps beside The Time Line at the end and The Pastoral Council organised tea, coffee and cakes at The Canon Fleming Hall nearby. All chatted, inside and out, friends and neighbours, parishioners and non -parishioners alike. We in the little hamlet of Timoleague are ecumenical if nothing else.