Alumni of CBS Kilkenny
At CBS Kilkenny, we celebrate all of our students and take pride and pleasure in their successes long after they leave the school. We hope that their time in the school has given them a lifelong sense of belonging. Many former students have excelled in their chosen field, and we celebrate some of their achievements here.
Sean Maguire, Irish International Footballer
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Sean plays for Championship club Preston North End and made his senior debut for the Republic of Ireland against Moldova in 2017, scoring his first international goal in a man of the match performance in a 3-1 victory over New Zealand in Nov 2019.
Can you spot him at the center of our Leinster Champions League celebrations (above) in 2012?
Watch Sean's first International goal here
Watch Sean's post match interview here
Can you spot him at the center of our Leinster Champions League celebrations (above) in 2012?
Watch Sean's first International goal here
Watch Sean's post match interview here
Paddy Deegan, Kilkenny Hurler
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"Paddy is a player who wouldn't come off unless he couldn't walk. His heart is huge and his bravery is everything." - Brian Cody Link to full article: Here |
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Tim MacGabhann, Novelist and Writer
TIM MACGABHANN was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, and began his writing career as a music journalist while studying English Literature and French at Trinity College, Dublin. Since 2013, he has reported from all over Latin America for outlets including Esquire, Thomson Reuters, Al Jazeera, and the Washington Post. His fiction, non-fiction, and poetry has appeared in Gorse, The Stinging Fly, and Washington Square, and he holds an M.A. in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. He lives in Mexico City.
Tim is also a past winner of The CBS Kilkenny / Francis Macmanus Short-Story Competition and has very kindly served as judge for the 2020 competition.
His debut novel Call Him Mine was published to much acclaim in 2019
‘TOUGH AND UNCOMPROMISING: YOU’LL BE GLAD YOU READ IT‘ Lee Child
‘HILARIOUS, GRIPPING, POETIC. I LOVED IT‘ Adrian McKinty, author of The Chain
‘GRIPPING FROM BEGINNING TO END’ Independent
‘INTOXICATING AND CHILLING’ Observer
‘PACY AND EXCITING’ Daily Telegraph
‘VIVID AND LYRICAL’ Guardian
Tim is also a past winner of The CBS Kilkenny / Francis Macmanus Short-Story Competition and has very kindly served as judge for the 2020 competition.
His debut novel Call Him Mine was published to much acclaim in 2019
‘TOUGH AND UNCOMPROMISING: YOU’LL BE GLAD YOU READ IT‘ Lee Child
‘HILARIOUS, GRIPPING, POETIC. I LOVED IT‘ Adrian McKinty, author of The Chain
‘GRIPPING FROM BEGINNING TO END’ Independent
‘INTOXICATING AND CHILLING’ Observer
‘PACY AND EXCITING’ Daily Telegraph
‘VIVID AND LYRICAL’ Guardian
Ronan Kavanagh, Sports Scientist Wales Football Association
The last Irishman standing - Kavanagh playing key part in Welsh Euro revolution
The fanfare surrounding Ireland's Euro 2016 odyssey is subsiding with the hordes of travelling support returning home to normality after three weeks of euphoria - but there is still one beacon of light. The hopes of Irish hands lifting the Henri Delaunay Trophy live on and while Ronan Kavanagh isn't performing between the white lines, his role with Wales underpins their revolution.
Sports science has evolved enormously, and the Kilkenny native plays a key part in Chris Coleman's squad working alongside experienced hands like Ryland Morgans (formerly of Liverpool) and Adam Owen (previously with Rangers). Quarter-finals of major championships don't come easily and Kavanagh rises early. Players are regularly supplemented with vitamins and fish oil, so pill pods are filled for each individual by half seven every morning. Wellness questionnaires and saliva tests are investigated to assess players' wellbeing before heading to the training ground to set up GPS pods and prepare pre-activation and stretching routines.
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Kavanagh, a UL Sports Science graduate, prides himself on covering every base in preparation and recovery, but initially some players were resistant to their modern methods, akin to Roy Keane's recent second-day recovery jibe, before later seeing their many merits. "You see the stats the boys are putting in during games and you just think 'Ah we are doing the right thing, we're doing it properly'. The boys have just seen how much of a positive effect it can have on them," Kavanagh says. "When the GPS first came out they were like 'Why am I wearing it?' but now you see Gaz (Bale) coming over to the screen and asking 'What's my target? What am I after hitting?' When he does that, he gets a buy-in from everyone else."
At just 27, Kavanagh has enjoyed a meteoric rise, enjoying spells with Stat Sports in Dundalk, where he worked with Leinster and Ulster, England's U-20 rugby side, QPR, Galatasaray, Preston North End and currently Burnley. Sean Dyche's Burnley looked set for the play-offs before catching fire and going 23 games unbeaten to win the Championship, reaching the promised land of the Premier League with essentially the same 11 players each week. "People say 'Ah you need to rotate your squad' but we didn't rotate at all, we played the same 11 every Saturday and every Tuesday," says Kavanagh.
"That was our big driving point and we had one player who did on average 33km every week for 42 weeks. As long as players get consistent loads and they're not ridiculous, we're happy. It's the player who does 10km one week and then has to do 33km the next. . . whatever he's used to he can tolerate. You just need to be on top of the research the whole time."
Kavanagh admits he'd love to work with Ireland some time but would be "daft to leave Wales" right now. And while our Euro dream may be over, Chris Coleman, whose late father was from the East Wall in Dublin, and Kavanagh are still flying the flag.
Michael Verney, Irish Independent, July 1 2016
The fanfare surrounding Ireland's Euro 2016 odyssey is subsiding with the hordes of travelling support returning home to normality after three weeks of euphoria - but there is still one beacon of light. The hopes of Irish hands lifting the Henri Delaunay Trophy live on and while Ronan Kavanagh isn't performing between the white lines, his role with Wales underpins their revolution.
Sports science has evolved enormously, and the Kilkenny native plays a key part in Chris Coleman's squad working alongside experienced hands like Ryland Morgans (formerly of Liverpool) and Adam Owen (previously with Rangers). Quarter-finals of major championships don't come easily and Kavanagh rises early. Players are regularly supplemented with vitamins and fish oil, so pill pods are filled for each individual by half seven every morning. Wellness questionnaires and saliva tests are investigated to assess players' wellbeing before heading to the training ground to set up GPS pods and prepare pre-activation and stretching routines.
2
Kavanagh, a UL Sports Science graduate, prides himself on covering every base in preparation and recovery, but initially some players were resistant to their modern methods, akin to Roy Keane's recent second-day recovery jibe, before later seeing their many merits. "You see the stats the boys are putting in during games and you just think 'Ah we are doing the right thing, we're doing it properly'. The boys have just seen how much of a positive effect it can have on them," Kavanagh says. "When the GPS first came out they were like 'Why am I wearing it?' but now you see Gaz (Bale) coming over to the screen and asking 'What's my target? What am I after hitting?' When he does that, he gets a buy-in from everyone else."
At just 27, Kavanagh has enjoyed a meteoric rise, enjoying spells with Stat Sports in Dundalk, where he worked with Leinster and Ulster, England's U-20 rugby side, QPR, Galatasaray, Preston North End and currently Burnley. Sean Dyche's Burnley looked set for the play-offs before catching fire and going 23 games unbeaten to win the Championship, reaching the promised land of the Premier League with essentially the same 11 players each week. "People say 'Ah you need to rotate your squad' but we didn't rotate at all, we played the same 11 every Saturday and every Tuesday," says Kavanagh.
"That was our big driving point and we had one player who did on average 33km every week for 42 weeks. As long as players get consistent loads and they're not ridiculous, we're happy. It's the player who does 10km one week and then has to do 33km the next. . . whatever he's used to he can tolerate. You just need to be on top of the research the whole time."
Kavanagh admits he'd love to work with Ireland some time but would be "daft to leave Wales" right now. And while our Euro dream may be over, Chris Coleman, whose late father was from the East Wall in Dublin, and Kavanagh are still flying the flag.
Michael Verney, Irish Independent, July 1 2016
Alan Hoban, PhD Student, UCC
Alan Hoban
A head and stomach turning scientific breakthrough has been made by a Kilkenny PhD. student in University College Cork.
by Sean Keane, Kilkenny People, April 2016
Alan Hoban from Loughboy in the city has received rave reviews internationally after showing, for the first time, that gut bacteria have a direct physical effect on the brain; that the protective coating of nerves in the prefrontal cortex region of the brain are dependent on the presence of the host microbiome (gut bacteria).
This may have implications for treating demyelinating (nerve de-coating) disorders like multiple sclerosis because it shows bacteria can even influence brain function and behaviour.
Alan Hoban has shown that germ-free mice which are completely devoid of gut bacteria display greater wear and tear of nerves in the prefrontal cortex. This region of the brain is key to higher cognitive functions and in the expression of anxiety and social behaviours. Importantly, the team were able to visualise the extent of this increase in myelination (de-coating) using transmission electron microscopy.
When a normal microbiome was introduced into these animals, some of the changes in myelination were reversed. More work is needed to advance understanding of the mechanisms behind the relationship between the gut bacteria and nerve de-coating) and why only the cortex seems to be susceptible to its potential influence.
Alan went to the CBS Secondary School, Kilkenny. He did his undergraduate in Neuroscience in UCC and then moved to Galway (NUI) to do a Masters in Neuropharmacology. For his masters project he worked in the Multiple Sclerosis and Stroke research group under the supervision of Dr Una Fitzgerald (where he learned all the stuff about myelin).
After his masters he stayed with the group (voluntary internship) for about 5-6 months in the same lab. Then he came back to Cork in January 2014 to start his PhD.
by Sean Keane, Kilkenny People, April 2016
Alan Hoban from Loughboy in the city has received rave reviews internationally after showing, for the first time, that gut bacteria have a direct physical effect on the brain; that the protective coating of nerves in the prefrontal cortex region of the brain are dependent on the presence of the host microbiome (gut bacteria).
This may have implications for treating demyelinating (nerve de-coating) disorders like multiple sclerosis because it shows bacteria can even influence brain function and behaviour.
Alan Hoban has shown that germ-free mice which are completely devoid of gut bacteria display greater wear and tear of nerves in the prefrontal cortex. This region of the brain is key to higher cognitive functions and in the expression of anxiety and social behaviours. Importantly, the team were able to visualise the extent of this increase in myelination (de-coating) using transmission electron microscopy.
When a normal microbiome was introduced into these animals, some of the changes in myelination were reversed. More work is needed to advance understanding of the mechanisms behind the relationship between the gut bacteria and nerve de-coating) and why only the cortex seems to be susceptible to its potential influence.
Alan went to the CBS Secondary School, Kilkenny. He did his undergraduate in Neuroscience in UCC and then moved to Galway (NUI) to do a Masters in Neuropharmacology. For his masters project he worked in the Multiple Sclerosis and Stroke research group under the supervision of Dr Una Fitzgerald (where he learned all the stuff about myelin).
After his masters he stayed with the group (voluntary internship) for about 5-6 months in the same lab. Then he came back to Cork in January 2014 to start his PhD.
Francis MacManus, Novelist and Writer
Francis MacManus (8 March 1909 – 27 November 1965) was an Irish novelist and broadcaster. Born in Kilkenny, MacManus was educated in CBS Kilkenny and later at St. Patrick's College, Dublin and University College Dublin. After teaching for eighteen years at Synge Street Christian Brothers School in Dublin, MacManus joined the staff of Radio Éireann (precursor to RTÉ, the Irish national broadcasting entity) in 1948 as Director of Features.
MacManus began writing while still teaching, first publishing a trilogy set in Penal times and concerning the life of the Gaelic poet Donncha Rua Mac Conmara comprising the novels Stand and Give Challenge (1934), Candle for the Proud (1936) and Men Withering (1939).
A second trilogy followed which turned its attention to contemporary Ireland: This House Was Mine (1937), Flow On, Lovely River(1941), and Watergate (1942). The location was the fictional "Dombridge", based on Kilkenny, and dealt with established themes of Irish rural life: obsessions with land, sexual frustration, and the trials of emigration and return. Other major works include the novel The Greatest of These (1943), concerning religious conflict in nineteenth-century Kilkenny, and the biographies Boccaccio (1947) and Saint Columban (1963). In his last two novels, MacManus descended into the depths of theological debate: The Fire in the Dust (1950) was followed by American Son (1959), a remarkable dialogue between conflicting modes of belief which reveals the strong influence of Roman Catholicism on the author.
The RTÉ Francis MacManus Short Story Award was established in his memory in 1985, and the CBS Kilkenny award was inaugurated in 2005.
A second trilogy followed which turned its attention to contemporary Ireland: This House Was Mine (1937), Flow On, Lovely River(1941), and Watergate (1942). The location was the fictional "Dombridge", based on Kilkenny, and dealt with established themes of Irish rural life: obsessions with land, sexual frustration, and the trials of emigration and return. Other major works include the novel The Greatest of These (1943), concerning religious conflict in nineteenth-century Kilkenny, and the biographies Boccaccio (1947) and Saint Columban (1963). In his last two novels, MacManus descended into the depths of theological debate: The Fire in the Dust (1950) was followed by American Son (1959), a remarkable dialogue between conflicting modes of belief which reveals the strong influence of Roman Catholicism on the author.
The RTÉ Francis MacManus Short Story Award was established in his memory in 1985, and the CBS Kilkenny award was inaugurated in 2005.
Niall Bourke, Writer
Niall Bourke
From class to Costa: graduate’s short story up for top award
Link to this full article here.
Link to PDF of short story here.
Link to audio of story here.
Written by Tom Morgan
Published on 19 Jan 2016
A tale which was started in a creative writing class at Goldsmiths is in the running for the Costa Short Story Award 2015
The work by Niall Bourke, who completed his MA Writer/Teacher last summer, is among six nominations for the the £3,500 prize. The work “Gerardo Dreams of Chillies” tells the story of a Mexican market trader.
Niall, 34, from Kilkenny in Ireland, currently teaches at St Michael’s College in Bermondsey after recently completing his MA. And he admitted that his time at Goldsmiths was key to the entry – as well the piece even being finished. He said: “Getting the nomination was quite a surprise - I only threw in the story on the off chance because the competition was free to enter. I never thought I'd actually be shortlisted! I found out in November but couldn't tell anyone, so that was kind of agonising (in a nice way). “I started the story in creative writing class I took at Goldsmiths in the first semester of the MA. Were it not for the creative space the MA provided and the guidance and encouragement of the excellent tutors on the course I mightn't have even finished it, let alone sent it off to a competition."
Bourke is the second Goldsmiths alumni to be nominated for one of this year’s Costa awards, with former student and teacher Kate Miller shortlisted for the 2015 Costa Poetry Award. Last year saw Goldsmiths’ Honorary Fellow Ali Smith win the Costa Novel of the Year for her work How To Be Both – just weeks after it won the Goldsmiths Prize 2014.
Goldsmiths graduate Niall writes both poetry and short fiction, and has been published in a number of journals and magazines including The Galway Review, Prole, Southbank Poetry, Roadside Fiction, Holdfast Magazine and The Irish Literary Times. In 2015 he was longlisted for The Short Story competition and shortlisted for The Over The Edge New Writer Of The Year Award in both the poetry and prose categories. He is currently working on his first novel. The winner of the Short Story Award is chosen by the public after a secret online vote. The six shortlisted stories are posted online without the authors’ names – with their identities only revealed once the voting has closed.
Among those shortlisted for the Short Story gong - including a playwright, a part-time gym-instructor, and a previous finalist -is Rupert Thomson, an award-winning novelist whose book The Insult, published by Bloomsbury in 1996, was included in a list approved by musician David Bowie in his "Top 100" recommended reads. The remaining nominated writers are Annalisa Crawford for "Watching the Storms Roll In"; Danny Murphy for "Rogey"; Peggy Riley for "The Night Office"; Erin Soros for "Fallen"; and Rupert Thomson for "To William Burroughs, from His Wife".
The award, established in 2012, is open to applicants aged 18 or over, who may or may not have published other works, for a single, previously unpublished English-language short story of up to 4,000 words.
Judged independently of the Costas' five-category system, the public were asked to vote for their favourite of six shortlisted short stories, without knowledge of the authors' identities after downloading them to read or listen to on the Costa website.The vote closed on 13th January.
The winner of the £3,500 prize will be announced at the Costa Book Awards ceremony on 26th January. Runners up will receive £1,000 and £500 for second and third place respectively.
The six-story shortlist was selected by a panel of judges comprising author Raffaella Barker; Richard Beard, director of the National Academy of Writing; Fanny Blake, novelist, journalist and books editor of Woman & Home magazine; Sarah Franklin, founder of Short Stories Aloud and senior lecturer in publishing at Oxford Brookes University; and Simon Trewin, an agent at William Morris Endeavor.
Link to this full article here.
Link to PDF of short story here.
Link to audio of story here.
Written by Tom Morgan
Published on 19 Jan 2016
A tale which was started in a creative writing class at Goldsmiths is in the running for the Costa Short Story Award 2015
The work by Niall Bourke, who completed his MA Writer/Teacher last summer, is among six nominations for the the £3,500 prize. The work “Gerardo Dreams of Chillies” tells the story of a Mexican market trader.
Niall, 34, from Kilkenny in Ireland, currently teaches at St Michael’s College in Bermondsey after recently completing his MA. And he admitted that his time at Goldsmiths was key to the entry – as well the piece even being finished. He said: “Getting the nomination was quite a surprise - I only threw in the story on the off chance because the competition was free to enter. I never thought I'd actually be shortlisted! I found out in November but couldn't tell anyone, so that was kind of agonising (in a nice way). “I started the story in creative writing class I took at Goldsmiths in the first semester of the MA. Were it not for the creative space the MA provided and the guidance and encouragement of the excellent tutors on the course I mightn't have even finished it, let alone sent it off to a competition."
Bourke is the second Goldsmiths alumni to be nominated for one of this year’s Costa awards, with former student and teacher Kate Miller shortlisted for the 2015 Costa Poetry Award. Last year saw Goldsmiths’ Honorary Fellow Ali Smith win the Costa Novel of the Year for her work How To Be Both – just weeks after it won the Goldsmiths Prize 2014.
Goldsmiths graduate Niall writes both poetry and short fiction, and has been published in a number of journals and magazines including The Galway Review, Prole, Southbank Poetry, Roadside Fiction, Holdfast Magazine and The Irish Literary Times. In 2015 he was longlisted for The Short Story competition and shortlisted for The Over The Edge New Writer Of The Year Award in both the poetry and prose categories. He is currently working on his first novel. The winner of the Short Story Award is chosen by the public after a secret online vote. The six shortlisted stories are posted online without the authors’ names – with their identities only revealed once the voting has closed.
Among those shortlisted for the Short Story gong - including a playwright, a part-time gym-instructor, and a previous finalist -is Rupert Thomson, an award-winning novelist whose book The Insult, published by Bloomsbury in 1996, was included in a list approved by musician David Bowie in his "Top 100" recommended reads. The remaining nominated writers are Annalisa Crawford for "Watching the Storms Roll In"; Danny Murphy for "Rogey"; Peggy Riley for "The Night Office"; Erin Soros for "Fallen"; and Rupert Thomson for "To William Burroughs, from His Wife".
The award, established in 2012, is open to applicants aged 18 or over, who may or may not have published other works, for a single, previously unpublished English-language short story of up to 4,000 words.
Judged independently of the Costas' five-category system, the public were asked to vote for their favourite of six shortlisted short stories, without knowledge of the authors' identities after downloading them to read or listen to on the Costa website.The vote closed on 13th January.
The winner of the £3,500 prize will be announced at the Costa Book Awards ceremony on 26th January. Runners up will receive £1,000 and £500 for second and third place respectively.
The six-story shortlist was selected by a panel of judges comprising author Raffaella Barker; Richard Beard, director of the National Academy of Writing; Fanny Blake, novelist, journalist and books editor of Woman & Home magazine; Sarah Franklin, founder of Short Stories Aloud and senior lecturer in publishing at Oxford Brookes University; and Simon Trewin, an agent at William Morris Endeavor.
David Morris, Professional Snooker Player
David Morris
Past Pupil, David Morris, ranked 51st in world snooker (2016)
David Morris, born in Kilkenny, Ireland, on 27 November 1988, is an Irish snooker player, currently ranked as Ireland's number 3 player, after Fergal O'Brien and Ken Doherty.
Aged just 16, David reached the quarter finals of the U21 World Snooker Championships. He has been Irish champion at every level, winning the overall National championship every year from 2004 to 2006 (becoming the youngest ever winner in 2004). For 2006/2007 he made his debut on the main tour, reaching the last 64 in two tournaments.
His best run in the 2007–2008 season was to the last 48 of the UK Championships, where he lost to Dave Harold (who also defeated him in qualifying for the previous year's Welsh Open). His only opening-round defeat that year was to Supoj Saenla in the World Championship, but despite this setback in the highest ranking-point event of the season he did enough to reach the top 64 of the rankings. He also won the Lucan Racing Irish Classic, an event staged by Fergal O'Brien featuring 8 (mostly Irish) professionals – Morris beat O'Brien 5–3 in the final.
Enjoying numerous successes in the intervening years, in the 2014/2015 season, Morris qualified for the Wuxi Classic and the International Championship but lost in the first round of both tournaments. For the second successive year he reached the fourth round of the UK Championship, defeating Li Hang 6–4 in the first round before beating reigning world champion and world number one Mark Selby 6–4 in the second round, a victory that was described as the most significant win of his career to date. He went on to defeat David Gilbert 6–2 in the last 32, but lost 3–6 to Stephen Maguire in the last 16. Morris beat Joe O'Connor 4–0 at the Welsh Open, but lost by a reversal of this scoreline in the second round against Neil Robertson. He qualified for the Indian Open and the China Open, losing 4–0 to Graeme Dott in the second round of the former and 5–1 to Stephen Maguire in the first round of the latter.
Morris ended the season at a career-high 51st in the world rankings.
David Morris, born in Kilkenny, Ireland, on 27 November 1988, is an Irish snooker player, currently ranked as Ireland's number 3 player, after Fergal O'Brien and Ken Doherty.
Aged just 16, David reached the quarter finals of the U21 World Snooker Championships. He has been Irish champion at every level, winning the overall National championship every year from 2004 to 2006 (becoming the youngest ever winner in 2004). For 2006/2007 he made his debut on the main tour, reaching the last 64 in two tournaments.
His best run in the 2007–2008 season was to the last 48 of the UK Championships, where he lost to Dave Harold (who also defeated him in qualifying for the previous year's Welsh Open). His only opening-round defeat that year was to Supoj Saenla in the World Championship, but despite this setback in the highest ranking-point event of the season he did enough to reach the top 64 of the rankings. He also won the Lucan Racing Irish Classic, an event staged by Fergal O'Brien featuring 8 (mostly Irish) professionals – Morris beat O'Brien 5–3 in the final.
Enjoying numerous successes in the intervening years, in the 2014/2015 season, Morris qualified for the Wuxi Classic and the International Championship but lost in the first round of both tournaments. For the second successive year he reached the fourth round of the UK Championship, defeating Li Hang 6–4 in the first round before beating reigning world champion and world number one Mark Selby 6–4 in the second round, a victory that was described as the most significant win of his career to date. He went on to defeat David Gilbert 6–2 in the last 32, but lost 3–6 to Stephen Maguire in the last 16. Morris beat Joe O'Connor 4–0 at the Welsh Open, but lost by a reversal of this scoreline in the second round against Neil Robertson. He qualified for the Indian Open and the China Open, losing 4–0 to Graeme Dott in the second round of the former and 5–1 to Stephen Maguire in the first round of the latter.
Morris ended the season at a career-high 51st in the world rankings.
Conor O' Loughlin, Humanitarian Co-ordinator, Trocaire
Conor O'Loughlin, Humanitarian Coordinator of Trócaire
A Kilkennyman is playing a key role in relief efforts in Nepal following the recent devastating earthquake.
Kilkenny People May 7th 2015
Conor O’Loughlin, from Clarnwood in the city, is in Kathmandu where he is managing international aid distributions. He is the son of Tom O’Loughlin, who is a retired teacher from the CBS and is well known in amateur dramatic circles.
Conor, who is the Humanitarian Co-ordinator with Trócaire, is overseeing efforts for 75,000 people in a district to the west of Kathmandu. He arrived into the country last Wednesday and is working with Caritas, the international relief network of which Trócaire is a member. Caritas agencies, including Trócaire, are pooling resources and money to mount a joint response. Conor is one of the key members of the Caritas team in Nepal and will be staying in the country for a number of weeks to oversee the initial relief phase.
“The main priorities at the moment are shelter, food, water and sanitation,” he said. “We are focusing our efforts on a district to the west of the city which was one of the worst affected regions. Our relief efforts will focus on 15,000 families, which equates to around 75,000 people.”
Kilkenny People May 7th 2015
Conor O’Loughlin, from Clarnwood in the city, is in Kathmandu where he is managing international aid distributions. He is the son of Tom O’Loughlin, who is a retired teacher from the CBS and is well known in amateur dramatic circles.
Conor, who is the Humanitarian Co-ordinator with Trócaire, is overseeing efforts for 75,000 people in a district to the west of Kathmandu. He arrived into the country last Wednesday and is working with Caritas, the international relief network of which Trócaire is a member. Caritas agencies, including Trócaire, are pooling resources and money to mount a joint response. Conor is one of the key members of the Caritas team in Nepal and will be staying in the country for a number of weeks to oversee the initial relief phase.
“The main priorities at the moment are shelter, food, water and sanitation,” he said. “We are focusing our efforts on a district to the west of the city which was one of the worst affected regions. Our relief efforts will focus on 15,000 families, which equates to around 75,000 people.”
David Beirne, CEO, Whitfield Clinic, Waterford
David Beirne, CEO of Whitfield Clinic
Whitfield Clinic, Waterford in safe hands of Kilkenny man
by Sean Keane, Kilkenny People Feb 2015
The hair may have turned greyish but David Beirne has lost none of the energy and talent he possessed when he was hurling with Dicksboro, Kilkenny and Waterford IT. The 42-year-old has combined his serious work ethic with his people skills as CEO of the Whitfield Clinic and private hospital just over the Kilkenny border in Waterford.
With a yearly wages bill of €10 million and generating between €50 and €60 million in the south east every year, he sees Whitfield as a major player which will help to attract more investment to the region while also showing that the South East has a private medical care facility of international standard. With over 60 consultants, 52 private in-patient beds; 24 out patient beds and with a myriad of services, consultants and specialist treatments it has an excellent reputation.
With easy access from the motorway and the “Catflap” bridge it services Kilkenny, Waterford, Tipperary, Carlow, Wexford and Cork. David who lives in Glenmore relaxes by training the Glenmore under 12 and under 21 GAA teams and this year he has the added responsibility of being a selector on the senior team with Paddy and Tomas Mullally, Esther’s cousins. His wife Esther is a neo-natal nurse in University Hospital Waterford and his three children, Cathal, Breeanna and Hugh are, as you would expect, steeped in the GAA as you would expect with a father who won a senior hurling county championship medal with Dicksboro in 1993 and a Fitzgibbon Cup medal with Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) (the first time they won.
David Beirne is on first name terms with all the staff in the hospital and was promoted from Chief Financial Officer in October last year to CEO, he has an interest in helping out everyone he can and only sees challenges and solutions and not problems. He attended St Canice’s and CBS primary schools before going to CBS Secondary School.
As part of his work placement with Pricewaterhouse Coopers in Kilkenny under the guidance of martin Hanrahan, he spent two years in WIT where he won a the Fitzgibbon Cup with other Kilkenny hurlers, Sean Ryan and Andy Comerford. After qualifying as chartered accountant, he worked in Avonmore, Ballyragget with Billy Murphy and from there to a Dublin based car rental company and then McEnerney Builders. He started in Whitfield three and half years ago and has overseen a major reversal in its fortunes and a number of expansions are in the pipeline. Asked what is the hardest thing about the job he replied: “There is no hard thing. The challenge is the diversity of the job. So many variables in health care. Our job in the hospital is to provide a service. We are a service provider and if patients are happy they will come back for more,” he said.
Looking at Whitfield as a business and not just a medical facility he said his biggest customers were the consultants. “They bring the patients to the hospital and we provide a service to the patients and to the consultants,” he added. “This is like a hub of different businesses - We have around 30 different services and with 60 consultants - each is a business in their own right and we do it very well,” he said with candour. Whitfield is now owned by Beltany Property Finance Limited funded by The Goldman Sachs, London. “That happened in 2014 and we now have a great future with access capital to fund expansion that we didn’t have before,” he said. There are over 300 people employed in Whitfield with an annual payroll of €10 million and it generates between €50 and €60 million annually in the South East. Tadhg O’Sullivan the celebrated orthopaedic surgeon was one of the pillars on which the hospital and clinic were built on. David said there is a great team spirit and that all strands in the hospital work together. He joined as Chief Financial Officer in August 2011 and was appointed CEO in October 2014. He said he will leave when the job is finished and services are expanded. “We do 25,000 admissions a year and I want to grow that by 50% over the next 3 years. “We offer a great service to the south east and we have a great relationship with UHW, St Luke’s and Wexford General. The cancer treatment centre at Whitfield is a joint venture with the American group, UMPC cancer services and it has a rolling service agreement with the HSE to provide cancer- radiotherapy care to patients in the South East. The hospital has - Four operating theatres; Two endoscopy suites (scopes); 24 day care beds; 54 private in-patient beds; All catering cooked fresh on site; Free wifi free phone calls, newspapers to the rooms. “We have 60 consultants on site - we were the South East’s best secret and you want to be looked after come to us,” he said. He wants to promote Whitfield and has been in touch with the chambers of commerce in Kilkenny, Waterford, Clonmel and Wexford and the IDA’s newly appointed regional manager, Ann Marie Tierney. “Our services covers all elective surgery. If a patient goes to a GP and it’s a planned elective admission they can choose Whitfield. Cash is taken. If you have cash. If you have a cataract and can’t see - You can come in, agree a cash price and walk out seeing again. The same goes for scopes, MRIs, x-rays - you can walk in and agree a cash price. Every procedure has a cash price. It is the norm.
“We don’t do emergencies but do emergency elective procedures on hip, limbs, scoping, eyes, general surgery hernias, veins - anything that is planned just ring Whitfield, look up the consultants list, find a specialist and book on - It’s that simple.
by Sean Keane, Kilkenny People Feb 2015
The hair may have turned greyish but David Beirne has lost none of the energy and talent he possessed when he was hurling with Dicksboro, Kilkenny and Waterford IT. The 42-year-old has combined his serious work ethic with his people skills as CEO of the Whitfield Clinic and private hospital just over the Kilkenny border in Waterford.
With a yearly wages bill of €10 million and generating between €50 and €60 million in the south east every year, he sees Whitfield as a major player which will help to attract more investment to the region while also showing that the South East has a private medical care facility of international standard. With over 60 consultants, 52 private in-patient beds; 24 out patient beds and with a myriad of services, consultants and specialist treatments it has an excellent reputation.
With easy access from the motorway and the “Catflap” bridge it services Kilkenny, Waterford, Tipperary, Carlow, Wexford and Cork. David who lives in Glenmore relaxes by training the Glenmore under 12 and under 21 GAA teams and this year he has the added responsibility of being a selector on the senior team with Paddy and Tomas Mullally, Esther’s cousins. His wife Esther is a neo-natal nurse in University Hospital Waterford and his three children, Cathal, Breeanna and Hugh are, as you would expect, steeped in the GAA as you would expect with a father who won a senior hurling county championship medal with Dicksboro in 1993 and a Fitzgibbon Cup medal with Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) (the first time they won.
David Beirne is on first name terms with all the staff in the hospital and was promoted from Chief Financial Officer in October last year to CEO, he has an interest in helping out everyone he can and only sees challenges and solutions and not problems. He attended St Canice’s and CBS primary schools before going to CBS Secondary School.
As part of his work placement with Pricewaterhouse Coopers in Kilkenny under the guidance of martin Hanrahan, he spent two years in WIT where he won a the Fitzgibbon Cup with other Kilkenny hurlers, Sean Ryan and Andy Comerford. After qualifying as chartered accountant, he worked in Avonmore, Ballyragget with Billy Murphy and from there to a Dublin based car rental company and then McEnerney Builders. He started in Whitfield three and half years ago and has overseen a major reversal in its fortunes and a number of expansions are in the pipeline. Asked what is the hardest thing about the job he replied: “There is no hard thing. The challenge is the diversity of the job. So many variables in health care. Our job in the hospital is to provide a service. We are a service provider and if patients are happy they will come back for more,” he said.
Looking at Whitfield as a business and not just a medical facility he said his biggest customers were the consultants. “They bring the patients to the hospital and we provide a service to the patients and to the consultants,” he added. “This is like a hub of different businesses - We have around 30 different services and with 60 consultants - each is a business in their own right and we do it very well,” he said with candour. Whitfield is now owned by Beltany Property Finance Limited funded by The Goldman Sachs, London. “That happened in 2014 and we now have a great future with access capital to fund expansion that we didn’t have before,” he said. There are over 300 people employed in Whitfield with an annual payroll of €10 million and it generates between €50 and €60 million annually in the South East. Tadhg O’Sullivan the celebrated orthopaedic surgeon was one of the pillars on which the hospital and clinic were built on. David said there is a great team spirit and that all strands in the hospital work together. He joined as Chief Financial Officer in August 2011 and was appointed CEO in October 2014. He said he will leave when the job is finished and services are expanded. “We do 25,000 admissions a year and I want to grow that by 50% over the next 3 years. “We offer a great service to the south east and we have a great relationship with UHW, St Luke’s and Wexford General. The cancer treatment centre at Whitfield is a joint venture with the American group, UMPC cancer services and it has a rolling service agreement with the HSE to provide cancer- radiotherapy care to patients in the South East. The hospital has - Four operating theatres; Two endoscopy suites (scopes); 24 day care beds; 54 private in-patient beds; All catering cooked fresh on site; Free wifi free phone calls, newspapers to the rooms. “We have 60 consultants on site - we were the South East’s best secret and you want to be looked after come to us,” he said. He wants to promote Whitfield and has been in touch with the chambers of commerce in Kilkenny, Waterford, Clonmel and Wexford and the IDA’s newly appointed regional manager, Ann Marie Tierney. “Our services covers all elective surgery. If a patient goes to a GP and it’s a planned elective admission they can choose Whitfield. Cash is taken. If you have cash. If you have a cataract and can’t see - You can come in, agree a cash price and walk out seeing again. The same goes for scopes, MRIs, x-rays - you can walk in and agree a cash price. Every procedure has a cash price. It is the norm.
“We don’t do emergencies but do emergency elective procedures on hip, limbs, scoping, eyes, general surgery hernias, veins - anything that is planned just ring Whitfield, look up the consultants list, find a specialist and book on - It’s that simple.
Colonel Dan Bryan, Director of Military Intelligence
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A noteworthy past pupil, uncle of the former IFA President John Bryan, himself a past pupil.
Colonel Dan Bryan (1900–1985) was an officer in the Irish Army and Director of Military Intelligence G2 (the Irish Army's intelligence section) during World War II, known in neutral Ireland as "The Emergency".
Daniel Bryan (more often known as Dan) was born in Dunbell, Gowran, County Kilkenny in 1900. From 1916, he studied medicine for two years at the National University of Ireland. In November 1917 he joined the Irish Volunteers to fight against British rule in Ireland.
The Irish Free State was created in 1922. During the subsequent Irish Civil War Bryan opted to join the National Army (later known as the Irish Army). He was commissioned to the rank of Captain in September 1923. He would remain in the Irish Army until his retirement in 1955.
For much of his career he served with the Headquarters Staff, specialising on intelligence. In 1942 he succeeded Liam Archer as Director of G2; he exercised a decisive personal contribution towards the detection and arrest of German spies in Ireland, such as Hermann Görtz and Günther Schütz. Bryan remained head of G2 for the remainder of the War. He closely co-operated with Richard Hayes, Director of the National Library of Ireland, in the breaking of German codes.
In 1952 he was appointed Commandant of the Irish Military College. In 1983, RTÉ made a dramatised television series (Caught in a Free State) about German spies in Ireland during World War II. A character closely based on Dan Bryan - "Colonel Brian Dillon" - was played by the Irish actor John Kavanagh.
Dan is commemorated annually through The Dan Bryan History Award (above), which is presented at awards night for excellence in historical studies at senior cycle
Read an excellent Kilkenny Archaeological Society article on Dan here.
Colonel Dan Bryan (1900–1985) was an officer in the Irish Army and Director of Military Intelligence G2 (the Irish Army's intelligence section) during World War II, known in neutral Ireland as "The Emergency".
Daniel Bryan (more often known as Dan) was born in Dunbell, Gowran, County Kilkenny in 1900. From 1916, he studied medicine for two years at the National University of Ireland. In November 1917 he joined the Irish Volunteers to fight against British rule in Ireland.
The Irish Free State was created in 1922. During the subsequent Irish Civil War Bryan opted to join the National Army (later known as the Irish Army). He was commissioned to the rank of Captain in September 1923. He would remain in the Irish Army until his retirement in 1955.
For much of his career he served with the Headquarters Staff, specialising on intelligence. In 1942 he succeeded Liam Archer as Director of G2; he exercised a decisive personal contribution towards the detection and arrest of German spies in Ireland, such as Hermann Görtz and Günther Schütz. Bryan remained head of G2 for the remainder of the War. He closely co-operated with Richard Hayes, Director of the National Library of Ireland, in the breaking of German codes.
In 1952 he was appointed Commandant of the Irish Military College. In 1983, RTÉ made a dramatised television series (Caught in a Free State) about German spies in Ireland during World War II. A character closely based on Dan Bryan - "Colonel Brian Dillon" - was played by the Irish actor John Kavanagh.
Dan is commemorated annually through The Dan Bryan History Award (above), which is presented at awards night for excellence in historical studies at senior cycle
Read an excellent Kilkenny Archaeological Society article on Dan here.
Jim Langton, Kilkenny Hurler
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Jim Langton was a member of the CBS Kilkenny Senior Colleges Hurling team who made history by winning the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship title for the first time in 1935.
He would go on to play with the Kilkenny Senior Hurling team from 1939 until 1954. His inclusion on the GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium marks him out as one of the greatest players of all time. CBS Kilkenny hosts an annual hurling tournament in his honour. |
Peter De Loughrey, Revolutionary, Politician and Jail Breaker!
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The late Ald. Peter de Loughrey fought in the 1916 rising and was subsequently jailed in Lincoln prison along with Sean Milroy, Sean McGarry and Eamon de Valera.
It was he who famously cut the key what would lead to their eventful escape. Outside, waiting to spirit them away, were Micheal Collins and Harry Boland. De Loughrey did not escape with the others as he had but a few weeks left to serve out his sentence. Peter De Loughrey would later become a member of both Kilkenny Council Kilkenny Corporation, and served as Mayor of Kilkenny. |
Find out more with KCLR's fascination documentary here.
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Gary Murphy, Professional Golfer
Gary won the Irish Amateur Closed Championship in 1992. He turned professional in 1995. He won the Asian Tour qualifying school in 1997, and played two seasons on that tour.
In addition he competed on the second tier European Challenge Tour before returning to Europe full time after winning a European Tour card at the 1999 final qualifying school. Murphy was unable to secure his place on the European Tour in his rookie season and dropped back to the Challenge Tour in 2001 and 2002. He regained his European Tour card at the end of 2002 at final qualifying school. Since then he has been able to retain his playing status through his position on the Order of Merit.
Gary won the Azores Open in 2005 and writes a regular golf column for The Irish Mirror and regularly contrbutes to Sky Sports golf coverage.
Watch Gary show you how to nail a par 5! here
In addition he competed on the second tier European Challenge Tour before returning to Europe full time after winning a European Tour card at the 1999 final qualifying school. Murphy was unable to secure his place on the European Tour in his rookie season and dropped back to the Challenge Tour in 2001 and 2002. He regained his European Tour card at the end of 2002 at final qualifying school. Since then he has been able to retain his playing status through his position on the Order of Merit.
Gary won the Azores Open in 2005 and writes a regular golf column for The Irish Mirror and regularly contrbutes to Sky Sports golf coverage.
Watch Gary show you how to nail a par 5! here
John Bradley, Archaeologist
John Bradley
Inspirational university teacher and foremost archaeologist of Irish towns, John Bradley: January 11th, 1954 - November 7th, 2014.
Printed in Irish Times, Nov 2014
The passing of John Bradley at the early age of 60 is an irreparable loss to Irish archaeology, medieval and urban studies and to Kilkenny in particular.
John was our foremost town archaeologist, his scholarly authority earning him an international reputation. He was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London. He produced books, an atlas and over 100 quality papers which ranged over different aspects of his chosen field and sometimes outside it. Above all, he was a generous lecturer and host who both enthused and entertained students and colleagues, especially at Maynooth’s history department, where he had happily worked since 1996 and where his students will miss his inspiration and humanity.
The only child of Daniel and Statia, John Bradley grew up in his beloved Kilkenny, influenced by the built surroundings and grounded by visits to his maternal grandfather in rural Castlebanny. Schooled at Kilkenny CBS and mentored by the then stalwarts of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, John came to UCD in 1971, where he read archaeology and history. A shy, soft-spoken and mild-mannered student, he was inspired by a golden generation of scholars, especially George Eogan, on whose Knowth excavations he worked for years. He remained close to George and his family to the end.
Wood Quay: His postgraduate study centred on the archaeology of the Irish town, a subject he was to make his own and, in due course, one he was to pioneer in NUI archaeology courses. He pursued his urban interests in the multidisciplinary Dublin Historic Settlement Group, while at the same time assisting FX Martin’s Wood Quay campaign. He was secretary of the Friends of Medieval Dublin 1978-84. He edited Viking Dublin Exposed, a book on the archaeology and controversy at Wood Quay, a few years after the conclusion of the excavations. He subsequently edited aFestschrift for his hero FX Martin. He was later to co-edit Festschriften for George Eogan, Barry Raftery and Howard Clarke.
John undertook a de luxe urban survey of Irish towns for the National Monuments service from 1982 to 1990. A sheaf of studies on different aspects of towns flowed from his prolific pen, all delivered in clear, persuasive prose. He studied Drogheda, Ennis and Tralee, looking at topographical development in older towns and arguing for urban characteristics in monastic towns. He also produced a non-stop flow of essays and encyclopaedia entries on subjects like sarcophagi, town walls and the hinterland of Dublin, alongside more general studies. His published legacy is enormous.
Kilkenny: with its great medieval character, was to be a recurring focus, the culmination of which is John’s comprehensive fascicle in the Irish Historic Towns Atlas series as well as his large format Treasures book with its presentation of the town’s historical documents. He will also be remembered for his excavation of the multi-period crannog in Moynagh lough in north Meath. He produced at least a dozen interim reports and other papers on the results from this remarkable site.
John lectured at UCD until 1996 and gave courses at UCG, where he is remembered as “an extraordinary educator”. He then moved to Maynooth’s history department, into which he fitted so comfortably and so happily. Love of travelHe loved travelling to lecture in Britain and Germany but it was to the US that he was mostly attracted. Chicago was a favourite city and he religiously attended the annual conference at Kalamazoo before going south to East Carolina University, for which he had the deepest regard. He loved popularising his subject, as his input both at Ferrycarrig, Co Wexford and Geraldine Tralee show.
An important side of John Bradley was his involvement with chess. A member of Kilkenny Chess Club since 1972, he was proud to have been on the team that won the Armstrong Cup in 2011 and represented Ireland at two European finals. The club welcomed Boris Spassky to Kilkenny in 1991, when John took him on a tour of the city, later discussing Thucydides in Tynan’s bar. In July last in a blindfold simultaneous match “the Brad” (as archaeologists affectionately knew him) played “a lovely combination” to hold a grandmaster to a draw. John Bradley was a generous, witty Renaissance man, an optimist, widely read and deeply informed about subjects including old movies, Elizabethan literature, and music, especially opera: he regularly attended Wexford. All fortunate enough to have known this lover of good company and hearty conversation celebrate their great good luck in having encountered such a brilliant character.
Printed in Irish Times, Nov 2014
The passing of John Bradley at the early age of 60 is an irreparable loss to Irish archaeology, medieval and urban studies and to Kilkenny in particular.
John was our foremost town archaeologist, his scholarly authority earning him an international reputation. He was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London. He produced books, an atlas and over 100 quality papers which ranged over different aspects of his chosen field and sometimes outside it. Above all, he was a generous lecturer and host who both enthused and entertained students and colleagues, especially at Maynooth’s history department, where he had happily worked since 1996 and where his students will miss his inspiration and humanity.
The only child of Daniel and Statia, John Bradley grew up in his beloved Kilkenny, influenced by the built surroundings and grounded by visits to his maternal grandfather in rural Castlebanny. Schooled at Kilkenny CBS and mentored by the then stalwarts of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, John came to UCD in 1971, where he read archaeology and history. A shy, soft-spoken and mild-mannered student, he was inspired by a golden generation of scholars, especially George Eogan, on whose Knowth excavations he worked for years. He remained close to George and his family to the end.
Wood Quay: His postgraduate study centred on the archaeology of the Irish town, a subject he was to make his own and, in due course, one he was to pioneer in NUI archaeology courses. He pursued his urban interests in the multidisciplinary Dublin Historic Settlement Group, while at the same time assisting FX Martin’s Wood Quay campaign. He was secretary of the Friends of Medieval Dublin 1978-84. He edited Viking Dublin Exposed, a book on the archaeology and controversy at Wood Quay, a few years after the conclusion of the excavations. He subsequently edited aFestschrift for his hero FX Martin. He was later to co-edit Festschriften for George Eogan, Barry Raftery and Howard Clarke.
John undertook a de luxe urban survey of Irish towns for the National Monuments service from 1982 to 1990. A sheaf of studies on different aspects of towns flowed from his prolific pen, all delivered in clear, persuasive prose. He studied Drogheda, Ennis and Tralee, looking at topographical development in older towns and arguing for urban characteristics in monastic towns. He also produced a non-stop flow of essays and encyclopaedia entries on subjects like sarcophagi, town walls and the hinterland of Dublin, alongside more general studies. His published legacy is enormous.
Kilkenny: with its great medieval character, was to be a recurring focus, the culmination of which is John’s comprehensive fascicle in the Irish Historic Towns Atlas series as well as his large format Treasures book with its presentation of the town’s historical documents. He will also be remembered for his excavation of the multi-period crannog in Moynagh lough in north Meath. He produced at least a dozen interim reports and other papers on the results from this remarkable site.
John lectured at UCD until 1996 and gave courses at UCG, where he is remembered as “an extraordinary educator”. He then moved to Maynooth’s history department, into which he fitted so comfortably and so happily. Love of travelHe loved travelling to lecture in Britain and Germany but it was to the US that he was mostly attracted. Chicago was a favourite city and he religiously attended the annual conference at Kalamazoo before going south to East Carolina University, for which he had the deepest regard. He loved popularising his subject, as his input both at Ferrycarrig, Co Wexford and Geraldine Tralee show.
An important side of John Bradley was his involvement with chess. A member of Kilkenny Chess Club since 1972, he was proud to have been on the team that won the Armstrong Cup in 2011 and represented Ireland at two European finals. The club welcomed Boris Spassky to Kilkenny in 1991, when John took him on a tour of the city, later discussing Thucydides in Tynan’s bar. In July last in a blindfold simultaneous match “the Brad” (as archaeologists affectionately knew him) played “a lovely combination” to hold a grandmaster to a draw. John Bradley was a generous, witty Renaissance man, an optimist, widely read and deeply informed about subjects including old movies, Elizabethan literature, and music, especially opera: he regularly attended Wexford. All fortunate enough to have known this lover of good company and hearty conversation celebrate their great good luck in having encountered such a brilliant character.
Ian Dowling, Irish International Rugby Player
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He played underage and Junior Club rugby with Kilkenny RFC and Leinster Senior Cup schools rugby with CBS Kilkenny. He won an AIB League medal with Shannon RFC before joining Munster, with whom he has won two European Rugby Cups in 2006 and 2008.
He also played for the Ireland national rugby league team and Ireland A level. Caretaker Ireland coach Michael Bradley named him in the Ireland squad for the Summer 2008 tour to New Zealand and Australia.
By March 2009, Dowling had played 27 times in the Heineken Cup for Munster, scoring 5 tries. Dowling won his first cap with the Irish International Rugby Union Team on their 2009 Summer tour of North America when he lined out against Canada in May 2009.
Watch him in action for Munster here
He also played for the Ireland national rugby league team and Ireland A level. Caretaker Ireland coach Michael Bradley named him in the Ireland squad for the Summer 2008 tour to New Zealand and Australia.
By March 2009, Dowling had played 27 times in the Heineken Cup for Munster, scoring 5 tries. Dowling won his first cap with the Irish International Rugby Union Team on their 2009 Summer tour of North America when he lined out against Canada in May 2009.
Watch him in action for Munster here
