Sir, - I owe my secondary education to the Christian Brothers several years in Fermoy, Co Cork, and one year in the North Monastery in Cork City.
When I started in Fermoy a new Uachtaran had just arrived Brother McCaw. The first thing he did was to get rid of "the leather" and the second thing was to do away with home exercises for the weekend. He lost his temper occasionally, pulled his sash from one side of his body to the other saying "Oh my country", walked out the classroom door, had a pinch of snuff, and came back in smiling. He never struck anyone. If you did wrong he looked at you reproachfully, and you wished the ground would swallow you.
Among other things we learned was self control. He was a wonderful man, loved and respected by all.
In the North Monastery "the leather" was used once on me, not by a Brother, but by a lay teacher who was exasperated by an incident carried out by the "joker" of the class for which I was blamed. I was struck once across the back. It did not hurt and I never held it against the man.
The debt we owe the Christian Brothers is immeasurable. This inculcated in us love of God, love of country and language, and taught us also how to stand on our own two feet.
Gora fada buan na Braithre; Criostai. - Yours etc
Milford Close,
Castletroy,
Limerick.