Sir, - I write in reply to recent correspondence coming, it would appear, from a person who has had a bad experience with the Christian Brothers. If that is the case, no words of sympathy from me can properly address what ever troubles that person; suffice to say that he needs to get rid of his anger in proper fashion, instead of carrying it around as an ever growing chip on his shoulder. Such chips can easily become planks. However, enough of that.
I cannot allow the tone of that letter, and of others in various newspapers, to be the only view on the contribution of the Christian Brothers to education in Ireland, both North and South. Countless thousands have been given an education that they would not otherwise have had, regardless of financial circumstances. Nobody in need of an education was ever turned away just because they could not afford it. Many of these have held positions of influence in all walks of life.
I instance one such school, CBC Monkstown, my own Alma Mater, past pupils of which have been and can still be found in local politics, government, radio/ TV/newspapers, banking, commerce, the arts, education, sport and, by no means least, the Church. If space permitted and with their agreement, I could list the many people who would figure highly in any Who's Who; if coupled with Synge Street, O'Connells Schools, St Vincent's, Marino, Drimnagh Castle, Oatlands, Clonkeen College, the Brunner, CBC Cork, Waterpark, Harding Street (Belfast), it is obvious that any Who's Who of CBS past pupils would be the greatest possible; testimony to the outstanding contribution by the Brothers to Irish education. Why? Because bit would probably include the vast majority of Irish people in all walks of life, here and overseas.
The silence of many of these people (have they forgotten their roots?) when vitriol is heaped on the Brothers is to be greatly regretted. When people such as your correspondent express their anger in such a sweeping way, it would be wrong of me, or anybody replying to them, to pretend that everything in the garden was rosy when we all know it was not. But we must recognise that any faults lay with individuals and that is where criticism should be directed, rather than destroy the character of the many fine men who gave their all in the service of education. I am happy to write in their defence. - Yours, etc.,
Cabinteely Close,
Cabinteely,
Dublin 18.