Union Day 2017

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Union Day was a special day and went extremely well. There was a full chapel for the graduation Mass. The graduates and their families had lunch in the transformed new Sports Hall followed by the prize-giving ceremony and the School Captain's address, an excellent and memorable speech by Jack Horgan.

Colin Murtagh as President spoke on behalf of the Union:

Good afternoon everyone.

My name is Colin Murtagh, from class of ’83 and I am President of the Union this year. I’m also joined by our Junior President, Ian Garrigan, class of ’09, and we are both delighted to be invited to your graduation celebrations.

Today marks a very important milestone in your lives.

Firstly, it marks the end of your schooldays and hopefully Mr Murphy and his staff have instilled in you the value of hard work, perseverance, integrity and sportsmanship. You will need them and you should also remember how privileged we all are to be Knock men.

Secondly and more importantly it marks the beginning of the rest of your lives. On leaving SVC, you you do so with Vincentian values and an ethos fuelled by great memories. Your time with the College ends here, but not your connection, as from here on in the Union takes over.

Membership of the Union is yours by right of passage, and it's there to support you as a class group and as the years progress, to network amongst the wider past man body. To that end we facilitate a number of events throughout the year including; Business Lunch, Annual Dinner, sporting events - Soccer Blitz, Tag Rugby, Golf and Tennis and other less strenuous events - Debates and Networking and Careers evenings which are invaluable to recent graduates.

Understandably it's not on your radar just now, as you have a Leaving Certificate to dispatch and a final summer of freedom to navigate, but as the years progress, you will dip in and out. We all do as the ties that bind us are strong.

On a final note, Ian and myself, on behalf of the Union wish you every success in your forthcoming exams, and in whatever the next chapter your life may bring.

Tango tango.

The day closed as ever with Benediction.