Alumni Nites - Comm Alumni and Friends over the World

Munster drive wedge through Leinster Aspirations for '06 Golden Glove

In what should have been a walk in the park for the Leinster pack, it was a disappointing trek to the mid-west for the Leinster lads with aspirations to grab the Golden Glove for 2006.

Hefty (22) 62 pts winning on a count of least blanks. Benny (16) 62. Gazza (16)58. Cor (26) 47. Noel (26) 43. Colm (17) 36. Punter (22) 29 (after 18). Conor (26) 21.

Longest drive: Roscrea = Gazza. Kilkea = Benny.

Nearest the Pin: Roscrea = Benny. Kilkea = Hefty (within 3ft, putt sunk for a birdie and a 5 pointer)

A Fine and Dandy end to ’05 for Gazza

2005 is a landmark year - the 10th year of the Alunmus of the Year Award, and the eleventh Alumni Dinner.

While the venue was the old Dandelion Market, there was little haggling over the Alumnus Award for 2005, as Gazza, the people’s choice, scooped the much coveted top prize.

Gazza had a super year, capped of course with the new abode in Terenure and the news of Junior II expected in early ’06 (speculation of an early arrival to seal the Award beyond doubt proved wide of the mark and ultimately unsuccessful).

Incumbent alumnus Joey flew in from the US to present the award in person. In eulogising the esteemed recipient, Joey was in danger of upstaging Gazza’s own acceptance speech – although shrouded references to the potential winners lyrical prose and entertaining emails had some wondering if Cor would be the first to win for a second time (the Council had taken care of such an eventuality by ensuring Joe was aware of the points of principle to underpin his decision.)

The only question is will Gazza now also enter the writing game with Cor and could 2006 see the two competing on the top shelves of the bookshops with titles such as ‘Chasing Tiger – Reflections from Stepaside’, ‘Ten Easy Steps to Great Golf’, ‘Golfing with the Lads – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’…..

And in Alumnette stakes, Caoife romped home with the well-deserved top prize – with the acclaim of entertainer extraordinaire for 2005. Caoife had a mighty year, not just with the FWC and Lenny Junior, but in sustaining the Alumni with a delectable range of dinners and tea parties and open-house in Foxrock.

C&C also announced the pending arrival in Junior II in 2006, which will be the icing on the cake for the incoming Alumnette. All going well, this will be another to join the newly arrived Heir Smallser who made his appearance in 2005. And Mackers – not to be confused with Maxers – trumped his move up the property ladder by springing Helen on the unsuspecting Alumni and was chuffed with his very successful Parade!!!!

All-in-all Joe showed exceptional patience in staying the course in 2005, using all his mettle and resolve (and a little biting of his lips!!) in the efficient organisation of the Alumni dinner. While unusual for someone from Stateside to show faith in democracy, in particular in the organisation of such an event, he couldn’t hide a wry smile with the success of the evening. And well done Andra for staying the course in the later weeks!! Joey was unanimously proposed and passed to the Alumni Hall of Fame – a fitting tribute to a solid performance. The Council was pleased.

As for the future, with the organisation of the 2006 events secure in Gazza’s capable hands, the Council agreed it was appropriate after some eleven years to take the time in the first half of 2006 to pause and reflect on the future arrangements for the Alumnus Award and indicated that some changes are likely for the ’06 Awards. Amendments include staging the event on 28th of each year.

Alumni and Friends Golf Classic to become a Regular

Following Eyrsie storming to success in the inaugural Alumni Golf Classic (not to be confused with classic golf!!), 2005 witnessed an unprecedented build-up to the 2005 Golden Glove Competition in Laytown & Bettystown GC on 27 December, organised by Smallser. Well-attended weekend expeditions to Ballymoney and Rosslare in June, Nenagh and Birr in September together with a full calendar of other fixtures in Roscrea, Rathfarnham and Bettystown whetted expectations for 2005 grand prix.

At the end of a competitive day’s golf, Dec H on 31 points emerged victorious. Hefty followed home with a solid 25 points and also scooped the Nearest the Pin and Longest Drive accolades for 2005. Petey scooped the Alumni Friends Award for 2005 with an equally impressive tally of 32 points. While the much expected McNamara Golden Glove failed to materialise on the night, and Eyrsie, maintaining he was undefeated and therefore was hanging on to his award for 2004, he did nonetheless deliver a fine eulogy of the golfing prowess of the winner and presented the Golden (white) Glove for 2005 in the interval between ordering and coffee.

Following the June golf outing, Gazza had led the field for the Golden Glove. Gazza took his game firmly in hand following a ropey first nine on the new Seafield Ballymoney course and scored 44 points over the remaining 27 holes in Seafield and the fabulous Rosslare course.Inaugural, and current holder Golden Glove holder, Eyrsie, though tight-lipped, can be satisfied with his performance and remains in the leading group to succeed in December.

Smallser tied with Eyrsie on 44 for second solid second spot and showed his depth of skil winning the longest drive on the first day and nearest the pin on the Sunday. Dec followed home in third, just shading Benny who was very disappointed with the Seafield course. And following a weekend of acquainting himself with his bag of clubs, Lenny stormed home with an impressive 27, not before also clinching the longest drive in Rosslare. Mackers and Pete both performed well on their respective holes at 19 and 33 points each.

Gazza (18) 53. Eyrsie (24)44. Smallser (17)44. Dec (20)39. Benny (16) 36. Conor (24)27. Mackers (24) 19 (after 18). Pete 33 (after 18).

Longest Drive. Seafield = Colm. Rosslare = Con

Nearest The Pin: Seafield = Benny. Rosslare = Colm (9ft)

Meanwhile the September outing to Nenagh and Birr had brought Hefty and Dec into the frame, with Gazza and Hefty finishing on 30 points on day 2, but Hefty having the better back nine and Dec coming in on 25 points. Would one of these three hold the potential to swipe the Golden Glove from Eyrsie come Christmas '05??

Joey Triumphs amid a Feast of Alumni Entertainment in ‘04

Will 2004 be remembered as the best organised Alumni so far? Probably!! What amounted to a veritable feast of entertainment, Cor in one impressive swoop changed the gathering from an alumni-nite to an alumni-festival.

Joey was deserving Alumnus of the Year. Only for the Award is for the lads, Andra could well have shared the podium – although, deservedly, she glowed proudly on the nite. Joe had a tumultuous year and demonstrated fantastic fighting spirit overcoming incredibly daunting challenges, much to the admiration of his friends. 2004 did serve to illustrate how quickly circumstances can change and challenges emerge. La Cave provided a suitably enjoyable location for celebrating Joe and Andra’s achievement in 2005 and to wish them well for the future.

And Trish’s good humour and open house for the Alumni was duly recognised as she was crowned Alumnette of the Year. Trish had a good year with many memorable evenings in Portmarnock, which included Joe and Andra’s visit in April and Cor’s golfing visits.

The incumbent did well – Aslan on the 28th in Vicar Street, Golf in new Bellewstown GC on the 29th and a nite in Nearys and La Cave. (Although the Council was on hand just in case!!, following the incumbents disappearance after receiving his award in 2003. And worries about how the Council would deal with any appeals against nepotism were also misplaced ultimately.)

The inaugural Alumni Golden Glove was won by Eyrsie following a tough and tortuous encounter with the worst of Co Meath winter weather. The Punt- Hefty Challenge was alive but after the 16th it was Dec 20 points and Eyrsie on 19 which set up a nail-biting final two holes. But on the day, Eyrsie showed the greater resolve and finished on top of the leader-board in the clubhouse (ooppss!!) on 23 points, followed by Dec and Hefty. An enjoyable inaugural outing, whatever about the weather!!

Great to see Richie, who makes it when he can, along for the Golf and the meal, together with Inga, Sabina and Benny. Although Caoife had given birth to a near ten-pounder (baby!!) in 2004, it was great to see her along. New arrivals in the Beirne and Eyre households kept Eimir and Edel at bay, but no doubt their return is imminent.

Cor’s Icarus-like Ascent in ‘03 Worries Council

While Mackers had another fine year following his return from the horn of Africa, and he appeared at first to have made a super decision on the Alumnus of the Year Award, the Council’s confidence in Mackers faded quickly with the immediate disappearance of the 2003 Alumnus Winner having accepted his accolade. Had he just eloped in fascination with his newly acquired Maji warrior-ess or was there something more sinister???

It wasn’t just the Council who was worried - Lenny, who had made the award to Noel the previous year, was implicated also as to where it had all gone wrong!!

Alas Macker’s skin was saved with the reappearance of Cor later in the nite in Bad Bobs, but the relief was short-lived!!! Concern shifted dramatically to Cor’s capacity to hold office as it emerged he had absented himself to join an Inter-Comm reunion and only returned to the Alumni on discovering that that Inter-comms had legged it from the Bailey!!

While 2003 was certainly a vintage year for Cor personally, the prospects for Alumni for 2004 did at that point look uncertain.

It can be revealed that the Council did, at one point, seriously consider installing its own puppet Alumnus to ensure continuity in 2004 – an unprecedented, unusual and bizarre move, but nonetheless one that may have been necessary!!!

Only time would tell…

Mackers showed a defter hand when it came to selecting the Alumnette of the Year – dead cert Eimir was a great choice. While the decision was perhaps the easy part, mystery still surrounds the missing Award – the physical manifestation, the proof that can be handed from generation to generation - that Eimir can show to grandchildren with pride saying – ‘That’s the Alumnette Award I won in 2003…’!!! While Genesis is the norm, even a book would have sufficed!!!

2002 Nuit de Triomphe dans La Cave

It was also a year of great sadness with the passing of Dec Lawler. May he rest in peace.

The field was tight and never before has the rumour mill been so finely tuned, than in the run-up to 28 December 2002. (While, the suspicion of Lenny retaining the title for a further year remained, the Council was primed and ready to over-rule any such effort!!).

The much mooted reinstitution of an alumnette award had also raised the pitch somewhat...rumours of secret deals among the Ladies Who Lunch (apparently quite averse to the title, First Wives Club) was to add to Lenny's farewell...

Lenny excelled with his last hurrah. Great location, fine wine and the best of company. Capacity in La Cave was tested with a near full complement: Inga over from England, Sabina, Conor McG and Carol among those who always make it a memorable evening. Harry and Heidi (skiing in Germany), Joey and Andrea (still on honeymoon in the US) and Mick and Jo (?) were noted by their absence, and would later be toast(ed)!!.

Noel McD was deservingly awarded Alumnus of the Year. Always a front runner, he had played a blinder during the year, making most, if not all, the stags and weddings, getting his first from UL, boosting Blackbeards Ballcrushers in footie, representing same in Japan, never loosing his temper in Stepaside (Smallser take note) and generally making a great success of his return to Dublin.

And resonating back to the early days of the alumni nights when Noel delegated spectacles to observe proceedings as he trekked sub-Sahara, Lenny's choice of a female Masai warrior for the Carlow man brought a glint to his eye.

And Lenny also reactivated the Alumnette award. October 2002 saw the arrival of baby Eimear in Shankill and all-round approval at the award to Marie for Alumnette of the Year Award. (This ‘category’ has been in limbo since Harry last warded the tinsel in 1998 as the recipient has not returned to hand on the mantle!!). The loudest cheer for Marie of course was from the fledgling First Wives Club, of Tricia, Eimir, Edel and Caoife, who, one suspects saw it as platform to build their own agenda…!!

However, Lenny was a little taken-a-back when queried by Carol (BL and two fine sons) as to the exact criteria for the award; (Ed understands the issue remains unresolved – will Mackers make good this apparent slight/oversight??)

A number of items fell to be dealt with in an orderly fashion under AOB. The main item concerned expulsions from the Council. Unfortunately for those concerned, while to be absent once or twice may be unfortunate, for a member of the Council to absent oneself for Lenny’s last hurrah, and expect that it go unnoticed, was careless. Harry and Mick were summarily removed from the Council – with no olive branch offered of a return!! For once, the skies over England and Germany were joined under the same dark cloud.

As Eyrsie was to later observe, a little too profoundly, “…the award to Mackers reinforces the message that, winning this is not about doing the ordinary in an exceptional way, but being exceptional in an ordinary way.”

Cor, while delighted for Mackers, was philosophical when questioned as to his own aspirations for the title, concluding, “…les gens qui ont bonne conscience ont souvent mauvaise memoire.”

Meanwhile, Gazza recovered well to enjoy some foxy late-night dacing in Renards - 'inside info' from tipsters early in the night had put him a nose ahead for the prize, although Eimir seemed pleased that Ms Masai was heading elsewhere!!

Great night - the privileges of friendship.

2001 Proves Night of High Emotion for Lenny!

A little bit of Italy in Temple Bar proved the ideal setting for an emotional night for Lenny as he received the 2001 award.

Again, another great turnout which included dec Lawler, Conor McG and regular guest Elka.

While there were a number of front runners for the award, Colm’s choice was made easy due to Conor’s year of high achievement: proposed to his bride to be early in the year, a great result in his MBA and an all-round good year on sporting and entertaining fronts and then the big three-o in September!!.

Notably, Lenny’s first reaction was to telephone his Mom and announce the good news. And lest he forget who’s in charge, the three individuals in the fine sculpture he received as his award were each tagged as members of the Council of State (one wonders if the tags have remained, although some dubious ‘reform’ of the Council was to be initiated subsequently).

Bad Bobs finished off a cracker of a night

Smallser Eases Past the Post for Y2K!

So it fell to Dec H to make the award for the second year in a row. And there was little disagreement with Smallser easing past the post, having proposed and announced his engagement to Marie in 2000 and wedding for 2001 among other achievement!! A somewhat further strengthening of the basis for the awards following Micko.

Its oft mooted that the Alunmi award is one night of pleasure and 364 of misery as the Alunmus endeavours to organize the following years din-dins (which is really the only thing they have to do!).

O'Connor Scoops ‘99 Awards

Coming from way down the field due to his non-appearance at the previous two knees-ups, Micko put in an exceptional performance during the year. Triumphs included his Stag in May, the Garstang 14 and nipping off with his gorgeous English Rose.

Commenting after the awards, Lenny, whom many expected was head of the field, was philosophical. "It was a truly great performance, and certainly Micko deserved the honour in the end. He has certainly raised the hurdle for the future", said Linehan. He continued, "I look forward to working with Micko during the year on the Committee, to ensure that it is yet another great year".

Meanwhile, the Hall of Fame, also expressed their satisfaction with the outcome of the awards. "It is a truly great decision to have to make", commented Leahy, (who absented himself for the night, as reliving the acrimony of the previous year was not worth it). "It is one night of glory and 364 days of pain, but Micko should be able to make that hard decision at end 2000. His decision should be easier next year, if that new idea of a committee for aspirants with Conor and Cormac as the inaugural members proves a good breeding ground for a future alumnus", continued Leahy.

In all, twenty-four attended including Liam and Sinead Hore, Noel C with Shane and Nicola G.

’99 Shock as no Alumnette Award Announced

There was some dismay when it emerged that the outgoing Alumna of the year would not be present to make finish her year and make the presentation for 1999. Despite the best efforts of the organising committee, Marie could not be traced. Ingarelle, who had hoped it was her year was stunned to silence, but alas it was outside the control of the organiser due to the new Equal Opportunity-Equal Pain rules passed during 1999. Sabby, who was a previous winner and could not have cared less whether there was a new entrant to the Alumna's Hall of Fame, went on to claim her own little award for the night, but quickly packed it back to its owner in the US.

1998 Leahy Bows Out in Style

The annual dinner of 1998 in FXBs and on to Leeson Street, was certainly the highlight to date. It marked the highpoint of Alumnus extraordinaire Harry J, aka Hefty. He achieved an unprecedented attendance; a tribute to the high regard that his friends and fellow students of yester year still hold this larger than life Limerick man.

Under the strict rules for awards, a number of key contenders for awards in 1998 were deemed ineligible as they were unable to attend in person. Mick O Connor had to dash to London on the 29th but did manage to get a few drinks in before departure. Inga and Sabina (outgoing alumnette) were unable to make it for the night from Australia - so everyone used the demon drink to console themselves. Meanwhile, Dec L was winging his way to Paris for the New Year. Owensey and Murph went awol.

Joey, a consistent attendee, flew in from the windy city again for the night - via Kilkenny. Noel McD, ensconced in South Africa for previous dinners made a welcome first appearance; formerly in attendance as a pair of glasses.

The number of long suffering friends expanded this year as Edel joined Tricia and Caoife for her first din-dins.

Deara, Marie and Edith made welcome appearances as did Noel Cullen.

1997 Shaky Start for Alumni Awards!!

Rumours of awards being fixed over pints, or for the purchase of pints were scoffed by Eyrsie as awarded the Alunmi of the Year to Hefty. It was a shaky start to the awards and was not helped by questions over the decision making process.

In accepting the award Harry said he was humbled and while not party to the decision making process would ensure that he looked forward to putting in place “…criteria and a transparent and open process of decision-making…” to ensure that the awards would be beyond repute.

When questioned on the ‘Pintgate’ allegations, he said he had no recollection of buying a pint during any discussions on the Awards, and that even if he had, it was probably as part of a round of drinks and a general discussion on end of year achievement awards!

1996 Eyrsie Floored by Rourkie on Big Night!!

Eyrsie was the receipient of the inaugural Alunmni of the Year Award for an outstanding performance on Hill 16 during the year. His prize, a biography of one of Meath's finest, which on receipt was tossed over his head and has not been seen since.

Full marks to Smallser for organising a memorable evenings entertainment.

PS Punter, I want my book back, D!!

1995 Kinsella’s Changes to Oil Can Harrys after 1st Alumni Nite!!

It included friends from UCD B.Comm and GBS, who were now retirees, friends and associates of Old Etonians, Blackbeard's Ball Crushers and EuroSocs from the early 1990s. The core are the Spittle Gang - a hotchpot of committed Meath and Dublin followers and haters. From memory, those attending included Con, Smallser, Eyrsie, Dec H, Owensie, Murph, Barry, Joey(?)

While at this stage the exact detail of the night is a matter for those who were there, it was variously organised by Lenny and Smallser, with no ladies attending. One regret is that the ‘conga’ and the lighting of Cuba’s finest have not survived in the organisation of subsequent Alumni nights.

While Kinsella’s changed their name to Oil Can Harrys shortly after this event, this is believed to be coincidental!!

Alumnus of the Year

2005 Gazza

2004 Joey

2003 Cor

2002 Mackers

2001 Lenny

2000 Smallser

1999 Micko

1998 Dec H

1997 Harry

1996 Eyrsie

Alumnette of the Year

2005 Caoife

2004 Tricia

2003 Eimirrooney

2002 Marie S

2001 -

2000 -

1999 -

1998 Marie Bradley

1997 Sabina

Council of State (decision making body)

Hall of Fame

2005 Joey

2004 Cor

2003 Mackers

2002 Lenny

2001 Smallser

2000 Micko

1999 Dec H

1998 Harry

1997 Eyrsie