St. Peter’s College in the 20th Century-Reflections
Fintan Morris

In December 1903, Fr. Sheridan was appointed parish priest to Ramsgrange and was succeeded by
Dr. Codd. In that year, there were 12 students of theology, 6 philosophers, 34 boarding boys, and
7-day boys. Dr Codd decided to build a science hall, which was completed in 1906. The building of wood and corrugated iron cost £700. To assist meeting the cost, the college received a grant of
£111 from the Agricultural and Technical Education Department and the Intermediate board gave a loan of £570 to be repaid over a ten-year period. This hall would serve the college until 1961 when
it was replaced by a new building, St. Joseph’s.
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Dr. Codd’s report at the end of his first school year in office states:
“The rules have been fairly well kept throughout the year with the exception of “one brief period of aberration…. The student’s seemed to make an effort to dispense with a certain amount of noisiness amongst themselves!” Things have changed!
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Dr. Codd was appointed parish priest of Blackwater in 1912 and six years later became Bishop of Ferns, following the death of Mayglass man Bishop James Browne.
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The effects of World War 1 were to present many difficulties to the then president, Rev. William Hanton, formerly a curate in Enniscorthy and one time volunteer for the South African Mission.
One difficulty was the challenge of acquiring from the war-torn continent, theology and philosophy textbooks, but it appears that students were not too distressed! The issue of Conscription,
however, raised by the proposed Conscription Bill, and the exemption factor for clerics, was a real concern and worry for a time among staff and ecclesiastical students.
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Due to the increasing numbers of clerical students, Summerhill House, opposite the College gates,
and one time residence of well-known benefactor, Richard Devereux, K.S.G., was acquired for additional accommodation. When Dr Codd became bishop he took up residence in this house, giving the former Bishop’s House, St. Mary’s, to the College. The senior clerics and some professors lived in St. Mary’s until the building of the Ecclesiastical Wing in 1938.
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The year 1916 witnessed among other things the publication of the first number of St. Peter’s Annual. Three numbers would be produced; 1916, 1917 and 1918, a college Centenary edition. A forerunner
of present-day Petrus, the 1916 edition contained many interesting articles, including an outline of the history of St. Peter’s College, the Jubilee of the Mission House, Enniscorthy, travelling in South Africa (Rev. Hanton) and a Student Diary. Details of the College Prospectus were given, outlining the four College Departments: the Theological School, the Classical School, the Commercial School, the Preparatory School. The pension, incidentally, for the Theological school (Philosophy and Theology) was £31 10s, payable over three terms.
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Gaelic Games at this time were beginning to play a prominent par in College life. The usual field game played in the college until the turn of the century had been cricket. The earliest known instance of Gaelic activity in St. Peter’s was on November 14th 1896, when the boarders played the dayboys in football on College grounds. In 1905, a friendly football match between St. Peter’s and De La Salle College was played in Wexford Park. The next year the College teams were playing teams from Wexford town, St Kieran’s College, Kilkenny, and Good Counsel College, New Ross. A St. Peter’s football team made their first appearance in Croke Park in February of 1912, and savoured success
by beating St. Mary’s Training College in a challenge game (4- to 2-2). The 1917 issue of St. Peter’s Annual reported that the lay students organised a football league, forming two teams, the volunteers and the Geraldins, and playing every week. In the same Annual, a reference is made to a football match with St. Kieran’s College, Kilkenny, which had to be postponed owing to travel difficulties and there is an interesting reference to St Edna’s, the school founded by Padraig Pearse: “ St. Enda’s, Dublin, could not field a team against us this year either but in the near future the Gaels of S.P.C.
will be looking for fixture with those of Enda’s”.
One game was played that season against C.B.S. Wexford.
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Little hurling was played in the College in 1917 “due to the difficulty which most of the lads had in obtaining hurleys” and because of interest in football in the county during that period of Wexford’s supremacy. However, the hurling situation would improve during 1917-1918 academic year.
During that year four football matches were played against the famous Academy, Mount St. Benedict’s, Gorey.
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After Feis Charman of 1917, the students, anxious to establish in St. Peter’s an Irish language
society similar to the Irish group, Cuallacht Choilm Chille in Maynooth, founded Cumann Naomh Maodhog with Fr. Hanton as patron and Fr. Donovan, the Dean, as president. A number of students, including Edward Codd, had already founded the St. Aidan Branch of the Gaelic League, probably in 1916.
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Fr. Hanton went to Piercestown in 1918, being succeeded as president of the College by
Rev. William Harpur. Fr. Harpur guided the destinies of the College for six years, until his appointment as parish priest in Ramsgrange and later to Gorey.
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In 1924, Rev. William Murphy, S.T.L., was appointed president and served in the office until 1934, when he was appointed parish priest of Bree. It was during the presidency of his successor,
Rev. James Doran, professor of Science, that the building of the impressive “new wing” for the Seminary was undertaken and competed (1935-1938). The Ecclesiastical Wing, later known as
“the Far Side”, would cost £59,583! In 1940 Fr. Doran was appointed parish priest of Ballyoughter were he died in 1951.
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During the Second World War the challenges of wartime conditions were met by Rev. Robert Hickey (1941-1950). Seminary staff members included Dr. J Browne (Dogma, Canon Law), Dr. R. Ranson (Moral Theology, Liturgy), Rev. M. Tobin (Ascetical Theology), Rev. R. Hickey (Pastoral Theology), Rev. W. Kane (Sacred Scripture, Ecclesiastical History), Rev. W. Gaul (Logic, Metaphysics & Ethics, Elocution and Gregorian Chant). After “the Emergency” the building on the north side of the quadrangle was raised and the attic of St. Aidan’s was converted into an extra dormitory.
The old Physics Hall - the original classroom of 1819 – was converted into a new refectory. Bishop Staunton wanted more accommodation!
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The old Dining Hall was converted into a staff room and a classroom – known for sometime afterwards as “the Irish Hall”. The interior of the College chapel was modified: the floor level was altered, the seating changed and a new set of the Stations of the Cross installed. Fr. Hickey was appointed
pastor to New Ross in 1951.
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In January 1951, Fr, Hugh O’Byrne became president. During the school year 1951 – 1952 a
praesidium of the Legion of Mary was established in the Ecclesiastical Seminary and a couple of years later a junior praesidium among the secondary students. In 1953 the Cloister was extended – the
third side – to flank the north side of the quadrangle.
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In 1955, Dr. James Browne succeeded Fr. O’Byrne, newly appointed P.P. of Tagoat, as president who remained in office for two years. When Monsignor Hickey died in 1957, Dr Browne became Parish
Priest of New Ross and for the next two years, Fr. Timothy J. Nolan, a staff member for 29 years, presided over the affairs of the college. Well versed in local history, he was one of the founder members of the Old Wexford Historical Society. He was appointed to Oulart as parish priest in 1959 but was seriously ill at the time and died without taking up office.
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The academic year 1958–1959 witnessed the appearance of new College Annual, Petrus, a production, which faithfully recorded College life and has continually helped maintain the link between alumni and their Alma Mater.
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From 1959 to 1961, Fr. William J. Gaul was president of St. Peter’s. During his tenure of office, a new building programme was undertaken, which would include science halls, classrooms, and dormitories. The old 1906 Science Hall was dismantled and re-erected on a site in the corner of where the Sports Complex now stands and used as a recreation hall. In its place, a new building, St. Joseph’s (Science hall, and dormitory) was completed by October 1961. A third storey would be added two years later.
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When Fr. Gaul was appointed to Kilmore in 1961 the mantle of presidency passed to
Rev. Thomas Rossiter. In April 1963, the building on the north side of the quadrangle was further extended making a new hall available with dormitory accommodation in the two upper stories.
The dormitories were used from September that year and the work was completed by January 1963. The year 1963 would prove to be the year of triumph for the College G.A.A., crowning all the years
of effort and endeavour of teams and mentors with success. It was the year when St. Peter’s College won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Grade A Championship beating Ennis C.B.S. at Croke Park in a replay by 4-11 to 2-4. The College had entered the Leinster Colleges Hurling Championship for the first time in 1951-’52, and had quickly achieved recognition. In 1958-’59, St Peter’s won the Staunton Cup, beating Belcamp College while the Junior hurlers, defeating C.B.S. Kilkenny, carried off Corn Ui Chadain. The following year, the senior hurlers won the Leinster final in 1959-’60, beating St. Kieran’s College, Kilkenny, a victory which would be in anticipation of the All-Ireland Championship. The year 1961-’62 also witnessed the introducing of College blazers and caps for secondary school students. Fr. Rossiter became parish priest of Ballindaggin 1965 and Dr. Robert Ranson was appointed President, a position he occupied until his appointment as Pastor of Ballygarrett two years later.
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Fr. Sylvester O’Byrne was President of the college from 1967 to 1969. During this time a major building programme was undertaken. Situated on the west side of the quadrangle, St. Ibar’s Building would house new Science Laboratories and classrooms, with accommodation for members of staff on the second floor. The building was officially blessed and opened on the 8th February 1970 by Bishop Donal Herlihy, as part of the Sesquicentenary celebrations in the college.
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Meanwhile in 1969 Rev. Patrick Doyle had become president following Fr. O’Byrne’s appointment as Pastor to the parish of Cloughbawn. When Rev. P. Doyle was appointed Parish Priest of Ferns, he was succeeded by Rev. John Butler in 1970. The organ in the College Chapel was completed rebuilt and relocated on the organ gallery. That same year (1970) a five day school week was introduced after much discussion and deliberation, replacing the traditional six day school week.
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Rev. Patrick J. O’Keeffe became president in 1972, with the departure of Fr. Butler to take up the pastoral charge of the Parish of Ramsgrange. Fr. O’Keeffe was appointed Parish Priest of Kilrush and was succeeded as President in 1973 by Rev. Seamus S. de Val. During this period, the Vice-President of the College, Rev. Patrick Curtis became very ill and died.
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Fr. de Val was appointed to the parish of Oulart as pastor in July 1976 and was succeeded in the position of President of the College by Rev. Dr. Thomas Sherwood. Unfortunately Dr. (“Doc”) Sherwood, died suddenly in 1977, and was interred in the ground adjoining the College Chapel.
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The first year of the presidency of Rev. John V. Gahan, a dean of Studies for many years, witnessed the return of one of the most distinguished alumni to his Alma Mater on an official visit. On April 20th, 1978, the recently appointed Archbishop of Armagh, Dr. Tomas O’Fiaich, visited St. Peter’s College, celebrating Mass at the College Chapel and distributing prizes to the students in the Concert Hall.
It was during Fr. Gahan’s term of office to that the task of building the proposed Sports Complex was undertaken. The Past Pupils Union played a vital role in the raising of necessary funds for such a daring project. Efforts would be rewarded when the impressive new Sporting Complex was blessed and opened by Bishop Herlihy on October 3rd, 1982. Such a facility would prove to be invaluable.
Fr. Gahan was president until 1981 when he was appointed pastor to Gorey in succession to the retired Archdeachon O’Doherty.
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Fr. Patrick O’Brien, Rector of the Seminary, was then appointed president and remained in office until 1985 when he was succeeded by the Scripture professor, Rev. Laurence O’Connor. On November 10th, 1991 an all-weather Gaelic pitch, the Ned Power Park, was officially opened, further improving the College sporting facilities.
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Fr. Oliver Doyle, Rector of the Seminary, was appointed president in 1994, succeeding Fr. O’Connor.
It was also the year that Mr. James Maxwell, became principal of the Secondary School, the first lay principal in the history of the College. During their tenures, the Boarding School was closed, thus ending a tradition dating back to the early nineteenth century. In 1995, an outreach of Carlow RTC was established on the ground floor of the Ecclesiastical Wing. The Theology and Philosophy Halls were re-located to classrooms between the Tower and the College Chapel, an area once the accommodation quarters of the St. John of God Sisters. The Seminary had a short lived existence in its new academic surrounds, however, and would close in 1998. Seminarians were transferred to Maynooth College and Fr. Oliver Doyle, the last College president, went to Great Falls, Montana, USA.
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Mr. Pat Quigley succeeded Jim Maxwell as principal. It was during his stewardship that the significant building of the school extension was undertaken. The site was originally part of the Ecclesiastical College gardens. Extensive renovations were also carried out on St. Ibar’s building, with the top storey restructured to accommodate more classrooms.
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A new diocesan venture, the Ferns Diocesan Pastoral Centre, was established in the Priest’s House in 2000, with Fr. Willie Howell as director.
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While St. Peter’s College has witnessed and been part of profound change over the twentieth century, it remains faithful to its essential character, namely the education of young men, imbued with a spirit of Catholic principles and formed with a sense of civic responsibility and pride.
St. Peter’s College prided itself with a distinguished educational tradition, one from which its alumni embraced life and opportunities and made that difference which was and still is distinctive.