Fellow Belvederians.
Eugene Bent OB76 here and with Spring here, I wanted to fill you in on some recent events and others that we have planned for the rest of the year.
It has been a time of great joy but also of sadness in the Belvedere Community. The school can be rightly proud of the many achievements in the first part of the year but we were all greatly saddened by the loss of our rector, friend and constant companion, Fr. Derek Cassidy SJ. 'Casso' as he was affectionately known was a shining example of being a man for others and his deeply held compassion mixed with his wry sense of humour will be sadly missed by all of us. His funeral was a fitting testament to him and amply demonstrated the affection and esteem in which he was held by the many people whose lives he touched in his own inimitable way. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam.
Senior Cup
A huge congratulations to the Belvedere SCT 2017 Leinster Senior Cup back-to-back champions. Supporters came from near and far to join the black and white army supporting the Belvo SCT v Blackrock in the RDS on Paddy’s Day. The lads battled it out through the wind and rain in an epic battle against the team that had beaten them in the 2014 JCT final. In the end, the Belvo Boys got their ultimate revenge and snatched victory from the claws of their old rivals. Lead by their outstanding captain, Max Kearney, the cup made its way back over the Liffey for the second consecutive year.
Congratulations also to the Senior Soccer Team who won the FAI Leinster Schools Soccer Shield, also known as the McGrath Cup.
Belvedere Grad Ball
The Annual Belvedere Graduation Ball was held last January and 10,250 euro was raised for the Belvedere Youth Club. A special thanks to Olive Kenny and all the ladies on the Ball committee for making this event such a great success.
Careers Clinic
The Past Pupils Union was instrumental in hosting the Careers Clinic for Poetry students on 14th March with over 160 Poetry students attending. Many thanks to all the past pupils who helped out and a special thanks to guest speakers Ken Harborne and Ian Fitzpatrick.
Irish Jesuits Schools Alumni London
The Irish Jesuits Schools Alumni London lunch will take place on Friday June 2, 2017 at Smith & Wollensky’s. If you are interested in joining on of the Belvedere tables contact either John Treacy at john.treacy@treacyconsulting.ie or Mark O’Meara at mark@danupartners.com
BBA Annual Dinner and AGM
The BBA AGM and annual Dinner was held on 9th March in Belvedere House. The committee would like to warmly thank all those who attended and gave their support on the night. The BBA is entirely dependent on the support it receives from other past pupils to continue its work.
The Belvedere Benevolent Association (BBA) is an association whose primary remit is to assist any past Belvederian or their family who are suffering or has suffered difficulties in recent times. The BBA carries out its work in a very confidential and sensitive manner and is available to offer practical support and assistance depending on each individual’s personal circumstances.
The BBA is available to support all past pupils including those who may have left the College in more recent years. It is dependent on the awareness and support of other past pupils to explore making a request to the BBA for assistance should you be aware of someone going through a difficult period for whatever reason.
If you require help or know of someone who requires help, please contact belvedereunion@belvederecollegte.ie
Business Lunch
The Annual Belvedere Business Lunch takes place in Fire Restaurant, Mansion House, Dublin on 12th May. Our guest speaker is Oliver Loomes, Country Director with Diageo Ireland, Ireland’s largest drinks company whose brands include Guinness, Baileys, Smethwick’s, Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff.
Oliver first joined Diageo in 1999, working in various marketing roles before joining the Executive team of Diageo Ireland as Marketing and Innovation Director in 2007.
Since then, Oliver has held a number of senior positions in the business, including Guinness Global Brand Director from 2010 to 2013, where he oversaw the marketing of Ireland’s iconic beer across the globe. In 2015 he was promoted to run Diageo’s commercial operations on the island of Ireland.
A graduate of UCD with a Master’s in Business Studies from the Smurfit Business School, Oliver first worked for Mars in Ireland and the UK, holding a number of sales and marketing roles.
Oliver attended primary and secondary school at Belvedere College, completing his leaving cert in 1987. Married with one daughter and two boys, he lives in Dublin.
Limited number of spaces remaining so please do register before the Easter break to ensure a place at what promises to be an enjoyable event. To reserve a space click here
Belvedere Business Forum
The next Belvedere Business Forum breakfast event will take place on Thursday 1st June, 2017 at 7.30am and will be hosted by Cantor FitzGerald. The guest speaker will be Larry Murrin, CEO of Dawn Foods. We hope you can join us at this event. To book your place please click here.
Outstanding achievements of former Belvederians
Well done to Sam Dennigan (OB 2004) who won Best Start-up for his company Strong Roots at Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur awards last March.
Belvedere Golf Society
The Captain’s Prize takes place on 20thApril in Milltown Golf Club and the timesheet is now open. It runs from 1.20pm to 4pm. The format of the competition is singles stableford played in fourballs.
The cost of the outing is €75 per person which includes golf and dinner.
Bookings can be made on-line via the Belvedere Union website (those who pay in advance will be given priority in terms of preferred tee times). To book click here
The Panda Cup
This annual fundraising event takes place on Saturday 8th April at 11am in the Belvedere sports grounds on the Navan Road, Cabra. there will be 35 teams of ten comprising past and present pupils of the school. There must be a minimum of 3 girls on each team! All proceeds go to Pieta House. For more information and to register a team click here.
Reunions
If you left Belvedere in 1957, 1967, 1977, 1987, 1992, 1997 or 2007 then you are due to have a school reunion this year. The following dates have been set so far.
Year Date Venue
Class of ’77 (40 year) 29th September Belvedere House
Class of ’87 (30year) 15th September Belvedere House
Class of ’92 (25 year) 23rd June Old Belvedere RFC
Class of ’97 (20 year) 6th October Belvedere House
Class of ’07 (10 year) 22nd September Belvedere House
Details will appear on the website after Easter but in the meantime, save the date.
Union Membership
Do you see a value in the Belvedere Union? We hope so.
Over the last number of years we have increased the relevance and connectivity for past pupils through initiatives like the Belvedere Business Forum and the Business Lunch. On the social side, the Union Dinner and Golf Society gives Old Belvederians the opportunity to network and connect. These are some of the things we are able to achieve with the help of our website and database. Most of you will know that you have to be a member of the Union to attend the Dinner. But if you weren’t going to the dinner, would you consider assisting the Union and its Administration costs by paying a small membership fee? If you would, you can now join the Union for the small amount of €25. This will help us to communicate with the past more effectively and help us with our initiatives. You can do this by logging onto www.belvedereunion.com and sign up or renew your membership. If you are unsure of your username just email the union secretary at belvedereunion@belvederecollege.ie and she will email it to you.
Remember, you can keep up to date on all Union events and news by supporting and visiting our website www.belvedereunion.com. Here you can login and update your details and sign up to our text messaging service. You can like our Facebook page (Belvedere College Union), follow us on twitter@belvedereunion and we also have alumni groups within Facebook and Linkedin (Belvedere College SJ Alumni) or email us at belvedereunion@belvederecollege.ie
There is so much happening in our Union and much more to come in the remainder of the year so please do get involved. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family and the wider Belvederian Community a very Happy Easter.
Eugene Bent
Union President 2016-2017
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