Category: News

Robbie Dillon – Presidents Address

On Tuesday the 18th of October this year I was honoured to be voted in as the Terenure College Past Pupils Union President for 2022/2023. I’d like to thank last year’s President, Fergus Bishop, for his hard work steering the union out of Covid and ensuring I’m taking over a very well-oiled machine. I’d also like to welcome Ian Morgan and Will Moore as my two Vice Presidents for the year ahead, along with our excellent committee.

As The PPU enters its 97th year, our focus will be ensuring past pupils of Terenure College can easily maintain a connection to the school and to each other at our many annual events.

The PPU is a valued member of the larger Terenure College Carmelite Community, and its work is important in the context of this wider community.

The PPU has strong relationships with many other schools with the President and committee members having the pleasure of attending many other Past Pupil Annual dinners each year.

As a union, we provide a platform for two extremely important causes for Terenure College Students Past, Present and Future.

The Benevolent Fund was established by the PPU over 20 years ago and supports Past Pupils and their families who require financial assistance in times of hardship. Given the recent economic challenges, the Benevolent Fund has naturally had an increased number of Past Pupils contacting them for help. Thanks to past donations and fundraising, the Fund have been able to help many Past Pupils and their families with general day to day living expenses and educational costs for their children.

The Benevolent Fund is here to help and if you require assistance please contact the Fund through the PPU website (www.nure.ie) or via benevolentfund@nure.ie.

The Benevolent Fund’s activities are funded mainly through raffles and activities organised by the PPU, the Carmelite Charities Golf Classic and donations and bequests. All donations are welcome with instructions on how to donate on www.nure.ie.

Past and current members of the PPU have been involved in the establishment of the Terenure College Scholarship Programme, working closely with the Carmelite community, the school board, the Vincent de Paul and the Solas Programme (established by past pupils Johnny Bourke and Marty Doyle).

Thanks to the generosity of its initial donors, the initiative is up and running with a number of students already attending the school. This has been particularly rewarding for the PPU as setting up the Scholarship Programme has long been an ambition of many of my predecessors on the committee of the PPU.

With your financial support, we hope to grow this programme. We are extremely grateful of the wide range of contributions and generosity to date. I would invite you to visit www.terenurescholarship.ie to learn more about this initiative and for ways to contribute to this very worthwhile cause.

The PPU host a number of events each year and I look forward to welcoming you all to each of our events.

  • Annual Dinner: This is the flagship event each year for the PPU and is typically attended by roughly 300 Terenure College Alumni. The invitation is for all past pupils to attend the dinner with special emphasis on gathering, 5, 10 20, 30, 40 and 50-year groups. Last year we held our biggest Annual Dinner in recent years with 400 guests enjoying a magical evening in Lakelands Park. Recognition is also given at each year’s dinner for ex-pupils who have excelled in Business, Sports, Politics, Medicine, Law or the Arts. This is an excellent opportunity to catch up with old friends and it is also a significant charity fund raiser for the PPU’s charities. We’re busy working on the Annual Dinner 2023 and details will be announced in Jan 2023.
  • Business Lunch: The business lunch is typically held at the Westbury Hotel. It has been very well attended in recent years and the centre of town venue has proven very popular. The lunch gives PPU members an outlet to catch up with old friends, showcase their businesses and entertain clients. Each year the event has been enhanced by great guest speakers drawn from several fields including business, the arts, sport and journalism. This year we’re celebrating the success of our past pupils with a panel discussion on thriving during uncertainty.
  • Annual Golf Event: Another popular day in the PPU’s calendar is the annual golf outing, at Grange Golf Club in Rathfarnham. This a friendly competition with the emphasis on providing Past Pupils with an opportunity to meet up, play some golf and enjoy the BBQ afterwards. This event continues to be well supported at all age levels providing past pupils with an opportunity to socialise.
  • Family Day: We are including the Tag Rugby Tournament and the Annual Tennis tournament in a Family Day. We hope to see past pupils with partners, children, extended family and friends at this event. The Annual Tennis Tournament is a doubles event with playing partners assigned on the day. All levels of tennis players are encouraged to participate. The family day activities will be hosted in the school with prize-giving and refreshments taking place in the Rugby club. It is a free event with an emphasis on the social rather than competitive side.

Membership subscriptions play a very important part in the running of the Union, as a healthy flow of revenue allows us to develop the quality of our events as well as organising the day-to-day activities of the Union. Membership is currently €50 per annum (less than €1 per week), and you can sign up today at www.nure.ie/subscriptions/.

On behalf of the Past Pupils Union, I would like to wish all our alumni the best of health and we look forward to meeting you all again soon at the next PPU event.

Robbie Dillon – Class of 2002

Terenure College Changing Futures!

Terenure PPU Scholarship Trust was delighted to receive a cheque for €3,500 from Jeanette Keaney of the Church Fund Committee in support of the Changing Futures Project.  Established by the Past Pupils Union we aim to offer two scholarship places for boys who would like to attend Terenure College but whose families don’t have the means. We are registered with the Charities Regulator and have been granted Charitable Tax Exemption by the Revenue Commissioners.

I think this is a wonderful initiative that benefits everyone in the school community and it is something that we would love to continue here in the future, with the continued support of the Past Pupils Union
Philip Wallace
Principal Terenure College

There are currently 4 boys participating in the Changing Futures programme and each one has settled in very well in all aspects that the school has to offer.

We are so grateful for the daily opportunities and encouragement the school and community provides to enable him to reach his full potential as a young man , both academically and emotionally. He is thriving under the guidance of the school and its caring staff of teachers and coaches.

We are so grateful for the daily opportunities and encouragement the school and community provides to enable him to reach his full potential as a young man , both academically and emotionally. He is thriving under the guidance of the school and its caring staff of teachers and coaches.

Parent of Boy

Terenure College boys are proud of the community spirit and traditions that remain with us long after finishing school. Although our ethos has always been inclusive, many boys who would thrive in Terenure College cannot attend because their family cannot afford to pay school fees.

By supporting our Changing Futures Scholarship Appeal you are sharing the opportunity to attend Terenure College with someone who would really benefit from it and who will in turn enhance the College community. 

If you wish to support the project please click here

Mark Hamilton – Korn Ferry – Alumni Business in Focus

Terenure PPU – Alumni in Focus – Mark Hamilton (Class of 2003)

  • Years attending Terenure College?

I was extremely lucky to have attended Terenure College from 1997 – 2003!

  • Current company and position?

I recently joined Korn Ferry Ireland as a Managing Consultant specialising in search. Before joining Korn Ferry, I worked in BDO for 12 fantastic years, where I trained as a Chartered Accountant in Corporate Finance & Recovery, before progressing to my most recent role as Head of Business Development.

  • Tell us about your business/company…

Korn Ferry is the world’s largest organisational consulting firm with over 8,500 employees across 54 countries. Korn Ferry was established in Ireland in 2017 and now has over 50 full time employees offering a full suite of organisational solutions to the market.

  1. Organisation Strategy
  2. Assessment & Succession
  3. Talent Acquisition – Executive Search
  4. Leadership & Professional Development
  5. Rewards & Benefits
  • Company Employees – What led you to join the company and what issues does the company look to solve?

After a successful career and experience with BDO, under the guidance of Michael Costello, Stewart Dunne, Ciaran Medlar and all my former colleagues, it was time for a new challenge, and the opportunity to join a firm of the stature of Korn Ferry and challenge myself in a relatively new field, appealed to me greatly.

Under the leadership of Bob Casey, I have been tasked with contributing to the continued growth of the Irish business and supporting clients in finding the best talent across a broad range of industries, with a specialism in financial and professional services.

As I mention above, Korn Ferry is a global firm that enables people and organisations to exceed their potential. We work with our clients to design optimal organisation structures, roles, and responsibilities. We help them hire the right people and advise them on how to reward and motivate their workforce, while developing professionals as they navigate and advance their careers.

I joined Korn Ferry in the summer, and I am continuing to familiarise myself with my new environment – I could not be happier! I am very lucky to work with some extremely intelligent / commercial people across multiple sectors internationally, providing fantastic talent solutions to amazing businesses (and powerful global brands). Despite moving into ‘Search’ being a career pivot for myself, the fundamentals, and behaviours needed for this position remained very aligned to what I feel are my key strengths. I am very client focused and I am passionate about their success and development.

  • Favourite Terenure College memory?

My time at Terenure College is filled with happy memories, but how can I look past winning the Leinster Schools Senior Cup in 2003! I started as loose head prop in a very close knit (and extremely talented) team who beat our rivals St. Marys College in the final on St. Patricks Day.

We also went unbeaten in Leinster the whole season which was fantastic for us. The final was such a special occasion! The feeling at the final whistle in the Old Lansdowne Road is something I will never forget. It is hard to believe it is 18 years ago. Roll on the 20-year reunion!

The rugby tour to New Zealand was also very special!

  • Have you found the Terenure College community was a benefit to you inyour career? Example?

The simple answer is YES! The Terenure College community has been a huge benefit to my career but also to my personal life. There is a huge sense of community amongst the past pupils, and I personally have really benefited from that. In business or socially, meeting an alumnus of Terenure College means that the barrier is broken immediately. There is always a friendly face and something to talk about!

I would urge anyone considering getting involved in the Terenure College PPU or reconnecting to the Terenure College Community to do so; the rewards are much greater than the efforts involved! Just pick up the phone to a past pupil, contact the PPU to volunteer, support the PPU events or just wander down to Terenure College RFC for a game, you will not regret it!

  • If you were Minister for Finance for a day, what change would you make?

That is a tough one. In my opinion, the government should be doing more to encourage start-up businesses in Ireland. I’d allocate more capital to the existing funds and incentives – that money will pay itself back in the future in terms of jobs and taxes.

On a personal level, I’d simplify the various benefits, reliefs etc. available to parents. As a new parent myself and notwithstanding my background, its not easy to figure out what’s available and how to get it.

  • What’s an interesting fact people may not know about you?

I had no clue what to say here and when I sought my family’s opinion, nothing interesting came back, just embarrassing stories!

I guess something that not many people know about me is that I sit on the board of a NASDAQ listed PLC, Nutriband Inc. (NTRB), who are primarily engaged in the development of a portfolio of transdermal pharmaceutical products. It is a far cry from Terenure College, but my involvement actually originated via a Terenure College past pupil and current CEO Gareth Sheridan who asked me to get involved several years ago. The experience is invaluable, and I look forward to the continued success of the company. I also look forward to further developing my own board involvements into the future.

Aside from the above, and some people may find it hard to believe, but I actually used to have a head of hair….and a very curly head of hair at that! I’ll save the photos for another time.

  • If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Tough question. In my personal life, I unfortunately lost a close friend to cancer in 2013 (aged 29) and it jolted me into realising how short life is. Treat people the way you want to be treated, with honesty, empathy, respect and integrity. Separately, never forget to make time for family, friends, and yourself. Some people forget the last one.

In my professional career, two lessons that have really stuck are:

  1. Be resilient. You will inevitably encounter setbacks throughout your career; but I honestly believe that if you maintain the core values of honesty, respect, empathy, integrity and combine them with a positive work ethic, you can never go too far wrong. Do not forget to ask for help when needed.
  2. The next lesson (and again linked to the above) is knowing the value and importance of your own personal brand. Your own brand and profile (online and otherwise) will stick with you the whole of your career. I suppose the lesson is just to keep mindful of that. Ireland is small and the world continues to get smaller; there is a good chance that you will come across people you are dealing with today at some point again in the future. How do you want to be remembered? We have all heard it before, but it is true that “people will forget what you said, people may forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.
  • How can people best access you and your business?

Take a look at www.kornferry.com and please just give me a call on 087 6432 684 (or pop me an e-mail to mark.hamilton@kornferry.com). I genuinely welcome all and any connections and am always open to a chat, a coffee or even something stronger! Otherwise, pop down to Terenure College RFC for a match and we will certainly run into each other.

With my Terenure College RFC hat on, 1ST XV Assistant Captain Harrison Brewer has launched his fantastic new coffee venture UP@Brews at Lakelands which has been the spot of many a coffee catch-up with Terenure College Alumni. I would urge you to get down and visit, there is always a friendly face to catch up with.

Mike Murphy – RAPID Physio Clinic -Alumni Business in Focus

  • Years attending Terenure College?

Started in the Junior School in 2003 and left Secondary in 2013.

  • Current company and position?

I have recently set up my own business – Rehabilitation and Performance Initiative Dublin (RAPID) – which is a physiotherapy and sports medicine clinic.

  • Tell us about your business… [20] words or less

RAPID is a sports medicine clinic which integrates physiotherapy with strength and conditioning, to thoroughly rehabilitate clients from initial injury to elite performance.

  • How did you get your idea or concept for the business?

I’ve always dreamt of working for myself and running my own business. Having worked at the Sports Surgery Clinic in Santry,  worked for a year over in Austin, Texas and then completed my Masters in Sports and Exercise Medicine,  I felt that now was the time to set up my own clinic.

  • Favourite Terenure College memory?

There are far too many great memories to single out just one! Winning a Junior Cup in 2010 was definitely a huge highlight.

  • Have you found the Terenure College community was a benefit to you inyour career? Example?

Extremely. I’m only set up a couple of months but already I’ve had great support, custom and advice from members of the Terenure College community, from helping to spread the word to helping me get set up – it’s been greatly appreciated!

  • If you were Minister for Finance for a day what change would you make?

I’d review the taxation structure for mega tech companies in Ireland, call Apple’s unpaid tax due and redistribute it to the small businesses hardest hit over the past year.

  • What’s an interesting fact people may not know about you?

I mentioned it above – but I spent a year living in Austin, at the heart of Texas. I was also a proud Young Scientist in 2011 for Terenure College!

  • If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

I’m probably not in much of a position to give that kind of advice just yet as I’ve only started myself! But for anyone on the fence about starting out, I would say get started, back yourself, and don’t be too shy or afraid to ask for help and advice. People are more than happy to help!

  • How can people best access you and your business?

Through the website – www.rapid.ie – from there you can learn more about the business and can book an appointment if needed. I’m located at the Walkinstown Roundabout which is easily accessible for a lot of the Terenure College community.

Mark Dowling – Park Printing – Alumni Business in Focus

MARK DOWLING – PARK PRINTING – ALUMNI BUSINESS IN FOCUS SERIES

Years attending Terenure College?

1981 – 1993

Current company and position?

Park Printing Co., Director

Tell us about your business …

We are a Design and printing company. It’s a family business and we are 50 years trading this year!.

We work with businesses from pretty much every sector as most companies have design or print requirements.

How did you get your idea or concept for the business?

My father set up the business. After a few years working in the trade, he decided to try working for himself!

Favourite Terenure College memory?

Many happy memories but always enjoyed the sports and great facilities.

Have you found the Terenure College community was a benefit to you in your career? Example?

The contacts and friendships we make through the network of past pupils is definitely beneficial. Whether they be customers or suppliers. It’s nice to work with people we know!

If you were Minister for Finance for a day what change would you make? –

Right now I think we need to see a safe return to business. So many sectors have been impacted. I’m optimistic there will be a real boost eventually, with most people eager to get working again.

What’s an interesting fact people may not know about you? 

I’m a closet tech geek.

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Make sure you enjoy what you do. Then it doesn’t feel as much like hard work.

How can people best access you and your business?

Contact me anytime by phone or email which is available on our website https://parkdp.ie/

What- ever the query I can either help or point you in the right direction.

Support Services For Those Who Suffered Abuse

Following the recent statement from Terenure College and the Carmelite Order located here the PPU would like to express its support to all past pupils who suffered abuse in Terenure College and to draw attention to services available which are listed below.

Support Services

Carmelite DLP for Safeguarding
Julie McCullough
01 2984014
dlp@gortmuire.com 
www.carmelite.ie 

Towards Healing Counselling Service
Freephone 1800 303416 (Rep of Ireland)
Freephone 0800 0963315 (Northern Ireland and UK)
Hearing impaired Text Line Number: 085-8022859
www.towardshealing.ie

Rape Crisis Network Ireland
National 24hr Helpline: 1800 77 88 88

Dublin Rape Crisis Centre
National 24-hour Helpline: 1800 77 88 88
www.drcc.ie

Garda National Protective Services Bureau
01 666 3430/35
gnpsb@garda.ie

Tusla Child and Family Agency
www.tusla.ie

One in Four
01 6624070
www.oneinfour.ie

Samaritans
24-hour freephone 116123
www.samaritans.org

Business in Focus

KEVIN MAHONY – ALUMNI BUSINESS IN FOCUS SERIES

As you may be aware, the main aim of the Past Pupils Union is to provide a forum to enable past pupils of Terenure College to keep connected to both the school and more importantly, to each other. Read More

Philip Lynch E&J Gallo Winery -Alumni Business In Focus

About Philip Lynch Country Manager Ireland E&J Gallo Winery

Philip is a past President of the Past Pupils Union and went to both the Junior & Senior School graduating from the class of 1985 having spent 11 years in Terenure College (back then there was a 2nd class Junior School class.) Read More

Kevin Mahony – Alumni Business in Focus

As you may be aware, the main aim of the Past Pupils Union is to provide a forum to enable past pupils of Terenure College to keep connected to both the school and more importantly, to each other. Read More

About Us

One of the main purposes of the Past Pupils Union (PPU) is to provide past pupils of Terenure College with a connection to the School and to each other.

Contact Us
  • Terenure College, Templeogue Road, Terenure, Dublin 6W
  • +353 (0)86 3087678
  • info@nure.ie
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