On the Town: Past pupils of Cistercian College Roscrea, the boys' boarding school in Co Tipperary, celebrated their common experiences and memories at a launch in Dublin this week.
Minister for Finance Brian Cowen launched Céad Bliain Faoi Rath: The Story of Cistercian College Roscrea 1905-2005, which charts the school's first 100 years.
"We are privileged to be members of a special family and the beneficiaries of a historical and spiritual inheritance," said Conor Brady, former editor of The Irish Times and a past pupil. He co-edited the book with the late Liam Maher, the college's retired vice-principal, who died earlier this year,
"The Cistercians owned one-third of the arable land of Ireland in the 13th century - the original multinational," said Brady. "They've been around for a long time."
Writing about the school was "the quintessential labour of love" for Maher, according to his daughter, Fiona Maher. His life "always revolved around the college and the monastery", she added.
"He commanded respect. He treated us like young adults and expected you to listen and learn," recalled Cowen, who attended the college from 1972 to 1977 and who had been taught by Liam Maher.
The college, which boasts Dick Spring and David Andrews among its prominent alumni, continues "to produce young men of principles, of leadership and courage", according to Abbot Kevin Daly.
Among those who gathered to celebrate the college's achievements were Brother Richard Purcell, who is to be ordained in the monastery's chapel next week, and past pupils Jim Glennon TD and Fr Dermod McCarthy, head of religious programming at RTÉ.