Incoming President 2026/2027 Gerry Rockingham Class of 1991
Above: Incoming President for 2026/2027, Gerry Rockingham (class of 1991) presenting David Browne (class of 1996) with his presidential pin, now that his term of president is over.
Friday 29th May 2026
Dear Rockwellian,
Given the current heatwave gripping the country I trust our Ireland based past pupils are in high spirits.
I am writing to you in my first week as President of the Rockwell College Union.
I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to the outgoing president David Browne. David has been a wonderful President and his tireless dedication to Rockwell, his work with our spiritan schools and his counsel have been of great benefit to both the Union and the school.
I wish David continued success in his role with the Board of Management and look forward to working with him in the future
.
I attended Rockwell from 1986-1992 as a boarder. I was the first in my family to attend Rockwell with my sister Kate (1994) and brother Michael (1997) making it an all-family affair. Our parents lived in Dubai so we were, what we call today, 7 day borders!
Kate was, I believe, the first female boarder through the school from 1st to 6th year, boarding with the McGuirk family.
It only feels like yesterday that our Rockwell ladies joined us but we are 2 years off celebrating the 40th anniversary of their arrival!
My time at Rockwell was during the “analogue” era, where 'Top of the Pops' and a weekly film on a Saturday night were our 2 digital pleasures. They were incredibly happy times that saw most of us burn off energy in some sort of sporting activity.
For me, that was the Rockwell College Canoe Club, affectionately referred to as R.C.C.C.
I was one of those that togged out with the “nicotine 15”, as hooker, pre cup match, to give the SCT match time and much needed hard tackles. It was blue murder, but great craic.
Ross Thompson was my Canoe Captain (1988) as a junior, followed by Ken Kelly & Andrew Kearney (1989) and succeeded by Michael Morrissey & Barry Ivin (1990). My captaincy of the R.C.C.C. with Jim Purcell (1991) saw us win the Liffey Descent & Leander Trophy for a record 13th time (of 17!). The canoe club was unbelievably fortunate to have Mr. Frank McGrath as our leader, manager and coach during my term and most of us have a life-long friendship with Frank.
It is the mix of my 1991/92 classmates and canoeists (older and younger) that provided me with such admiration for Rockwell, past and present. These lifelong friendships, like our school motto, have remained constant throughout my adult life.
To give back to Rockwell, in any small way as President, is a duty I look forward to as we enter the 101st year of the Rockwell College Union. There are two things I would like to achieve during my presidency.
Firstly, embracing our school motto “Inter Mutanda Constantia”. When I started in Rockwell:
- it was a boy’s school, now we are proudly co-ed.
- we were 50/50 boarder to day boarder ratio, we are now 20/80.
- boarders had to bring their own toilet paper, for an entire term…
Times have changed, facilities have significantly improved, management has been updated but the pupils, staff, Spiritans & Union remain throughout. Rockwell is constant, nonetheless, times have changed and I, for one, am proud to see Rockwell adapt. Embracing change, remaining true to our motto and working together is key.
During my presidency I want past pupils of all decades (& centuries) to appreciate each other’s Rockwell. How Rockwell was, how it is today and how it will be in the future is now, more important than ever. I have a few ideas that I will share later.
Secondly, a personal wish, is for our lake to return to her former glory. She hosted rowing, canoeing, water sports, inflatables and summer camps from the 1930’s to early 2000. Our lake featured in many of Rockwell’s best photographs and is an iconic part of the school. Make Our Lake Great Again! I will be exploring how we can use our lake to provide enjoyment, activities and revenue generating opportunities that may help us position the school and provide much needed income.
I will be releasing our events calendar detailing activities in Rockwell, Tipperary, Dublin & abroad as we continue to build our community we are all so fond of.
See below list of events starting with our Dog Walk – Park Run in Herbert Park on June 20th.
Finally, our Union thrives on participation, collaboration and feedback. Please send ideas, expressions of interest (we are always recruiting new governing body members) and feedback. You, our past pupils, make the Union. I encourage you, make it yours!
Yours Sincerely,
Gerry Rockingham
Class of 1991,
Class of 1992,
Camp Rockwell 1991, 1992 & 1993
President of the Rockwell College Union 26/27
president@rockwellcollegeunion.com
