A love of learning continues after retirement

HE WILL soon be 69 but Ger O’Neill has still got an awful lot to learn.

When ill health forced him to leave the Franciscan Order after almost 40 years in 1999, Ger soon returned to his native New Ross, Co Wexford.

But anxious not to fade into retirement, he decided to learn about computers and has completed seven modules of the European Computer Drivers Licence.

“We can’t survive without computers, so now I can use all the software for publishing and everything,” he said.

He has used his internet intelligence to help research and write contributions to a book on the 800-year celebrations for New Ross last year.

But advanced learning is nothing new to Ger, as he completed degrees in philosophy and theology during his religious life.

Now, however, he is returning to similar training and began a distance learning course with the Priory Institute in Dublin, learning modules in theology, scriptures, philosophy and spirituality.

“I like to keep alert to deeper questions, it’s a commitment of about 20 hours per week so I’m often up reading the books at the kitchen table at half eight in the morning. It means sacrificing some activities, but it makes life worth living and gives me something to get up for in the morning,” Ger said.

With his renewed appetite for learning, he has also given something back by helping out for a number of years at the local Good Counsel College run by the Augustinian order in New Ross.

“I supervised classes, helped weaker students with their English and helped students who have learning difficulties during the State exams. It was tough standing in front of groups of 17 and 18-year-old lads but it opened my eyes to the changing face of education,” he said.

While Ger got particular satisfaction from helping others to learn, his own return to education in later years is a clear example of how learning certainly doesn’t come to an end after leaving school or retiring.