Fr Aidan Lehane honoured at €1.25m Rockwell Pavilion unveiling

By Charlie Mulqueen

One of the most admired and respected figures in Irish schools sports was honoured over the weekend at the official opening of the superb €1.25 million Fr Aidan Lehane CSSp. Pavilion at Rockwell College.

The Pavilion is a modern, single-storey construction comprised of eight changing rooms with shower and toilet facilities, a fitness suite, medical room and referees’ suite. The funding was provided entirely by former pupils and parents.

Designed by past pupil Richard Rice, of Healy Partner Architects, Limerick, the Pavilion is a testament to the collaboration of the entire Rockwell College community. Speaking at the official opening, Principal Audrey O’Byrne noted the “unity of purpose across all the stakeholders, which has driven the project to completion”.

Fr Aidan Lehane coached many outstanding Munster Cup-winning rugby teams during his 18 years at Rockwell and some outstanding players.

The Pavilion was formally opened by one of them, Paul McNaughton, an outstanding sportsman who played 15 times for Ireland and later distinguished himself as manager of Leinster and Ireland.

He spoke in glowing terms about Fr Lehane, a man who uniquely served as President of all five Holy Ghost colleges – Blackrock, St Michael’s, Templeogue, St Mary’s and Rockwell.

An advocate of the importance of sport in developing young people as learners and leaders, Fr Lehane, who died in 2011 aged 85, also oversaw the development of an indoor gym and swimming pool at the college during his presidency in the early 1970s.