Belvedere – A Community for Life
Reflections on my Year as President of Belvedere Union 2025/2026
A Community for Life
Looking back over the past twelve months, it is not one particular event, speech or occasion that immediately comes to mind. Instead, I find myself reflecting on the people I had the privilege of meeting and reconnecting with throughout the year as President of Belvedere Union. Every reunion, committee meeting, dinner, debate, networking event and charitable initiative reinforced the same enduring truth – the Belvedere community has always been about people.
Our Union exists to keep lifelong friendships alive. It celebrates connections first formed in Great Denmark Street, welcomes each new generation of past pupils into our community and supports those who need our help. More importantly, it reminds us that while our school days may be behind us, the values we learned in Belvedere College continue to shape how we live our lives.
People have often asked me what the highlight of my year as President has been. It is a difficult question to answer because there was no single defining moment. Rather, there were many occasions that reinforced what makes Belvedere College such a unique and special community.
One of the unexpected privileges of the year was the opportunity to represent Belvedere Union at events organised by other schools’ past pupil unions, organisations and sporting clubs. Every group has its own proud traditions and every group values lifelong friendship, but those visits left me with an even greater appreciation of what makes Belvedere College and Union different.
While we rightly celebrate friendship, networking and shared experiences, there is also a strong social imperative running through everything we do. Whether supporting Belvedere Youth Club, the Belvedere Support Network, the St Stanislaus Conference of St Vincent de Paul, the Lourdes Group or countless quieter acts of generosity that rarely receive recognition, there is an expectation that belonging to this community means looking beyond ourselves and finding ways to serve others. For me, that is what distinguishes Belvedere.
It is not simply a school or a Past Pupils Union. It is a community that accompanies people throughout their lives while encouraging each of us to help others when needed.
Throughout the year I met Belvederians from every generation. Some had only recently completed their Leaving Certificate and were beginning exciting new chapters in their lives. Others were returning for the first time in fifty years to discover that friendships formed as teenagers had somehow remained untouched by time. I met entrepreneurs, teachers, doctors, tradesmen, public servants, volunteers, Jesuits and community leaders. Every conversation was different, yet all were united by a shared affection for Belvedere and an appreciation that the community continues long after school has ended.
If there has been one recurring theme throughout the year, it has been connection. Every event—whether large or small, formal or informal—created opportunities to strengthen friendships, welcome new members and ensure that Belvedere remains relevant when needed throughout every stage of life.
It has been an enormous privilege to witness that spirit at first hand.
Annual Dinner 2025 at the Round Room, Mansion House
Celebrating Our Community
Our Annual Dinner remains the flagship event in the Union calendar and brought together over four hundred past pupils, guests, Jesuits, College staff and friends of the Union for one of the largest dinners in years. Looking around the Round Room of the Mansion House, it was impossible not to appreciate the extraordinary breadth of the Belvedere family. Recent graduates attended their first Union Dinner while classmates celebrating nearly sixty years since leaving Great Denmark Street sat alongside former Presidents, sponsors and long-standing supporters of the Union.
The evening also reflected another defining characteristic of our Union: generosity. Through the remarkable support of members, significant funds were once again raised for the Belvedere Support Network, enabling it to continue its quiet but invaluable work supporting members of our community facing hardship. It is fitting that our flagship social occasion should also be one of our most important charitable events, reminding us that friendship and service have always gone hand in hand within Belvedere.
It was a particular privilege to recognise three individuals whose lives exemplify the values at the heart of Belvedere. Tom Kindlon received the Belvedere Union Social Justice Award in recognition of his decades of dedicated service with the Irish ME/CFS Association and his outstanding commitment to helping others. We were also delighted to honour Fr Michael Sheil SJ for his lifelong contribution as a teacher, mentor and coach, and to welcome Cian Healy, Belvedere’s most capped Irish rugby international, whose achievements, humility and enduring connection to the College continue to inspire. Together, Tom, Fr Michael and Cian embody the values of service, leadership and excellence that define our community.
Cian Healy Speaking at our Annual Dinner 2025
Celebrating Tradition
Some traditions endure because they continue to say something important about who we are, and the Annual Past v Present Debate remains one of the highlights of the Union calendar.
This year’s debate on the motion, “This House Would Abolish the Triple Lock,” brought together an outstanding team of Old Belvederians—Thomas Arnold (OB ’15), Cian Henry (OB ’13), Brian Conroy SC (OB ’98) and Dr Simon Mills SC (OB ’87)—against current students John Fitzgerald, Matthew Johnston, Matthew McDonagh and Dilan Ramnarain. The standard of debate was exceptional, with both teams demonstrating the confidence, wit and intellectual curiosity that have long been hallmarks of a Belvedere education.
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Present and Past Debate Teams 2025
Congratulations to the Present team, whose thoughtful and persuasive arguments secured a well-deserved victory in what was a closely contested debate. My thanks also to Colin Lynch, who chaired the evening, Gerry Foley for opening proceedings, Isaac O’Connell for timekeeping, and Dave McGeady and Phil Hogan for organising another outstanding event.
Remembering Those Who Have Gone Before Us
While the Union calendar includes many joyful celebrations, some of its most meaningful occasions are the quieter ones.
The Annual Mass for the Deceased has long been one of those occasions, but this year it held a particular significance for me personally. Following the loss of my own mother a year previously, I experienced the Mass from a very different perspective. Like so many families, ours found enormous comfort in the support of friends and community during that difficult time, and attending the Mass reminded me once again that Belvedere is present not only in moments of celebration but also in times of loss.
Gathering each year to remember classmates, teachers, Jesuits, family members and friends is a simple but deeply moving tradition. It reminds us that ours is a lifelong community—one that celebrates together, supports one another through difficult times and never forgets those whose lives helped shape the Union we enjoy today.
This year, I came to appreciate that tradition in a way I perhaps never had before, and I know many families draw similar comfort from knowing that those they have lost continue to be remembered within the Belvedere community.
My sincere thanks go to John O’Reilly, who once again organised this special occasion with great care and sensitivity. John’s commitment, together with the work of Martin Ryan, extends well beyond the Annual Mass. Through their thoughtful efforts to keep our community informed of the passing of Old Belvederians and members of our extended Belvedere family, and through the introduction of the dedicated ‘In Remembrance’ section on the Union website, we have helped ensure that those who have contributed so much to our community continue to be remembered with dignity and respect.
The Next Generation
One of the most encouraging aspects of the year was witnessing the continued growth and energy of the Junior Union. Under the leadership of Ciarán Murray and his committee, the Junior Union continues as a vibrant part of Belvedere Union, creating opportunities for younger Old Belvederians to remain connected with one another and to play an active role in the life of the wider Union.
The enthusiasm, commitment and fresh perspective that the Junior Union brings are invaluable. Their growing involvement in Union events demonstrates that the transition from student to Old Belvederian is no longer marked by graduation alone, but by an ongoing sense of belonging and participation. They represent the future of our Union, and it has been a pleasure to see that future in such capable hands.
One initiative that particularly reflected the values at the heart of Belvedere College was the Annual Sleep Out. Supported by members of the Junior Union, the event once again saw students and recent past pupils stand in solidarity with those experiencing homelessness while raising both awareness and over €318,000 in much-needed funds.
Seeing current students and recent graduates working together in support of such an important cause was both inspiring and reassuring. It demonstrated that the values of compassion, service and social justice remain as relevant to today’s students as they have been to generations of Belvederians before them.
2025 Sleepout outside GPO
Friendships That Stand the Test of Time
One of the greatest privileges of the year was attending our many reunion gatherings. From the Classes of 2016, 2006, 1996, 1986 and 1976, each reunion celebrated a different milestone, yet together they told the same story. Friendship.
There is something wonderfully reassuring about a Belvedere reunion. Within minutes of arriving, the years simply disappear. Conversations resume as though no time has passed, old stories are retold—often with increasing embellishment—and friendships formed as teenagers are renewed with remarkable ease.
Each reunion had its own personality. The ten-year reunion reflected the excitement of careers and family life still taking shape, while the forty and fifty-year reunions carried a deeper sense of gratitude and reflection. Yet what struck me most was that none of these evenings was simply about looking backwards. People left making plans to meet again, reconnecting with classmates and becoming involved once more in the life of the Union.
That is why reunions remain such an important part of Belvedere Union. They do not simply celebrate our past; they strengthen our future.
10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 Year Reunion photos.
Creating New Connections
While reunions celebrate enduring friendships, the Union also has an important role in helping members build new relationships with our Founders Breakfast, Pathways Breakfast and Annual Network Lunch.
This year our two Breakfast Network Events once again demonstrated the generosity that exists within the Belvedere community. Experienced Old Belvederians willingly gave their time to share insights from their own professional journeys, offering practical advice, encouragement and support to younger members beginning their careers.
What impressed me most was the openness with which people shared both their successes and their setbacks. These gatherings were never simply networking events in the traditional sense. They reflected something much more valuable—a willingness to help others because someone once did the same for us.
Founders and Pathways Breakfast Events
The same spirit was evident at our Annual Network Lunch in May, which successfully combined professional networking with a meaningful social purpose. Bringing together members from across the Belvedere community while raising valuable funds for Belvedere Youth Club’s Summer Programme, the event perfectly illustrated that success and service need never be separate. It remains one of the finest examples of how the Union can create opportunities for members while supporting the wider community.
Annual Network Lunch 2025
Welcoming the Next Generation
Among the many privileges of the year, one that will remain with me for a long time was having the opportunity to address this year’s graduating Sixth Year students as they prepared to leave Belvedere.
Looking out across the graduating class, I could not help but reflect on how quickly school years pass and how little those young men probably realise that they are about to become part of a community that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.
My message to them was a simple one. Cherish the friendships you have made, embrace the opportunities that lie ahead and remain connected to Belvedere. Success will undoubtedly come in many forms, but the greatest measure of that success will always be how you use your talents in the service of others.
I hope that, in the years ahead, many of those graduates will become active members of the Union, just as so many generations before them have done. If the enthusiasm, confidence and generosity they displayed during their time in Belvedere are anything to go by, the future of our community is in very safe hands.
Rhetoric Graduation May 2025
The Wider Belvedere Family
If there is one organisation that has shaped my own Belvedere journey more than any other, it is Belvedere Youth Club.
My involvement with the Club began over thirty years ago and, for the past decade, I have had the privilege of serving on its Board. During that time, I have witnessed first-hand the extraordinary difference it continues to make in the lives of young people and families across Dublin’s north east inner city.
For me, the Youth Club represents the very best of what Belvedere stands for. It is where the values we speak about so often—service, dignity, opportunity and compassion—are lived every single day.
Every young person who walks through its doors arrives with their own hopes, talents and challenges. The Club cannot solve every difficulty, but it provides encouragement, opportunity and belief at moments when those things matter most. Watching young people grow in confidence, discover new talents and realise ambitions they may never previously have imagined remains one of the greatest privileges for everyone involved.
Supporting the Club throughout the year therefore held a particular significance for me. In addition to our Annual Network Lunch, which raised valuable funds for the Club’s Summer Programme, it was wonderful to see such a strong response to the Belvedere Youth Club Cycle in September. Organised by Incoming Union President Colin Lynch, the event brought together a large group of Old Belvederians and friends of the Union for a memorable weekend of camaraderie and shared purpose. More importantly, it raised much-needed funds to support the ongoing work of the Club. The generosity of everyone who participated, sponsored or volunteered was another powerful reminder of the willingness of our community to give back.
That same spirit of service is reflected throughout the wider Belvedere family.
The Belvedere Support Network continues its invaluable work supporting members of our community facing difficult circumstances. Much of that work takes place quietly and without recognition, yet it remains one of the clearest expressions of what it means to belong to Belvedere.
The St Stanislaus Conference of St Vincent de Paul likewise continues to make a profound difference through practical support for individuals and families in need, living out the Jesuit ideal of being Men for Others in a very tangible way.
September also saw the annual Belvedere Lourdes Pilgrimage, another enduring expression of service within our community. Once again, students, staff, past pupils and volunteers travelled to Lourdes to support assisted pilgrims with extraordinary generosity, compassion and good humour. It was particularly heartening to see PJ O’Brien, a valued member of our Union Committee, continuing his long-standing involvement with the pilgrimage. For many years PJ has given generously of his time and energy to this remarkable initiative, and his commitment is a wonderful example of the quiet service that so often characterises the Belvedere community.
I was also delighted throughout the year to continue strengthening links with Old Belvedere Rugby Football Club. Whether attending committee meetings, social occasions or travelling with fellow committee members to support Old Belvedere against Young Munster, it was clear that the Club continues to provide another home for generations of Old Belvederians, built upon friendship, teamwork and community.
BYC Cycle Group (top left), SVP Group (top right), Loudres Group (bottom right) and OBRFC Dinner (bottom left – K. O’Brien, President OBRFC, O. Campbell, J. Reynolds Union President and P. Campbell).
We also held some of our Union Committee meetings in Belvedere Youth Club and Old Belvedere RFC which reflected our determination to remain closely connected with the wider Belvedere family and the organisations that continue to bring our shared values to life.
The Belvedere Union Golf Society continues to thrive, providing another opportunity for members to renew old friendships and welcome new faces in an informal setting. Our Captain’s Prize at Portmarnock Golf Club in June was a complete sell-out, reflecting the continued enthusiasm for the Society and the camaraderie that characterises these occasions. We now look forward to the President’s Prize at Royal Dublin Golf Club in August, which promises to be another memorable day both on and off the course.
Together, these groups demonstrate the many different ways in which Belvederians continue to live out the values first learned in Great Denmark Street. Their work reminds us that service remains at the heart of our community.
Members of Board of BYC, Colin Lynch (Incoming President) and Roger Wallace from EY (Sponsor of lunch) at Annual Lunch 2025
Looking Ahead
As I reflect on my year as President, I realise it was never really about dinners, debates or committee meetings. It was about seeing old friends reconnect after decades apart and picking up conversations as though no time had passed.
It was about standing alongside families at the Annual Mass for the Deceased and, following the loss of my own mother, experiencing personally the comfort that community can bring in times of sadness.
It was about watching students take part in the Sleep Out, seeing recent graduates embrace the Junior Union, welcoming another Sixth Year class into a lifelong community and witnessing young people flourish through Belvedere Youth Club.
Those moments reminded me that the real strength of Belvedere has never been found in its buildings, its traditions or even its remarkable history. It has always been found in its people.
As the year draws to a close, I have also reflected on what it has meant to serve as President of the Belvedere Union. Our Annual Past Presidents’ Dinner, graciously hosted this year by our Immediate Past President, Cathal Barry, was a timely reminder that each President is simply a custodian of the Union for a brief period. Spending an evening with those who have carried the chain of office before me reinforced the continuity of leadership, friendship and service that has sustained the Union for generations. No President leaves having completed the work; each simply has the privilege of handing it on.
My sincere thanks go first to Bernie Millar, our Alumni Relations Officer, whose extraordinary dedication, generosity and commitment are at the heart of everything the Belvedere Union does. I am equally grateful to my fellow Officers and Committee for their friendship, support and wise counsel throughout the year, and especially to our Treasurer, Brian Terry, whose diligence and careful stewardship ensure that the Union remains on such a strong footing.
My thanks also go to Gerry Foley Headmaster of Belvedere College; Fr Paddy Green SJ; Colin McCarthy, Deputy Principal; and the entire Belvedere College community for their continued support. I am also grateful to our sponsors, event organisers, volunteers and to the many members whose generosity of time and commitment enables the Union to flourish.
As I hand over to my successor, Colin Lynch, I do so with enormous optimism. I wish Colin every success during his year as President and know that the Union will continue to flourish under his leadership.
Belvedere remains what it has always been: a community for life—rooted in friendship, strengthened by service and committed to helping others.
Long may that continue.
Annual Past Presidents Dinner
John Reynolds, Immediate Past President