Note from the President, Kevin Lynch

Welcome from President of the Belvedere College Union 

Firstly, I would like to welcome you to the new website of the Belvedere College Union.  Thank you for your interest in the Union and its activities. 

My name is Kevin Lynch (OB 94) and I am very honored to fill the role of President of the Union for 2023-2024.  I am also very pleased to play my small part in carrying on the legacy and vision which previous Presidents and members of the Union have set forth over the years. 

The work of the Union for this year is already underway and we have already held our annual Union Dinner for Past Pupils.  In a change from our usual venue, this year’s Annual Dinner took place at the Royal Dublin Society on 13 October 2023.  The new venue was a great success and we plan on returning to the RDS for our Annual Dinner next year on Friday 18 October 2024.  Please put the date in your diaries now. 

On a similar topic, our annual Belvedere Network Business Lunch will be held on 10 May 2024 in our usual venue, Fire in the Mansion House.  I look forward to seeing many of you there for what has been a fantastic occasion in past years. 

In the new year, we will also be re-starting our Belvedere Network business breakfast briefings with an emphasis on connecting members of our Junior Union with past pupils through these events.  There is a massive opportunity for recent past pupils for mentorship and advices from older past pupils and by running these events, the Union is providing a forum through which these groups can meet on a regular basis. 

This year the Committee has engaged on an ambitious strategic review of all of the activities of the Union to better understand the needs of past pupils and to understand how better to communicate with and connect with our past pupils.  This work is already underway, led by President Elect CJ Barry and Senior Vice President John Reynolds and I sincerely thank CJ and John for their efforts to date.  We are working on producing a clear strategic vision for the Belvedere Union for the next 5 years and will work assiduously on your behalf to achieve the goals of this strategy with the ultimate aim of creating a better Union for our fellow past pupils. 

A key part of our strategic vision for the Union is how we communicate with our fellow past pupils.  We are working hard on updating our modes of communication with our past pupils and updating our network so in coming months you may be asked for your contact details or to join a mailing list for the Union.  Please subscribe so that we can keep you properly informed of all events and activities which take place throughout the year. 

Finally, as a natural extension of the Jesuit ethos of the College, the Union is involved in numerous charitable activities, some of which may already be familiar to you.  Primarily, the Union supports the Belvedere Youth Club, the Belvedere Benevolent Association and the St Vincent de Paul but increasingly, the Belvedere College Access Program (BCAP) should be a future focus for all past pupils.  It is a wholly worthwhile activity which should be fully supported by the Union – it provides a real opportunity for those whose circumstances are less advantageous than most.  If we are to properly fulfill our calling to be men for others, then the BCAP must be a core element of our plans and actions.      

Finally, there will be reunions for past pupils who have left the College 10, 20, 30 and 40 years ago in the College in the months ahead.  We would encourage you to maintain friendships which you re-ignite at these reunions by attending the subsequent Annual Dinner and encouraging your friends to do likewise.  The Union Annual Dinner is a special event which deserves your support. 

I look forward to seeing you at Union events throughout the year! 

Kevin Lynch 

OB 94