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John Roche
John Roche, son of well-known
Wexford musician Jack Roche, was born in Wexford in 1958. He attended
the Presentation Convent School from 1963 to 1966, after which time he
transferred to the CBS and entered second class. He transferred to the
CBS Secondary in 1970 and went on to complete Intermediate and Leaving
Certificate exams there.
After a brief stint in the
Talbot hotel, where he worked as night porter, John went off to Templemore to qualify for the Garda Síochána. After graduation he
started his career in Kilkenny city before being transferred to
Graignamanagh. From there he went to Dublin, where he had a number of
postings before returning to the Garda College in Templemore in 2001.
He worked as the superintendent in charge of student training there
until 2004, when he transferred to Gorey. In May2006, he returned to
his native Wexford as Superindent.
John remembers.....
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John enjoys a break from
training with Jos Furlong.
"I'm kneeling in this picture," he's quick to point out. |
"I attended George's St.
in third class and again in fifth. The teachers there were Billy Colfer, Cathal O'Gara and Bro. Cusack. Boys were chosen from time to
time to come in earlier than the rest in order to help light the
pot-bellied stoves. There was one in each of the two rooms. There were
two classes in my room, separated by a small divider (possibly a
curtain). I remember being chosen to collect newspapers for Bro.
Cusack and bringing them back on a large trolley. What for I'm not so
sure. It could have been for recycling and was a fund-raising
exercise. The yard in George's St. was a great place for soccer. The
goals were painted on the walls and many a ball had to be retrieved
from The Abbey Cinema on one side and Snowcream on the other. I'm sure
windows had to be replaced from time to time.
I remember the old
writing pens, with the replaceable nibs and the ink being dispensed
from a bottle by the teacher. Each desk had two inkwells. We wrote in
special writing copies with red and blue lines and every boy had to
have a book of blotting paper sheets.
Some local personalities
who were in my class were: Jos Furlong, Pat Hackett, Pat Collins and
Alan Corcoran."
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