FAREWELL KEANO

RICHARD KEANE
ST. AIDANS
(1972-2007)

Richard Keane joined St. Aidan's staff in 1970, and except for a three year break working as development officer at the National Centre for Guidance in Education, has worked here since then. He is retiring at the end of the school year.

Richard will be very much missed by students, parents and staff. His contribution to St. Aidan's has been massive and continuous from the schools beginnings until now. A man of vision .with a passion for education in the broadest sense, he has seen the school develop through the years in Irish education when a more academically focussed syllabus has widened to include provision for a much wider range of talents and abilities. In fact Richard has been one of the main contributors to that development. With his understanding of this wider range he was the main mover at St. Aidan's in the provision of personal development programmes before the advent of CSPE and SPHE type programs. With others he introduced the Vocational Preparation Training Programme, and later, the Leaving Cert. Applied course In the area of Guidance he helped a whole generation of students (and parents) with advice on subject choices and career paths his best selling Diary has for years

been the national text book in this area. He was tireless in organising after school meetings with parents to explain and discuss these issues. He also organised career displays, mock interviews, and never stinted in giving of his own his time. Students know, more than teachers or parents can, the huge amount of personal advice and help that Richard gave in the area of counselling. Form tutors certainly knew how helpful it was to advise a troubled student to talk to Mr. Keane, as a trusted and helpful friend.

Always creative in his teaching methods (and with a large adventurous streak himself) he has left generations of students with fond memories of bivvy bags in Connemara, nature walks in Avondale, nights out at plays, racing days at Punchestouwn, basketball with the police at Templemore and lots of other educational days out. It was central to his philosophy as a councellor that the good things that we do in every sphere should be celebrated and remembered so Richard made sure that visual and written evidence was always available. Thus the huge number of photographs of these and every other occasion and his production and further involvement in School magazines.And he knew it was all worth more than a bucket of anti depressant pills.The good he has done, and the professional way in which it was done, are incalculable.

St. Aidan's staff has changed enormously in the years since Richard joined. Many teachers have come and gone since then. But those now here, and all of those who

Photo shows Richard Keane receiving his Civic Award from President Mary McAleese.

have left will remember him for those qualities that are his hallmark. He was, and is, a person of immense charm, a great listener, humorous and with great kindness and empathy towards everyone he meets.Teachers new to the school will remember the welcome he always extended and the interest he took. He dedicated his life to St. Aidan's to the students, the staff, and the parents. In the globally warmed St. Aidan's of 2050 his ghost will still haunt the corridors welcoming each new member of the Aidan's community.

God bless you, and thanks for everything Mr. Keane.