ST SYLVESTERS PARISH
ST SYLVESTER’S FIRST HOLY COMMUNIONS
Dear Scottie Press,
Your website features a photograph of former pupils of St Sylvester’s School who made their First Holy Communion in 1953. I am on this photo and I have tried to complete a list of all the other names.
Up to now I have recognised Robbie Harkins, Jimmy Stamp, Jimmy Kenny, Tom White, Frank Cowley, Kevin McMullen, Jimmy Curran Pat Cuffe, Anne Davitt, Mary Donnelly, Anne Fagan, Helen Brazier, Joan Grocott, Anne Price, Irene O’Donnell and Roberta Holford. Perhaps your readers could shed more light on the missing names. I send you a photo picturing the other half of the class of 1953 who made their First Holy Communions. Amongst those pictured are Jimmy Flemming, Jackie Barr, Tommy Costello, Kathleen Kinsella, Aggie Connerty, Mary and Katleen Swain.
I also send of photo from 1955 and among those making their First Holy Communions are my younger sister Maureen Cuffe (who was sadly killed in a road accident in 1963 aged 15) and Jimmy Clarke. Hopefully your readers will be able to identify more faces. The thought has struck me that a really good reunion could be organised for former pupils of St Sylvester’s School who made their First Holy Communions in the 1950s. If anyone shares my thoughts phone 01704 879 396.
Pat Cuffe.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PHOTO
We thank Joan Walsh for providing this webpage with a First Holy Communion photo picturing former pupils of St Sylvester's School. Some of the names that Joan remembers are; Margaret Wallpole, Ann Fagan, Helen?, Mary Mcfarlane, Joan Groghcott, Pat Price, Pat Butler, Ann Davitt/Sutton, Carol Rodgers, Robbie Arkins, Pat Cuff and Father Barrow . We welcome hearing from readers who can identify more of the faces.
ST SYLVESTERS FIRST HOLY COMMUNIONS
Our thanks go to Rose Brown (nee Gray) formerly from St Martin's Place Liverpool 5 for sending the Scottie Press a photograph, which pictures pupils from St Sylvester's School who made their First Holy Communions in 1954.Rose tells us that she is on the photo (4th from the right bottom row). Some more names are Father Barrow, Pat O'Toole, Ester Balance, Sheila Mason, Christine White, Ann Longworth, Alice Farrell, Betty Davis, Mary Doyle and Willy Walpole. We would be pleased to hear from readers who can put more names to faces.
Rose has also sent the community newspaper another communion photo, which was taken the same day. Rose thinks it was taken inside a classroom in St Sylvester's but is not sure. The photo is dated 20th March 1954. The names of the girls pictured are printed on the back of the photos and listed from left to right are Betty Davies. Rose Gray. Ann Longworth. Alice Farrell. Pat O'Toole. Hester Balance. Mary Doyle. Sheila Mason. Rose is pictured 2nd from the left in front of the boy in the bow tie. Alas there are no boys names listed. Rose told the Scottie Press that she came across these photos when looking through some photos of her mother Rose Gray (nee Sullivan) who sadly passed away a couple of months ago.
ST SYLVESTER'S IN THE 1950s
Dear Scottie Press. I send you a photograph and a school programme in the hope they bring back memories of St. Sylvester's in the 1950s. I noticed that this football photo was not included among the football team pictures on your website so I hope maybe this completes the set.
Larry McVeigh
60 YEARS A PRIEST
Hopefully this picture and others on this webpage will evoke happy memories of friends and feats in bygone days for many readers of the Scottie Press. The original photograph (above) was taken 52 years ago, and is in the proud possession of a Priest who is closely associated with these times when as chaplain to St Sylvester's Young Men's Society and St Sylvester's Youth Club between 1949 and 1954. His name is Father Cadogan, and it so happens that this year is the diamond jubilee of his ordination into the Priesthood. That means 60 years in the ministry.
It all began on 19th June 1946 in Ireland and he took up his first appointment in the R.C. Archdiocese of Liverpool at St Sylvester's Parish in Scotland Road, and it is there that he would like to commemorate his jubilee. The programme is humble and short. A Mass of Thanksgiving at St Sylvester's Church at 7pm on Friday 9th June 2006, followed by a re-union with a spot of supper at the Silvestrian Club.
Sadly it goes without saying that a fair number of the fine men in these pictures are on another shore, but many are still with us and it would make Father's jubilee if he could meet them once again on that evening. There are others as well, ladies as well as men who were involved with him in parochial activities, who would be most welcome.
All that is asked of would be participants is to notify JOHN McKENZIE on 0151 207 1406 or by post to 14A Vescock Street, Liverpool L5 8US. This is simply and solely to help the catering arrangements. In other words there is no collection, special or otherwise.
WAS THIS THE BEST SCHOOLBOY FOOTBALL TEAM
FROM SCOTLAND ROAD?
Throughout the last fifty years arguments have persisted concerning which was the greatest school's football team to ever come out of Scotland Road. In the pubs of Scotland Road and areas that encompass the former residents of the famous road, from Kirkby to Speke or as far as Canada and Australia these arguments continue.
I would submit that the 1944 - 1945 St Sylvester's Football Team was without a doubt the best. This football team had a record that no other schoolboy side has surpassed.
Team members pictured are P Hoey, H Reynolds, J Bell, J Loftus, A Kelly, T Kenny, R Sharrock, A Downes, J Crighton, J Tompson, J Swanson, J Johnson.
PUPILS OF ST SYLVESTER'S SCHOOL
Our thanks go to Lee Charters for providing this issue of the Scottie Press with two photographs picturing former pupils of St Sylvester's School.
ST SYLVESTERS MEMORIES
Our thanks go to John McKenzie for providing this webpage with three photographs hopefully bringing back memories of yesterdays in the parish of St Sylvester’s.
Pictured are members of the St Sylvester’s CYMS Football Team of 1947. This photo was taken on the roof of the Senior School in Sylvester Street.
The CYMS Team pictured in 1950 where photographed in Harthill Estate (part of Calderstones Park). Father Cadodgan who is pictured with the team on this photograph is now aged 83 and is the Chaplain in Ince Blundell Hall.
The photo of the boys at School Camp was taken in 1936. The boys went to Staiths on the East Coast. We welcome hearing from readers who may have memories of these photographs and or similar photographs for inclusion on this webpage.
ST SYLVESTER'S 1928 - 1929
Our thanks go to Maggie Halsall (nee McCarthy) for providing this archive webpage with two photographs picturing pupils of St Sylvester's School in 1928 and 1929.
We also thank Maggie for listing some names - Maggie McCarthy, Kitty Ryan, Katy Houghton, Mary Lynn, Annie O'Brien, A. Stanley, Peggy Kazla, Peggy Donnelly, Nellie Murphy, Mary O'Hanlon and Maggie Curran.
We would be delighted to hear from readers who may be able to help with further identification of the faces on the photographs and or provide this webpage with similar photos etc.
MEMORIES OF ST SYLVESTER'S PARISH
|
|
|
|
|
|
We are very grateful to Patricia Kennedy (ex Ashfield Gardens) and to Patrick Cuffe (ex Ashfield Gardens) for helping enlarge the archive collection of photographs on and about the parish of St Sylvester's by providing this webpage with a selection of photographs shown above which we feel sure will bring back memories. We also hope that readers who may have similar photographs will contact us so that we can add even more photographs onto this webpage.
We thank Ronnie Cruikshank (nee Atkins) for providing two photographs for the St Sylvester's Parish webpage. Ronie tells us that the School Class photograph was taken about 1927 or 1929.
The School Football Team photo was taken in 1937 and pictures the successful St Sylvester's Team as winners of the Catholic Boys Association Junior Challenge Cup.
Pictured on this photograph is Ronnie's brother Brian Atkins who Ronnie tells us went on to play for the Everton 'A' Team.
We welcome hearing from readers who may have other photographs of interest to the St Sylvester's Parish webpage.
ST SYLVESTER’S SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAMS
We thank Billy Woods and Chris Brennan for helping us add to our collection of photographs for the St Sylvester’s Parish webpage by providing 3 photographs which picture St Sylvester’s School Football Teams.
We welcome hearing from readers who may have memories of these teams and indeed who may have other photographs they would like us to add to this webpage.
St Sylvester’s 1948-1949
C Brennan, (Mr Coughlan), E Sutton, J Turtle, J McNally, J Rossiter, S Broderick, (Andy Crowley) J White, J McEvoy, T Ennis, C Freil, J Cashman, J Stephens
St Sylvester’s 1949-1950
J Cashman, (Mr Coughlan), D Hughes, J Munro, P Lene, J Rossiter, (Mr Fitzgerald), J Stephens, J Turtle, T Ennis, C Friel, S Broderick, C Brennan
St Sylvester’s 1950-1951
(Mr Coughlan), J Stepehns, J Westhoff, J McNally, J Kelly, G Doyle, J McEvoy, (Mr Sheridan) (Fr Barrow), S Broderick, T Clinton, C Brennan, J Rossiter, J Smith, S McDonald (Fr Ames)
To accompany the photograph of the 1950-1951 St Sylvester’s School Football Team we also have a photocopy of the programme printed for the Catholic School’s Cup Final played at Anfield on Thursday May 17th 1951.
It is recorded that a crowd of 13,000 attended this Cup Final played between teams representing St Sylvester’s School and St Anthony’s School. The School’s Cup Final always attracted good support but it’s not hard to understand why there should be such a large crowd at this Cup Final as both schools and parishes are adjacent with many boys attending St Anthony’s school living in St Sylvester’s parish and vice versa. Both schools also had sporting traditions that extended right back to the beginning of Catholic School Football.
Mr J P Callaghan (Headmaster of St Sylvester’s) was for quite some time the President of the Liverpool Catholic Schools’ Athletic Association. Until 1931 this Association was in control of Catholic Schools’ Football in Liverpool. In 1931 when it came under the control of Liverpool School’s FA it was a Mr J Murray from St Anthony’s who was it’s first Chairman.
Prior to the Cup Final in 1951, St Sylvester’s had won the Cup in 1905, 1922, 1927, 1933, 1934 and 1948. St Anthony’s had won the Cup in 1920. 1931 and 1950.
St Sylvester’s won the Cup in 1951 and it’s reported that the successful team and crowds of jubilant supporters marched with the Cup from Liverpool Football Club’s Anfield ground – down Everton Valley and along Scotland Road to Sylvester Street to be greeted by many hundreds of St Sylvester’s parishioners.
MEMORIES OF ST SYLVESTER'S PARISH
We thank Sam Jewell for providing this photograph of 1949-1950 St Sylvester's RC Juniors Football Team (Ashfield Street) for our Archive section 'St Sylvester's Parish' webpage. Sam is pictured on the front row of the photograph. Also pictured on the front row is Johnny Morrisey. The school teachers pictured were Mr Owens and Mr Hurley. We welcome hearing from readers who can identify more faces and who may have memories of the team. We will be pleased to feature any additional information on the 'St Sylvester's Parish' webpage.
We will also be pleased to add information about this 1951-1952 photograph which pictures a successful St Sylvester's Football Team who were winners of the Catholic Boys Association Cup.
THANKS FOR MAKING THE NIGHT A SPECIAL OCCASION
Dear Scottie Press, We would appreciate it if through the Scottie Press we could thank all the people who made us welcome and came over to talk to us at the St Sylvester's Reunion Night on Saturday 15th May. In the first place our thanks go to Dom Gregson who got in touch with us and invited us to the Reunion Night. We would also like to thank Billy Woods whose photographs of the old days in Scotland Road held sway at our table for a long time. We met John Fitzpatrick who played in the school football team with Johnny Morrisey. I remember Dad talking about that team. Later John Fenlon took us under his wing and introduced us to, or gave us names of, former school football team members including James Nesbitt, Mick Carroll, Sam Jewell and Roger Eaves. We enjoyed their reminiscences of life in their first year at St Sylvester's school with our Dad as their teacher and how he made lessons interesting and how they wished they could have had him for the next year too. We also met people who as children had been evacuated to Audlem and also people who had been members school choir and who had taken part in the school shows which my brother and I remember going to see in the 1940s and early 1950s - one of which was the Pirates of Penzance. Meeting all these people made the evening a special occasion for us - it was great talking and listening to you all.
Yours sincerely,
DAVE, JOHN, PAUL, MARY and BERNIE CALLAGHAN.
WEBPAGE BRINGS BACK LOTS OF MEMORIES
Dear Scottie Press, I really enjoy the Scottie Press website and I see some photographs on your St Sylvester's Parish webapge that bring back lots of memories. I went to St Sylvester's from 1939 to 1950 and I noticed a picture of a school pantomime you have displayed on the St Sylvester's Parish webpage. I am sure that I was in that pantomime.
My sister and I lived in Ashfield Cottages and we were evacuated to Cannock in Staffordshire with other children from St Sylvester's.
Yours sincerely,
JIM FAGAN.
CAN YOU NAME THE FACES?
We have been asked to get the names of the players pictured on this photo taken in 1935 which shows team members of a St Sylvester's Football Team who were winners of the Catholic Boys Association Senior Challenge Cup.
ST SYLVESTER'S REUNION NIGHT
On Saturday 15th May 2004, at the St Sylvester's Reunion Night, I met Gerry and Jimmy Tansey who both played football for local schools. Gerry played for St Sylvester's and Jimmy for St Gerard's. Also pictured on the photograph is Larry Carberry who played football for St Anthony's school before he eventually played for Ipswich Town.
Gerry Tansey played for the 1947/1948 - 1948/1949 St Sylvester's school football team and Jimmy Tansey played for football teams from St Gerard's school before St Gerard's and St Sylvester's schools amalgamated in 1946/47. I played in the same school football teams as Gerry and Gerry, Johnny Broderick and myself all played for the 1948/49 Liverpool Schoolboys Team.
Gerry Tansey signed for Everton when he left school and went on the ground staff - playing for Everton Colts and the A team. His football career at Everton was interrupted when he did his National Service. On his return from the services he played for Everton Reserves before going onto Tranmere Rovers.
/P>
Jimmy Tansey signed for Everton in 1952/53 and made 142 appearances for the first team - playing in the 'Left-back' position. Jimmy (who is pictured whilst at Everton) was well respected by the Everton supporters for being a whole-hearted and thoughtful player who missed only six League games in three seasons.
Also pictured on the photograph taken at the Reunion Night is Derek Temple who is a friend to both Gerry and Jimmy Tansey and who played for Everton. Many readers will remember Derek scoring the winning goal in the 1966 FA Cup Final.
I recently had a little reunion all of my own when I went to Audlem in Cheshire to where I was evacuated in 1939. My return visit at the end of May 2004 certainly brought back some memories for although I was only 5 in 1939 I still remember the town and the people I was billeted with (the Cresswells at Mosshall Farm). I also remember staying for a short time at Cholmondley Castle.
When back in Aulem I met with the Post-Mistress now in her 80s who was able to give me some interesting information. If any readers who were evacuated from St Sylvester's to Audlem would like to contact me my email address is
TOAGY@woodsw72fsnet.co.uk
BILLY WOODS.
ST SYLVESTER'S PARISH
The first mass at St Sylvester's was in 1875 and was said in a large shed in Silvester Street. The influx of Roman Catholics into Liverpool led to a necessity for a church to be established in the area. Funds were raised from various sources to buy the site on which the shed stood. A Gothic style church of red brick was later built on the site and the first mass was said at this church in 1899.
St Sylvester's school was built at the top of Ashfield Street. The school opened in 1874 as a direct result of the Education Act of 1870. Attendance at first was poor, but this improved when school fees were abolished. The school was enlarged in 1900. A plot of land was acquired at the corner of Silvester Street and Latimer Street in 1911 for a new school to be constructed. This school was opened in 1915 with the first Headmaster being a Mr Cox. He was followed by Mr J P Callaghan.
This information about St Sylvester's Church and School is taken from text already established on the Scottie Press website projects webpage 'No Trees on Scotland Road'. We hope that by establishing this Archive webpage we will be able to create a comprehensive insight into the history of St Sylvester's Parish and by doing so assist efforts being made by Billy Woods to complete his book entitled 'No Trees on Scotland Road'. We welcome hearing from readers who may have photographs and memories to add to this Archive webpage,
