Gurteen College celebrates 75 years of providing a vital service to rural Ireland

Gurteen Agricultural College celebrated 75 years of providing a vital service to rural Ireland on Sunday evening.

A large gathering came together in the college's sports hall for a Service of Thanksgiving. They were warmly greeted by the Chaplain of the College, Rev Steven Foster.

Rev Foster welcomed the former students who were present. He said there was a student present who had attended the college in 1954. He had also seen two students from the mid 1950s who had recognised one another and embraced each other. It had been wonderful to see, he said. He welcomed the current staff and praised them for the excellent work they do. The Reverend read out a number of apologies from those who could not attend including an apology from Minister Simon Coveney, who is a former student of the college. He thanked the 25 members of Birr Choral Society and Cloughjordan Community Choir, organist Salters Sterling and conductor Michael Hanna for practising hard and coming together to sing during the Service of Thanksgiving.

Everyone then burst in song for the first hymn, “Praise my soul, the king of heaven.”

After the first hymn, Tom Wilson, Lay Leader, Methodist Church in Ireland, read out a prayer. Next, Rev Dr Laurence Graham, Chairperson, Board of Trustees, spoke about “Gurteen at 75: Our motivation and vision.”

Rev Graham said he was delighted to see Birr Choral Society was still going strong. He said his father, Wesley, founded Birr Choral Society many years ago.

Rev Graham spoke about the ethos underlying the work in Gurteen. It's an ethos which is directly linked to the reasons why the Methodist Church founded the agricultural college in this beautiful part of Tipperary North Riding 75 years ago.

The Reverend spoke about the belief system in the Methodist Church, which traces its roots back to that untiring and extraordinary man John Wesley in the 18th Century. Wesley was a man who felt religion had become a bit stale and needed rejuvenation, fresh thinking and enthusiasm. Driven by this vision he travelled quarter of a million miles around Britain and Ireland on horseback preaching everywhere (no place was considered too lowly to preach) to all people (no one was excluded from the idea that we are all sons and daughters of God and we are all loved by God). Wesley preached good news for all our souls, a message which could refresh every part of a person's life.

Rev Graham said the first Methodist place of worship was established in the late 1740s in White Friar Street, Dublin. Here, from the very start, the message was preached that the good news is for every person, no matter their background. The Reverend pointed out that that expansive, embracing approach to other people still informs the ethos and daily life of Gurteen.

“In the 1940s,” he continued, “The Methodist Church in Ireland was very conscious of a decline in rural life. Too many young people were leaving rural life and heading for urban areas. It was felt that a strong message needed to be sent out that rural life in Ireland was good and it was worth living here. It was felt that establishing an agricultural college would be an excellent way of sending out that message.

“From the beginning, accommodation was offered in the college, and there was a big emphasis on the practical. Today, half the syllabus is practical. Also from the beginning, the college was co-educational and multi-denominational; principles which remain unchanged.”

Following Rev Graham's address a beautiful reading from Isaiah 35 was read out, “and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose...And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water.”

Gillian Kingston, Vice President, World Methodist Council, referred to this reading in her Address. She said it drew a picture where because the land is rejoicing therefore the people are rejoicing. “The welfare of the land and the welfare of the people are interlinked,” she remarked.

She pointed out that John Wesley was a prolific author and one of his subjects was farming practices. “He wasn't impressed with the farming practices in 18th Century Britain and Ireland. He also hoped for a change in the climate in these islands which would bring about a more equable climate. Today we are facing a change in our climate but it mightn't be the equable outcome which Wesley was hoping for. In the world of agriculture we are living in uncertain times, due to market volatility and climate change.” She praised Gurteen for being “deeply committed to sustainability”.

She spoke about the Pope's much-praised encyclical on the environment, “Laudato Si”, and she talked about attending a conference in Mexico about climate change organised by the World Methodist Council. “During this conference a man from the Pacific Islands stood up and stated that when the sea levels rise the people of the Pacific Islands will be the first refugees of Climate Change.”

Gillian added that Gurteen has been very well served by its six principals up to its current principal Jon Parry (who has been principal since 2020). The other principals were James Wesley McKinney (1947 to 1959), Robert Livingstone (1959 to 1963), Oscar Loane (1963 to 1988), John Craig (1988 to 2000) and Mike Pearson (2000 to 2019).

The Vice President added that Gurteen has 500 students and the number will be increasing in September. The number of courses will also be increasing at the beginning of the next academic year. There is also a proposal to construct a new teaching block in the college.

Following her address, prayers were read out by Fr Tom Hogan, Fr Antony Sajeesh and Rev Arthur Minion. Rev Minion's prayer remembered those “who have suffered as a result of farming accidents.”

The service finished with the hymn “All people that on earth do dwell”, after which refreshments were served in the college canteen.