The Story of Saint Finbarr’S College: Father Slattery’S Contributions to Education and Sports in Nigeria

By Deji Badiru

The memory of the Rev. Denis Joseph Slattery is celebrated in this third book chronicling the history and achievements of Saint Finbarrs College, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
Written by an alumnus of the college, the series examines the continuing efforts of Saint Finbarrs College Old Boys Association to enliven the story of the institution and includes stories from numerous alumni who recall Father Slattery with fondness.
The Rev. Slattery, an Irish priest, member of the Society of African Missions (a Roman Catholic missionary organization), and founder of the college, touched the lives of many students who have gone on to make significant personal and professional contributions to the world.
In addition to educating students, the Rev. Slattery and his college made a huge difference in promoting the value of sportsmanship, discipline, and timeless values.
While the Rev. Slattery died in 2003, his legacy can be seen throughout Nigeria and beyond. Youll be inspired by how one persons commitment can lead so many others to success when you read The Story of Saint Finbarrs College.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jun 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9781532051821

Deji Badiru

Deji Badiru is a Professor of Systems Engineering in Dayton, Ohio. He is a registered professional engineer and a fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers as well as a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering. He has a BS degree in Industrial Engineering, MS in Mathematics, and MS in Industrial Engineering from Tennessee Technological University, and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Central Florida. He is the author of several books and technical journal articles.

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Copyright © 2018 Deji Badiru.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN: 978-1-5320-5181-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-5182-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018906817

iUniverse rev. date: 06/18/2018

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Books in the ABICS Publications Book Series

(www.abicspublications.com)

The Story of Saint Finbarr’s College: Father Slattery’s Contributions to Education and Sports Development in Nigeria

Physics of Soccer II: Science and Strategies for a Better Game

Kitchen Dynamics: The rice way

Consumer Economics: The value of dollars and sense for money management

Youth Soccer Training Slides: A Math and Science Approach

My Little Blue Book of Project Management

8 by 3 Paradigm for Time Management

Badiru’s Equation of Student Success: Intelligence, Common Sense, and Self-discipline

Isi Cookbook: Collection of Easy Nigerian Recipes

Blessings of a Father: Education contributions of Father Slattery at Saint Finbarr’s College

Physics in the Nigerian Kitchen: The Science, the Art, and the Recipes

The Physics of Soccer: Using Math and Science to Improve Your Game

Getting things done through project management

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1     Introduction

Chapter 2     About Saint Finbarr’s College

Chapter 3     About Father Slattery, Football, and Nigeria

Chapter 4     My Road to Saint Finbarr’s College

Chapter 5     My Admission to Saint Finbarr’s College

Chapter 6     Saint Finbarr’s College and Me

Chapter 7     Sports Songs of Saint Finbarr’s College

Chapter 8     Lagos Life After Saint Finbarr’s College

Chapter 9     Blessings of Saint Finbarr’s College Continue

Chapter 10   Saint Finbarr’s College Conqueror

Chapter 11   SFCOBA: Saint Finbarr’s College Old Boys Association

Chapter 12   Father Slattery’s Journey Home

Chapter 13   Posthumous Slattery Birthday Celebration in Fermoy, Ireland

Chapter 14   Special Tribute by Mrs. Beatrice Ozogolu

Chapter 15   Conclusions and Forward Thoughts

Dedication

To the memory of Very Reverend Father Denis Joseph Slattery, who served humanity for eternity

Acknowledgments

I thank all my Finbarr’s brothers who have done and continue to do so much collectively and individually to keep the spirit of Father Slattery and the prestige of Saint Finbarr’s College alive and thriving. Special thanks and recognition go to Mrs. Beatrice Ozogolu, widow of Ex-Finbarrian, the late Matthias Ozogolu (aka OZOGS of Lagos). Her uncontainable excitement and contribution of historical accounts provided the final impetus for me to write this third version of my commemorating books about the venerable Father Slattery and the cherished Saint Finbarr’s College.

Chapter 1

Introduction

There are schools and then there are schools, but there is no school like Saint Finbarr’s College, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria. This book is the third in my books on Saint Finbarr’s College and the monumental contributions of Reverend Father Denis Joseph Slattery, SMA, an Irish Priest and a member of Society of African Missions. The Society of African Missions (SMA) is a Roman Catholic missionary organization. The society’s members come from around the world with a commitment to serve the people of Africa and those of African descent.

Father Slattery came, he saw, and he advanced the nation of Nigeria through his multi-faceted contributions to education, sports, and discipline. His memory can never be allowed to wane in Nigeria. In this regard, this book, The Story of Saint Finbarr’s College, documents the continuing efforts of Saint Finbarr’s College Old Boys Association (SFCOBA) around the World to enliven the story of the school. This book is written from my own personal first-hand perspective. Similar stories are often told by other ex-students from their own respective perspectives. All stories have the same similar vein, thus, confirming the consistency of the legacy of Father Slattery. You cannot separate the story of Father Slattery from the story of Saint Finbarr’s College and vice versa. Both stories go hand-in-hand.

Sorry if you have heard the same stories or versions thereof before and over and over again (as my kids claim), but stories of Father Slattery and Saint Finbarr’s College must be told again and again so that no one forgets. The stories get more interesting each time, anyway. Some readers and observers, paraphrasing Yogi Berra, may say it is "Déji Vu All Over Again by Deji Badiru." As a member of SFCOBA, over the years, I have contributed to the writing and composition of the various accounts of the stories and history of Saint Finbarr’s College, from my own personal experiences. Any errors of facts in this book are entirely my own doing and are based on my fading memory of recollecting the events of long ago.

In this book, the Tribute Chapter by Mrs. Beatrice Ozogolu is particularly unique and refreshing, never before heard from such a close perspective. Happy reading!

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The story of Saint Finbarr’s College is fascinating and inspiring. The story revolves around the life and deeds of Reverend Denis Joseph Slattery, an Irish Catholic priest, who came to Nigeria in 1941 and never left, until his work was done. Done in this sense refers to the completion of planting the seeds of success for his Saint Finbarr’s students. Those seeds continue to germinate and bear fruits even after he finally left Nigeria (in forced ministerial retirement in 2000) and his death in 2003. The tentacles of the positive legacies of Father Slattery and Saint Finbarr’s College can be seen all over the world today, as graduates of the school continue to make professional inroads on various platforms around the world.

This book represents a textual and pictorial commemoration of the contributions of Father Slattery to education, youth discipline, and sports development in Nigeria. It is designed as an archival addition to the many historical records and accolades of Saint Finbarr’s College.

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The history of Saint Finbarr’s College is a favorite pastime of all the former and present students of the school. Saint Finbarr’s College is most noted for three characteristics:

1. Academics

2. Football

3. Discipline

It was in recognition and appreciation of the impacts of the above attributes of Saint Finbarr’s College that I wrote the previous two-book series on Blessings of a Father (2005, 2013).

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What I am today, professionally, is the product of the educational and discipline foundations I acquired at Saint Finbarr’s College. For this, I remain very grateful. My biographical sketch below (written in third person) sums up the end product of my journey that started at Saint Finbarr’s College under the watchful eye and magnanimous deeds of Reverend Father Slattery.

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Professor Badiru is SES-equivalent Dean and Senior Academic Officer for the Graduate School of Engineering and Management at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). He has oversight for planning, directing, and controlling operations related to granting doctoral and master’s degrees, professional continuing cyber education, and research and development programs for the US Air Force. He was previously Professor and Head of Systems Engineering and Management at AFIT, Professor and Department Head of Industrial & Information Engineering at the University of Tennessee - Knoxville, and Professor of Industrial Engineering and Dean of University College at the University of Oklahoma, Norman. He is a registered professional engineer