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Brother Patrick O' Donovan - Brother Director Of St Michael’s Institution
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Subject :Brother Patrick O' Donovan - Brother Director of St Michael’s Institution
Published By : None
Location : Clayton Road, Ipoh
Estimated Year : 1938
Media Type : Photograph
Source : Brother Vincent Corkery, SMI, Ipoh
Remark : Brother Director Patrick O' Donovan was a capable administrator and far-sighted educationalist who succeeded Brother Marcian as SMI Director in June 1938 and introduced science teaching to the school. He was also responsible for driving through the 1939 extension to the school building despite government opposition, forecasting an increase in enrolment and starting a fund for donations to cover the cost. Typically the Old Michaelians and other benefactors came forward and the new extension was satisfactorily completed in 1941. Not long after this the extension accommodated some of Anderson School students whose main building had been taken over by the army.
It was also Brother Director Patrick that brought Chinese language classes, the Literary and Debating Society, the Thrift Society and the School Broadcasting Society and the Michaelian Magazine (1948) to SMI. He was also responsible for the establishment of the De La Salle School in Kampar and the acquisition of the 'Malay hut' to house the increasing number of students.
However, 1940/41 were worrying times for the Brother Director as the army could be expected to requisition the school at any moment (as they had done with Anderson) and attack from the Japanese was considered likely. But it was in 1941 when the war came to Ipoh. The town was bombed for the first time on the 15th December and subsequently on 19th December, the retreating British Army sought refuge in the school where the 1st Leicester Regiment and the 2nd East Surrey Regiment merged to form the one and the only one British Battalion. On 23 December they withdrew to Kampar and fought bravely in the Battle of Kampar (30th of December 1941 to 2nd of January 1942). A group of SMI’s St John Ambulance Brigade, led by Mr Lim Kean Hooi, voluntarily went with the army and were commended by the Governor of Singapore, Sir Shenton Thomas, for their action.
Just half an hour after the newly formed British Battalion had left the school, Japanese planes machine-gunned the building and caused considerable damage to the roof. In the same raid an ammunition train standing in the railway station was hit and exploding shells forced the brothers to leave the school and seek refuge with Father Francois, the Parish Priest of St Michael's Catholic Church. They were not to return to their own home until after the Japanese occupation was over, as the invaders took over SMI as one of their headquarters on the 28th December 1941.
Subsequently from March 1942 until September 1945 SMI was the Perak Shu Seicho, the Headquarters of the Civil Administration of Perak; the chapel became the Council Chamber; the Brothers Quarters were used for the Governor’s suite; the Hall became the Treasury Department and the classrooms were used by various other departments.
Meanwhile Brother Patrick, after several spells in different prisons was sent by Brother Barnitus to Singapore to take charge of the Brothers’ community in Katong. However as soon as the occupation was over he returned to Ipoh and took up his old post as Brother Director and took on the huge task of reorganizing the school. With innovation and hard work Brother Patrick and his team, including many of the boys got the school back into some sort of shape very quickly and within days the school started classes again.
In 1946, enrolment passed the 1,000 mark and reached 1,120 in 1947 when the School Certificate results for that year were so outstanding that the Government Adviser on education sent special congratulations to the school.
In 1948, Brother Patrick left SMI for a well deserved holiday in Ireland and Brother Denis Hyland replaced him as Brother Director of SMI.
To read more about Brother Denis, click here.
To read more about Anderson School, Ipoh, click here.
To read more about Brother Marcian, click here.
To read more about St Michael’s Institution, click here.
It was also Brother Director Patrick that brought Chinese language classes, the Literary and Debating Society, the Thrift Society and the School Broadcasting Society and the Michaelian Magazine (1948) to SMI. He was also responsible for the establishment of the De La Salle School in Kampar and the acquisition of the 'Malay hut' to house the increasing number of students.
However, 1940/41 were worrying times for the Brother Director as the army could be expected to requisition the school at any moment (as they had done with Anderson) and attack from the Japanese was considered likely. But it was in 1941 when the war came to Ipoh. The town was bombed for the first time on the 15th December and subsequently on 19th December, the retreating British Army sought refuge in the school where the 1st Leicester Regiment and the 2nd East Surrey Regiment merged to form the one and the only one British Battalion. On 23 December they withdrew to Kampar and fought bravely in the Battle of Kampar (30th of December 1941 to 2nd of January 1942). A group of SMI’s St John Ambulance Brigade, led by Mr Lim Kean Hooi, voluntarily went with the army and were commended by the Governor of Singapore, Sir Shenton Thomas, for their action.
Just half an hour after the newly formed British Battalion had left the school, Japanese planes machine-gunned the building and caused considerable damage to the roof. In the same raid an ammunition train standing in the railway station was hit and exploding shells forced the brothers to leave the school and seek refuge with Father Francois, the Parish Priest of St Michael's Catholic Church. They were not to return to their own home until after the Japanese occupation was over, as the invaders took over SMI as one of their headquarters on the 28th December 1941.
Subsequently from March 1942 until September 1945 SMI was the Perak Shu Seicho, the Headquarters of the Civil Administration of Perak; the chapel became the Council Chamber; the Brothers Quarters were used for the Governor’s suite; the Hall became the Treasury Department and the classrooms were used by various other departments.
Meanwhile Brother Patrick, after several spells in different prisons was sent by Brother Barnitus to Singapore to take charge of the Brothers’ community in Katong. However as soon as the occupation was over he returned to Ipoh and took up his old post as Brother Director and took on the huge task of reorganizing the school. With innovation and hard work Brother Patrick and his team, including many of the boys got the school back into some sort of shape very quickly and within days the school started classes again.
In 1946, enrolment passed the 1,000 mark and reached 1,120 in 1947 when the School Certificate results for that year were so outstanding that the Government Adviser on education sent special congratulations to the school.
In 1948, Brother Patrick left SMI for a well deserved holiday in Ireland and Brother Denis Hyland replaced him as Brother Director of SMI.
To read more about Brother Denis, click here.
To read more about Anderson School, Ipoh, click here.
To read more about Brother Marcian, click here.
To read more about St Michael’s Institution, click here.
Filename : 20090405-043