Appreciation and Appeal!

Dear followers,

It's been a while since you heard from your beloved school blog. This was due to the preparation for last week's Loyo Day. It takes time and efforts to organise an event of such magnitude as this. But with team effort, and to the glory of God, it was well worth it.

Loyo UK would like to thank members and guests for making this year's Loyo Day a huge success.
The turnout was impressive, and without a shadow of doubt, everyone had a good time. Once again, we proved to the whole world why we are the best in every way.... we lead, others follow.

However, in the midst of celebrating another successful Loyo Day, let us not forget the present sad and sorry state of the school. The founder(s) laid a very good, solid foundation, which most of us benefited from, but successive Oyo State governments have gradually eroded this very core foundation over time, through greed,  lack of respect and of course ignorance. It is a miracle the school is still standing.

One of the primary aims of Loyo UK is to help our Alma Mata as much as we can, (the very least we owe it!) and to achieve this, a proportion of our subscriptions is being set aside for repairs and renewals and or other desperately pressing needs of the school. But this is not enough. If all old boys living in the UK should pay their monthly £10.00 subscriptions diligently, then, we would have gone far. This, sadly, is not the case. This is a school that gave us sooooo much (including that Loyo swagger), the school that we proudly announce to the whole world that we attended, that we sang its anthem with such vigour and to the hair and goose pimple raising standing ovation of our guests only last Saturday! We just cannot afford to make a laughing stock of this once great thoroughbred. If you stopped paying your subscriptions for whatever reason(s), it's time for a rethink. And if you never started at all, it's also time for a rethink. We all want to restore the school to its past glory, never mind the "I don't care attitude" of the people in the corridors of power. Perhaps, they attended Oke Ibadan, Lagelu and or GCI (lol!) It makes sense.

Please submit ideas and suggestions in your comments on what you think the school needs. These will all be gathered together, and implemented in order of popularity. Howver, bear in mind that funds are limited.

Until next time, Up Loyo!!!

New Loyo T-Shirt

Dear members,

In order to let the whole world know how proud we are of our great school, and as this year's Loyo Day is fast approaching, (September 17 2011) we are launching "Loyo" T-shirts (high quality cotton t-shirts with the school logo emblazoned on the left chest) - see below. These will be available very soon

They come in various sizes (Small, Large, Extra Large, etc.) and only cost £10.00 each. Unfortunately, we only have them in white.This is so that the school logo can be very visible.

If you are interested in the T-shirts as well as attending Loyo Day, please contact Bro Dapo Adigun (President) on 07961 167219 and Bro Muyiwa Okunola (Secretary) on 07900 373 777.

Your support for the association is valuable. But we need more. It's our association, and it's our school. Therefore, it's our PRIDE. It's our Loyo! So, please, we need a large turn out for this year's Loyo Day. We are the only old boys association of any Nigeria based school in the UK that celebrates its Founder's Day with a dinner/dance in a classy environment, with all the works. We are known for this and many more. Be a part of history.

The association appreciates the prevailing hard times everybody is going through, and for this reason, has kept the Loyo Day cost to an inflation bursting £50.00 each. Vist Loyo facebook for more information.

We are "Loyo"...the best in every way. We lead, others follow. Let's not forget that.

Loyo Day Go N'egba

Dear Members,

This year's Loyo day is on. It's on in a big way, and we're leaving no stones unturned to make it the biggest and the best.

For this to happen, we need members to commit to attending. In the good old days, it was an event we looked forward to as students...live bands, STC and St Anne's girls, Queen's School girls (right from under the noses of GCI boys), St Louis girls (lucky ones!) and not to forget "Backy" girls, plus the chance to rub a "chick" against the wall in a "hold me tight" dance. Good old days. GCI boys never managed to get a look in. It was the "Havana" of its time. Segun Bucknor (Adanri sogba sogba fame) and Mono Mono (Joni Haastrup) had been known to grace this event. Enough said.

Now that most of us are married with children, the attraction is different. However, the fun is still as exciting as ever. We'll even throw in a few STC and St Anne's old girls...How's that for a promise? In place of Segun Bucknor, we're having a live jazz session, as well as good old disco. Food and drinks will be flowing freely.
So, tell me this Loyo Day no go gben? It must "n'egba."

For £50.00 per head, you get the chance to meet up with your old school friends in a trendy atmosphere (Holiday Inn, Regent's Park, Carburton Street, London W1W 5EE), with welcome drinks, good food and after dinner drinks of all types, and of course, music to keep you on the dance floor throughout the night, (music is supplied by a top London DJ, our very own old boy!). What are we waiting for?

Show pride in your old school, sing the anthem with pride (like in the attached video) and participate actively in Loyo UK events. We want to continue to be the "best in every way", no matter how long ago we all left that school. Younger members and their partners are particularly welcome.
Events kick off at 4.00 p.m. on Saturday 17th of September, till 1.00 a.m.

For invites (these are going fast, so get there quick enough) and further information, please call Bro Dapo Adigun (President) on 07961 162 719 or Bro Muyiwa Okunola (Secretary) on 07900 373 777.

Up Loyo.

Father Michael Kennedy (Emuke) - Aug 1926 - Mar 2007

Late Fr Michael Kennedy (aka Emuke)

1926 - 2007

In the run up to our forth coming founder's day celebration on Saturday 17th September 2011, (St Ingnatius of Loyola), we have decided to examine the lives of, and pay tributes to the people (teachers, principals etc) who helped shape the future of our dearly beloved school (hence our own future too!) against all odds, through hard work, patience, persistence, honesty and most importantly, with love.

One question we need to be asking ourselves is this: Are we going to let the selflessness of these caring people go to waste? These men (and women too!) dedicated their lives to what they believed in, and we are beneficiaries of this (as I've been told several times by several people). What can we do for Loyola College Ibadan to pay back some of the debt we owe it? How can we keep the legacy going? How can we continue to be the best in every way? Most of these people have died, but their legacies live after them. Your comments will be appreciated.

Read on:

 Fr Micheál (Hálai) Kennedy passed away on the morning of Monday, 26 March 2007 at about 06.35 in the South Charitable Infirmary, Cork. He had been hospitalised for just over a week and his condition deteriorated rapidly over that time. He had been in poor health for some years which he spent in St Theresa's Nursing Unit at Blackrock Road, Cork.

Hálai was born in Tralee, Co Kerry on 18 August 1926. He received his early education in CBS, Tralee. Deciding to become a missionary, he came to SMA (Society of African Missions) in 1945 and studied at the Society's houses at Cloughballymore, Kilcolgan, Co Galway (philosphy) and at Dromantine, Newry, Co Down (Theology). He became a permanent member of SMA on 12 June 1950. He was ordained to the priesthood on 13 June 1951 at St Catherine's Dominican Church, Newry.

After ordination, he studied at UCC where he read Science and completed a brilliant academic career when he graduated with an MSc degree. He was then assigned for missionary work in Nigeria, to the Prefecture Apostolic of Ibadan (which in 1958 became the Diocese of Ibadan). He was appointed to the teaching staff of Loyola College, Ibadan, which was founded in 1954, and he spent his entire missionary career there.

He quickly became renowned as a teacher, and in 1965 he was appointed Principal of the College, a post he continued to hold until 1980. Under his leadership Loyola College, Ibadan built up a reputation for academic excellence in the West of Nigeria, and indeed the whole country, and many of its past pupils have gone on to achieve positions of importance in the business, legal, medical, educational and political sectors of that great country. The list is endless. The loyalty of these past students to their capable and dedicated Principal is an earnest indication of the great influence Fr Hálai has had on the lives and careers of so many of them.

He was one in a million who worked tirelessly to take the school into new heights, and by the time I did my common entrance examination in 1971, there was only one place to go. For a school that had no support whatsoever from the state to outperform those funded by the then Western State in all disciplines, it took dedication, hard work and selflessness. Academics and sports were seamlessly interwoven with respect, team building, confidence and pride in the school as part of the school curricular, with resulting excellent achievements in all... most schools quiz and sports competitions we won with ease. Certie  results were excellent year in year out. Epic football finals in my time included Loyola v Olivet (Omitola Cup final1972) which we won comfortably. I deliberately blanked out the 1971 final against Aquinas College. That was a painful 1 - nil loss. We also won several trophies in athletics and Lawn Tennis and some of our old boys went on to represent Nigeria at international level. The trophy cabinet in the Principal's office bears testimony to this....full to bursting.

It was also during Emukay's tenure that the school established the Army Cadets Force. The only other school in the West to boast of this was Government College, Ibadan. Members were instructed by professional soldiers, and they went on to win many "Marching" contests organised as part of the Independence Day celebrations at the Liberty Stadium. What good times!

In 1980, he was forced to retire because of ill-health. Convalescing at Wilton, he continued to make a valuable contribution to SMA as a lecturer in Sacred Scripture to the students during their Spiritual Year there.

He continued to reside in Wilton, in retirement until 1997. Then in the face of debilitating illness he moved to the St Theresa's Nursing Unit, Blackrock Road where he died in March 2007.

I think one could easily surmise that Late Rev Father Michael Kennedy has been the most influential principal the school has ever had.

Though time may pass and fade away, his memories will always stay.

Please watch the attached video for details of this year's Loyo Day.