Monday, May 11, 2020
Just posted the below story (and video) to the Horseheads Class of '87 FB page. Please forgive the sense of levity in ths post during this somber time, but Mr. Horigan was a passionate and humorous man who helped us all love and enjoy learning. In this spirit:
Hi All. As probably know by now Mr. Horigan passed away on April 21. You may remember the famous "Horigan and Callahan 'Irish Cultural Enrichment'" show they used to put on every St. Patty's Day. Well go figure I found the video I made of it live in 1987 (with that big heavy video camera from the school library). Digitized it here for you all to enjoy and reminisce:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/77ys519l1or8x8h/031787%20Horigan%20and%20Callahan.mpg?dl=0&fbclid=IwAR36N7IXcdzJUrD_ubOX69PLhsadmJ0pFSMNV9I_nBRJNH27COPYYq7Ksbk
Hope you enjoy now as much as we did back then.
Alas I could not find the video of when we had Mr. Horigan arrested for charity (I think it was for Muscular Dystrophy Association Lock Up fundraiser. You coordinate to have someone locked up and then people donate money to "pay bail" as a fundraiser to get that person out. )
I remember we had the police show up at school and put him in hand cuffs. The entire school, teachers, and administration were in on it. I swear the entire school stopped to watch.
Funny story: If you watch the video above you will hear me say something about "zippergate." Reason being that Mr. Horigan had his zipper break while teaching a class. A complete blowout.
So his fly was not just down, it was wide open. His solution to the problem for the rest of that class (as told to me by attendees) was to get behind his podium, AND, in true Mr. Horigan fashion, walk around the room to teach WHILE CARRYING his podium in front of him. That man was a walking bastion of history and humor!
Mr. Horigan, you are somewhere having a pint with Ebenezer Macintosh right now, and Mr. Macintosh is saying, "You mean you used ME as an example in your history class? i am honored" :-D
RIP Mr. Horigan. We love you man!
Hans Bernhardt
