Finance Minister Bill English and Wellington businessman Brian McGuinness were named joint winners of the old boy of the year award at a St Patrick’s College Old Boys Association dinner in Wellington last week.
English is an old boy of St Pat’s Silverstream, where he was a boarder and became head boy.
English said it was a privilege to accept the award alongside McGuinness, “who’s done so much for the St Pat’s and Wellington communities”.
McGuinness, a construction supremo with the Wellington building firm LT McGuinness and old boy of St Pat’s Town, was “very pleased” to receive the award.
By naming two former students as joint “old boys of the year” the Association has broken with long tradition.
Previous winners of the award have included Pike River Coal campaigner Bernie Monk, former Police Association president Steve Hinds, actor Jim Moriarty, trade unionist John Ryall, former All Black and David Bain campaigner Joe Karam, former Lower Hutt mayor Sir John Kennedy-Good, and Cardinal Tom Williams.