Was there sex in seminary?

One of the questions most asked about an all-male place where young men are cloistered behind high walls for months at a time. The answer is complicated.  There were what were called "particular friendships" which scared the hell out of the authorities.  These were in the nature of opportunistic homosexual attractions - similar to what happens in prisons and aboard ships at sea.  The individual - through sexual repression most likely  - begins to find some good-looking boy attractive.  Often these are passing things and the student will revert to a heterosexual life when released. A certain number will be homosexual.  This was not well-understood in the 1950's.

Whether there was much actual sexual activity is debatable due to the constant watchfulness tho' it is almost certain that some did get away with it at least for a while. The only case I know of for certain involved two young men being discovered in bed in the morning.  They had overslept morning prayer prompting the dean to investigate.  They were summarily dismissed. This was Ireland in the '50's - sex was the greatest sin they could imagine.