Clongowes Wood College SJ is a Catholic

voluntary Voluntary may refer to: * Voluntary (music) * Voluntary or volunteer, person participating via volunteering/volunteerism * Voluntary muscle contraction See also * Voluntary action * Voluntariness, in law and philosophy * Voluntaryism Volunt ...

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. They have existed for many centuries, and now extend acr ...

for boys near

Clane Clane (; ) is a town in County Kildare, Ireland, from Dublin. With a population of 8,152 in 2022, it is the ninth largest town in Kildare and the 66th largest in Ireland. The town is on the River Liffey. Clane gives its name to the associate ...

County Kildare County Kildare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the Local gove ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

, founded by the

Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

in 1814. It features prominently in

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (born James Augusta Joyce; 2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influentia ...

semi-autobiographical novel An autobiographical novel, also known as an autobiographical fiction, fictional autobiography, or autobiographical fiction novel, is a type of novel which uses autofiction techniques, or the merging of autobiographical and fictive elements. The l ...

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man ''A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man'' is the second book and first novel of Irish writer James Joyce, published in 1916. A ''Künstlerroman'' written in a modernist style, it traces the religious and intellectual awakening of young Ste ...

''. Blessed

John Sullivan (Jesuit) John Sullivan (8 May 1861 – 19 February 1933) was an Irish Catholic priest and a professed member of the Jesuits. Sullivan was known for his life of deep spiritual reflection and personal sacrifice; he is recognised for his dedicated work wi ...

taught at Clongowes Wood College from 1907 until his death in 1933. One of five

Jesuit secondary schools in Ireland The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

, it had 450 students in 2019. The school's current headmaster, Christopher Lumb, is the first lay headmaster in its history. The school is also a member of the

Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), formerly known as the Headmasters' Conference and now branded HMC (The Heads' Conference), is an association of the head teachers of 351 private fee-charging schools (both boarding schools ...

being one of only three members based in Ireland.

School

The school is a secondary boarding school for boys from Ireland and other parts of the world. The school is divided into three groups, known as "lines". The Third Line is for first and second year students, the Lower Line for third and fourth years, and the Higher Line for fifth and sixth years. Each year is known by a name, drawn from the Jesuit '' Ratio Studiorum'': Elements (first year), Rudiments (second), Grammar (third), Syntax (fourth), Poetry (fifth), and Rhetoric (sixth).

Buildings

The medieval castle was originally built in the 13th century by John de Hereford, an early Anglo-Norman warrior and landowner in North Kildare. He had been given extensive lands in the area of Kill, Celbridge and Mainham by his brother, Adam de Hereford, who had come to Ireland with ' Strongbow', the Earl of Pembroke. The castle is the residence of the religious community and was improved by a " chocolate box" type restoration in the 18th century. It was rebuilt in 1718 by Stephen Fitzwilliam Browne and extended in 1788 by Thomas Wogan Browne. It is situated beside a ditch and wall—known as ramparts—constructed for the defence of the Pale in the 14th century. The building was completely refurbished in 2004 and the reception area was moved back there from the "1999 building." The castle is connected to the modern buildings by an elevated corridor hung with portraits, the Serpentine Gallery referred to by

. This gallery was completely demolished and rebuilt in 2004 as part of a redevelopment programme for the school buildings. In 1929, another wing was built at a cost of £135,000, presenting the rear façade of the school. It houses the main classrooms and the Elements, Rudiments, Grammar and Syntax dormitories. An expansion and modernisation was completed in 2000; the €4.8m project added another residential wing that included a 500-seat dining hall, kitchen, entrance hall, offices, and study/bedrooms for sixth year ("Rhetoric") students. The Boys' Chapel has an elaborate reredos, a large pipe organ in the gallery, and a sequence of

Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Via Dolorosa, Way of Sorrows or the , are a series of fourteen images depicting Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and acc ...

painted by

Sean Keating Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Hiberno-English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as '' Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; ang ...

. School tradition has it that the portrait of

Pontius Pilate Pontius Pilate (; ) was the Roman administration of Judaea (AD 6–135), fifth governor of the Judaea (Roman province), Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official wh ...

in the 12th station was based on the school rector, who had refused to pay the artist his asking price. The moat that outlines the nearby forest of the college is the old border of

The Pale The Pale ( Irish: ''An Pháil'') or the English Pale (' or ') was the part of Ireland directly under the control of the English government in the Late Middle Ages. It had been reduced by the late 15th century to an area along the east coast s ...

, with the Wogan-Browne castle (now the residence of the Jesuit community) landmarking its edge.

History

The school traces its history back to a estate owned by the Wogan family in 1418 under the reign of Henry IV. The name "Clongowes" comes from the Irish for "meadow" (''cluain'') and for "blacksmith" (''gobha''). The estate was originally known as "Clongowes de Silva" (''de Silva'' meaning "of the wood" in Latin). The estate later passed to the Eustace family and became part of the fortified border of

the Pale The Pale ( Irish: ''An Pháil'') or the English Pale (' or ') was the part of Ireland directly under the control of the English government in the Late Middle Ages. It had been reduced by the late 15th century to an area along the east coast s ...

in 1494. The Eustaces lost their estates during the

Restoration (1660) The Stuart Restoration was the reinstatement in May 1660 of the Stuart monarchy in England, Scotland, and Ireland. It replaced the Commonwealth of England, established in January 1649 after the execution of Charles I, with his son Char ...

. The estate was sold by the Wogan-Brownes to the Jesuits in March 1814 for £16,000. First Pupil James McLornan Plaque

The school accepted its first pupil, James McLornan, on 18 May 1814. In 1886, the Jesuit-run

St Stanislaus College St Stanislaus College (often called Tullabeg College) was a Jesuit boys boarding school, novitiate and philosophy school, in Tullabeg, Rahan, County Offaly. St Carthage founded a monastery of 800 monks there in 595 before founding his monaste ...

in Tullabeg, County Offaly, was amalgamated with Clongowes Wood College. Joseph Dargan served as rector in the 1970s. Leonard Moloney was the headmaster from 2004 to 2015. Michael Sheil retired as rector in 2006 and Bruce Bradley (headmaster 1992–2000) was his successor. In September 2011 Michael Sheil returned as rector. As of 2021, there are four Jesuits living at the school, two priests and two brothers. Clongowes is also part of an initiative to ease religious tensions in Turkey, currently being headed by

Alan McGuckian Alexander Aloysius "Alan" McGuckian, SJ (born 26 February 1953) is the 33rd Bishop of Down and Connor. Early life and education McGuckian was born on 26 February 1953 in Cloughmills, County Antrim, the youngest of six children to Brian McGuck ...

(former teacher in Clongowes now Bishop of Raphoe) in Istanbul.

Prefect of Studies/Headmaster

* Francis Mahony * John Conmee (1883–1887) * James Daly (1887–1916) * Larry Kieran (1917–1925) * Mathias Bodkin (1933–1937) * Brian McMahon (1944–1947) * Hilary Lawton (1948–1959) * Raymond J Lawler (1959–1962) * Joseph Marmion (1962–1965) * Paddy Crowe (1971–1976) * Philip Fogarty (July 1976 – Aug 1987) * Liam O'Connell (1987–1992) * Bruce Bradley (1992–2000) * Dermot Murray (2000–2004) * Leonard Moloney (2004–2015) * Chris Lumb (2015–present) – first lay headmaster

Rectors

* Fr.

Peter Kenney Peter James Kenney (1779–1841) was an Irish Jesuit priest. He founded Clongowes Wood College and was also rector of the Jesuits in Ireland. A gifted administrator, Kenney made two trips to the United States, where he established Maryland as a ...

(1814–17) – founder of the college * Fr. Charles Aylmer (1817–20) – took out lease of land for

Tullabeg College St Stanislaus College (often called Tullabeg College) was a Jesuit boys boarding school, novitiate and philosophy school, in Tullabeg, Rahan, County Offaly. St Carthage founded a monastery of 800 monks there in 595 before founding his monaster ...

* Fr. Bartholomew Esmonde (1820–21) * Fr. Peter Kenney (1821–30) * Fr. Bartholomew Esmonde (1830–36) * Fr. Robert Haly (1836–41) * Fr. Robert St. Leger (1841–42) * Fr. Robert Haly (1842–50) * Fr. Michael Kavanagh (1850–1855) * Fr. Joseph Lentaigne (1855–58) * Fr. John McDonald (1858–60) * Fr. Eugene Browne (1860–1870) * Fr.

Robert Carbery Robert Carbery SJ (1829–1903) was an Irish Jesuit priest, who served as Rector of Clongowes Wood College, and President of University College Dublin. Born in Youghal, County Cork in 1829. He studied for a time at Trinity College, Dublin, then at ...

(1870–1876) * Fr. Thomas Keating (1876–81) * Fr. Edward Kelly (1881–85) * Fr. John Conmee (1885–91) * Fr. Matthew Devitt (1891–1900) * Fr. Michael Browne (1900) * Fr. James Brennan (1900–04) * Fr. Vincent Byrne (1904–07) * Fr. Matthew Devitt (1907–08) * Fr. Thomas Nolan (1908–12) * Fr. Nicholas Tomkin (1912-19) * Fr. Charles Mulcahy (1919–1922) * Fr. John Joy (1922–27) * Fr. George Roche (1927–33) * Fr. Hilary Lawton (1959–65) * Fr. Frank Joy (1965–68) * Fr. Paddy Crowe (1968–71) * Fr. Jack Brennan (1972–77) * Fr. Joseph Dargan (1977–1979) * Fr. Paddy Carberry (1980–1983) * Fr. Kieran Hanley (1983–89) * Fr. Patrick Crowe (1992–95) * Fr. Dermot Murray (1995–2000) * Fr. Michael Sheil (2000–06) * Fr. Bruce Bradley (2006–11) * Fr. Michael Sheil (2011–present)

Historical accounts

One early history of the school is ''The Clongowes Record 1814–1932'' by Timothy Corcoran (Browne and Nolan, Dublin, 1932). A half-century later, a history was written by Roland Burke Savage and published in ''The Clongownian'' school magazine during the 1980s; that same decade,

Peter Costello Peter Howard Costello (born 14 August 1957) is an Australian businessman, lawyer and former politician who served as the treasurer of Australia in Howard government, government of John Howard from 1996 to 2007. He is the longest-serving trea ...

wrote ''Clongowes Wood: a History of Clongowes Wood College 1814–1989'', published by Gill and Macmillan, Dublin, 1989).

Sport

Clongowes is known for its strong pedigree in

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

. Despite a relatively small size, Clongowes has won the

Leinster Schools Rugby Senior Cup The Leinster Schools Senior Challenge Cup is the premier rugby union competition for secondary schools affiliated to the Leinster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), and was first held in 1887. Attendances are high for a schoolboy ...

nine times, winning its first final in 1926. Following this, there was a gap of 52 years until the next title in 1978. Beginning with a 3rd title in 1988 and up until 2011, Clongowes has appeared in 13 finals, more than any other school in the competition during this period. Clongowes secured a first set of back-to-back titles with wins in 2010 and 2011 before being awarded a joint title in the 2020 season which was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cultural associations

The school featured prominently in

's semi-autobiographical novel ''

''. A documentary depicting a year in the life in the school was screened in 2001 as part of

RTÉ (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...

's ''True Lives'' series. The popular fictional series of '' Ross O'Carroll Kelly'' has mentioned Clongowes Wood on a number of occasions in the book and ''

Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...

'' column.

Notable alumni

Arts and media

* Peter Campion — actor *

Maurice Healy (writer) Maurice F. Healy BL, (1887–1943) was an Irish lawyer and author, who is best remembered for his legal memoir ''The Old Munster Circuit''. He was born in Cork, son of the well-known solicitor Maurice Healy and nephew of Timothy Michael Healy ...

— author *

Nick Hewer Nicholas Radbourn Hewer (born 17 February 1944) is a retired British television presenter, company director (2010) and former public relations consultant from Swindon, England. From 2005 to 2014, he appeared as Alan Sugar's adviser in the Brit ...

— public relations expert *

Aidan Higgins Aidan Higgins (3 March 1927 – 27 December 2015) was an Irish writer. He wrote short stories, travel pieces, radio dramas and novels. Among his published works are '' Langrishe, Go Down'' (1966), '' Balcony of Europe'' (1972) and the biographi ...

— writer *

Francis Sylvester Mahony Francis Sylvester Mahony (31 December 1804 – 18 May 1866), also known by the pen name Father Prout, was an Irish humorist and journalist. Life He was born in Cork (city), Cork, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Ireland, to Martin ...

— 19th-century humorist known by the pen name "Father Prout" *

Paul McGuinness Paul McGuinness (born 16 June 1951) is an Irish talent manager. He was the founder of Principle Management Limited, a popular music act management company based in Dublin, Ireland. He was the manager of the rock band U2 from 1978 to 2013. Ea ...

— former business manager for the Irish rock band U2 *

David McSavage David Andrews (born 5 February 1966), known professionally as David McSavage, is an Irish stand-up comedian, comedy writer and street performer, known for his television show ''The Savage Eye''.The Savage Eye'' * Charles Mitchel — RTÉ's first newsreader *

Micheal O'Siadhail Micheal O'Siadhail ( ; born 12 January 1947) is an Irish poet. He studied at Trinity College, Dublin (TCD) and the University of Oslo. He has been a lecturer at TCD, a professor at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, and has been a fu ...

— Irish poet *

Kieran Prendiville Kieran Prendiville (born 25 December 1947) is an English-Irish television writer, producer, and presenter. Early life Prendiville was born on 25 December 1947 in Rochdale, Lancashire, the son of an Irish father from Killorglin, County Kerry, ...

— television writer and producer * John Ryan — artist, broadcaster, publisher, critic, editor, patron and publican * Sydney Bernard Smith — poet, author, actor, and dramatist * Patrick James Smyth — journalist *

J. T. Walsh James Thomas Patrick Walsh (September 28, 1943 – February 27, 1998) was an American character actor. His many films include: '' Tin Men'' (1987), '' Good Morning, Vietnam'' (1987), ''A Few Good Men'' (1992), '' Hoffa'' (1992), '' Nixon'' (199 ...

— film actor

Law

Sir ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as part ...

Donnell Deeny Sir Donnell Justin Patrick Deeny , KC, SC (born 25 April 1950), styled as the Rt Hon Sir Donnell Deeny, is a mediator and arbitrator (ACIArb) and a former member of the Court of Appeal of Northern Ireland. Sir Donnell is also member of the Cour ...

— judge in the

High Court of Northern Ireland The courts of Northern Ireland are the civil and criminal courts responsible for the administration of justice in Northern Ireland: they are constituted and governed by the law of Northern Ireland. Prior to the partition of Ireland, Northern I ...

, pro-Chancellor of the University of Dublin *

Nial Fennelly Nial Fennelly (born 3 May 1942) is a retired Irish judge who served as a Judge of the Supreme Court from 2000 to 2014, Advocate General of the European Court of Justice and a Judge of the European Court of Justice from 1995 to 2000. He was e ...

— judge of the Supreme Court of Ireland, former Advocate General of the European Court of Justice * Thomas Finlay — former Irish Fine Gael politician and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ireland * James FitzGerald-Kenney — Irish politician, former Minister for Justice *

Raymond Groarke Raymond Groarke (born 1952) is a retired Irish judge who served as President of the Circuit Court from 2012 to 2019 and a Judge of the Circuit Court from 1996 to 2022. Early life Groarke was born in 1952. He was educated at Clongowes Wood Co ...

— president of the Circuit Court * Alan Mahon — judge of the Court of Appeal (Ireland) *

James Patrick Mahon Charles James Patrick Mahon (17 March 1800 – 15 June 1891), known as the O'Gorman Mahon or James Patrick Mahon, was an Irish nationalist journalist, barrister, parliamentarian and international mercenary. Personal life Mahon, the eldest of f ...

— known as the O'Gorman Mahon, journalist, barrister, parliamentarian * Niall McCarthy (judge) — Justice of the Supreme Court of Ireland *

Tom O'Higgins Thomas Francis O'Higgins (23 July 1916 – 25 February 2003) was an Irish Fine Gael politician, barrister and judge who served as Chief Justice of Ireland and a Judge of the Supreme Court from 1974 to 1985, a Judge of the European Court of Just ...

— former Chief Justice of Ireland, former Minister for Health, judge of the European Court of Justice * Daniel O'Keeffe — chairperson of the Standards in Public Office Commission, former judge of the High Court *

Christopher Palles Christopher Palles (25 December 1831 – 14 February 1920) was an Irish barrister, Solicitor-General, Attorney-General and a judge for over 40 years. His biographer, Vincent Thomas Hyginus Delany, described him as "the greatest of the Irish judg ...

— the most eminent Irish judge of his time *

John Joseph Sheil PC — Lord Justice of Appeal in Northern Ireland *

James John Skinner James John Skinner (24 July 1923 – 21 October 2008) was an Irish-born Zambian politician and jurist. He was the first Minister of Justice of independent Zambia and the only White member of Zambia's first cabinet.Frederick Boland Frederick Henry Boland (11 January 1904 – 4 December 1985) was an Irish diplomat who served as the first Irish Ambassador to both the United Kingdom and the United Nations. Family and education Frederick Boland was born on 11 January 1904 ...

— first Irish ambassador to the United Kingdom and to the United Nations, chancellor of the University of Dublin *

John Bruton John Gerard Bruton (18 May 1947 – 6 February 2024) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach from 1994 to 1997 and Leader of Fine Gael from 1990 to 2001. He held cabinet positions between 1981‍ and 1987, including twice ...

— former Taoiseach of Ireland *

Richard Bruton Richard Bruton (born 15 March 1953) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Dublin Bay North from 2016 to 2024, and previously from 1982 to 2016 for the Dublin North-Central constituency. He was the Cha ...

— Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation *

Simon Coveney Simon Coveney (born 16 June 1972) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from 2022 to 2024. He served as Leader of Fine Gael#Deputy leaders, deputy leader of Fine Gael from 2017 to 202 ...

— former Tánaiste and Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs *

Edmund Dwyer-Gray Edmund John Chisholm Dwyer-Gray (2 April 18706 December 1945) was an Irish-Australian politician, who was the 29th Premier of Tasmania from 11 June to 18 December 1939. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). Early life He was bo ...

, 29th Premier of Tasmania *

Andrew Kettle Andrew Joseph Kettle (1833–1916) was a leading Irish nationalist politician, progressive farmer, agrarian agitator and founding member of the Irish Land League, known as 'the right-hand man' of Charles Stewart Parnell. He was also a much admi ...

— Irish nationalist politician and founder member of the

Irish Land League The Irish National Land League ( Irish: ''Conradh na Talún''), also known as the Land League, was an Irish political organisation of the late 19th century which organised tenant farmers in their resistance to exactions of landowners. Its prima ...

Thomas Kettle Thomas Michael Kettle (9 February 1880 – 9 September 1916) was an Irish economist, journalist, barrister, writer, war poet, soldier and Home Rule politician. As a member of the Irish Parliamentary Party, he was Member of Parliament (MP) for ...

— Irish journalist, barrister, writer, poet, soldier, economist and Home Rule politician *

Gilbert Laithwaite Sir John Gilbert Laithwaite (5 July 1894 – 21 December 1986) was a British civil servant and diplomat, born and raised in Ireland. He reached the top of his profession, becoming Permanent Secretary of the Commonwealth Relations Office in 1955 ...

— former British ambassador to Ireland and High Commissioner to Pakistan * Patrick Little — Irish Fianna Fáil politician and government minister, most notably as the country's longest-serving Minister for Posts & Telegraphs *

Enoch Louis Lowe Enoch Louis Lowe (August 10, 1820August 23, 1892) was the 29th Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1851 to 1854. Early life He was the only child of Bradley Samuel Adams Lowe and Adelaide Bellumeau de la Vincendiere. He was born on A ...

— 33rd Governor of the US state of Maryland * Patrick McGilligan — former Irish Minister for Industry and Commerce *

Thomas Francis Meagher Thomas Francis Meagher ( ; 3 August 18231 July 1867) was an Irish nationalism, Irish nationalist and leader of the Young Irelanders in the Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848, Rebellion of 1848. After being convicted of sedition, he was first sent ...

— Irish nationalist and leader of the

Young Ireland Young Ireland (, ) was a political movement, political and cultural movement, cultural movement in the 1840s committed to an all-Ireland struggle for independence and democratic reform. Grouped around the Dublin weekly ''The Nation (Irish news ...

ers *

Purcell O'Gorman Purcell O'Gorman (1820 – 24 November 1888) was an Irish nationalism, Irish nationalist politician and member of parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, elected as a member of the Home Rule League to represent Waterford City ( ...

— soldier and

Home Rule League The Home Rule League (1873–1882), sometimes called the Home Rule Party, was an Irish political party which campaigned for home rule for Ireland within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, until it was replaced by the Irish Parliam ...

politicianBrendan Barrington, ed., ''The Dublin Review'' issues 10–13 (2003), p. 15 *

Kevin O'Higgins Kevin Christopher O'Higgins (; 7 June 1892 – 10 July 1927) was an Irish politician who served as Vice-President of the Executive Council and Minister for Justice from 1922 to 1927, Minister for External Affairs from June 1927 to July 1927 a ...

— former Irish Vice-president of the Executive Council and Minister for Justice *

Michael O'Higgins Michael Joseph O'Higgins (1 November 1917 – 9 March 2005) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Leader of the Seanad from 1973 to 1977. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1948 to 1951 and 1954 to 1969. He also served as a Senat ...

— former Fine Gael TD and leader of the Seanad *

Donogh O'Malley Donogh Brendan O'Malley (18 January 1921 – 10 March 1968) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and rugby union player who served as Minister for Education from 1966 to 1968, Minister for Health from 1965 to 1966 and Parliamentary Secretary ...

— former Irish Minister for Health and Minister for Education *

James O'Mara James O'Mara (6 August 1873 – 21 November 1948) was an Irish businessman and politician who became a nationalist leader and key member of the revolutionary First Dáil. As an MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, he introduced t ...

— nationalist leader and key member of the First Dáil *

The O'Rahilly Michael Joseph O'Rahilly ( or ; 22 April 1875 – 29 April 1916), known as The O'Rahilly, was an Irish republican and nationalist. He was a founding member of the Irish Volunteers in 1913 and served as Director of Arms. Despite opposing the ac ...

— Irish Volunteer, killed in the

Easter Rising The Easter Rising (), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the aim of establishing an ind ...

John M. O'Sullivan John Marcus O'Sullivan (18 February 1881 – 9 February 1948) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Minister for Education from 1926 to 1932 and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance from 1924 to 1926. He served as a Tea ...

—

Cumann na nGaedheal Cumann na nGaedheal (; ) was a political party in the Irish Free State, which formed the government from 1923 to 1932. It was named after the original Cumann na nGaedheal organisation which merged with the Dungannon Clubs and the National Co ...

politician, cabinet minister and academic * Cornelius James Pelly — Irish diplomat *

John Redmond John Edward Redmond (1 September 1856 – 6 March 1918) was an Irish nationalism, Irish nationalist politician, barrister, and Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. He was best known as leader ...

— Irish nationalist politician, barrister, MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party from 1900 to 1918

Military

* Francis Clery — British Army General who commanded 2nd Division during the Second Boer War *

Eugene Esmonde Lieutenant Commander Eugene Esmonde, (1 March 1909 – 12 February 1942) was a distinguished Irish pilot in the Fleet Air Arm who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy awarde ...

— Second World War pilot and posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross *

Aidan MacCarthy Air commodore, Air Commodore Joseph Aidan MacCarthy, (19 March 1913 – 11 October 1995) was an Irish Physician, medical doctor of the Royal Air Force and a Far East prisoners of war, prisoner of war to the Japanese during the World War II, S ...

— Air Commodore RAF, doctor, author of 'A Doctor's War' *

Pat Reid Patrick Robert Reid, (13 November 1910 – 22 May 1990) was a British Army officer and author of history. As a British prisoner of war during the Second World War, he was held captive at Colditz Castle when it was designated Oflag IV-C. Reid wa ...

— British Army officer who escaped from Colditz, noted nonfiction and historical author

Religion

* James Corboy SJ — first Roman Catholic Bishop of Monze, Zambia (1962-1992), rector of Milltown (1959-1962) * Joseph Dalton — Jesuit who founded a number of schools and churches in Australia *

John Charles McQuaid John Charles McQuaid, C.S.Sp. (28 July 1895 – 7 April 1973), was the Catholic Primate of Ireland and Archbishop of Dublin between December 1940 and January 1972. He was known for the unusual amount of influence he had over successive gover ...

— Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland between 1940 and 1972 *The

O'Conor Don The O'Conor dynasty (Middle Irish: ''Ó Conchobhair''; Modern ) are an Irish noble dynasty and formerly one of the most influential and distinguished royal dynasties in Ireland. The O'Conor family held the throne of the Kingdom of Connacht up ...

— Charles O'Conor *

Patrick Finbar Ryan Patrick Finbar Ryan, TC, O.P., (1881–1975) was an Irish Dominican priest who served as Archbishop of Port of Spain, Trinidad (1940–1966). On 4 March 1881, Patrick Ryan was born in Rochestown, County Cork to Edward Ryan and Matilda Ryan. ...

, O.P., (1881-1975) — Dominican priest, served as Archbishop of Port of Spain, Trinidad (1940–1966)

Science and medicine

Francis Cruise (surgeon) Francis Xavier Richard Cruise (3 December 1834 – 26 February 1912) was a 19th-century Irish surgeon and urologist best known for inventing an endoscope and using it successfully in surgery in 1865.Daniel Joseph Kelly O'Connell Daniel Joseph Kelly O'Connell was a seismologist, astronomer and Jesuit priest who is particularly known for his work in observational astronomy. He worked primarily observing binary star systems, and was involved in photographing the Green Flas ...

— SJ, Jesuit, astronomer and seismologist, director of Riverview and the Vatican Observatory, president of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences(1968-72), the

O'Connell effect The O'Connell effect is an asymmetry in the photometric light curve of certain close eclipsing binary stars. It was named after the astronomer Daniel Joseph Kelly O'Connell, SJ of Riverview College in New South Wales who in 1951 studied this phen ...

named after him *

Oliver St John Gogarty Oliver Joseph St. John Gogarty (17 August 1878 – 22 September 1957) was an Irish poet, author, otolaryngologist, athlete, politician, and conversationalist. He served as the inspiration for Buck Mulligan in James Joyce's novel '' Ulysses' ...

— surgeon, writer, critic, and inspiration for Buck Mulligan in James Joyce's ''Ulysses'' *

James Bayley Butler James Bayley Butler MBE MRIA (8 April 1884 – 21 February 1964) was an Irish biologist and academic, and was considered the foremost expert on the fungus which causes dry rot. Life James Bayley Butler was born in Secunderabad, India, on 8 ...

— academic biologist and zoologist

Business

Aidan Heavey Aidan Joseph Heavey (born 14 March 1953) is the founder of Tullow Oil, one of Europe's largest oil businesses. Early life From Castlerea, County Roscommon and educated at Clongowes Wood College in County Kildare and at University College Dublin ...

— CEO of Tullow Oil *

Barry O'Callaghan Barry O'Callaghan (born 1969) is an Irish business executive and financier. He is the Chairman and CEO of AKLO Capital (a private investment office) and the former CEO of HMH. He grew the small educational software company Riverdeep into the lar ...

— chairman and CEO of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and the chairman of Education Media & Publishing Group * Michael O'Leary — CEO of Ryanair *

Tony O'Reilly, Junior St. John Anthony O'Reilly, generally Tony O'Reilly, Junior (born 1966 in Dublin) is a businessman with Irish and Australian citizenship, the third son and sixth child of former Heinz Chairman & CEO and Irish media magnate Tony O'Reilly and Au ...

— Irish businessman *

Michael Smurfit Sir Michael Smurfit, KBE (born 7 August 1936), is an English-born Irish businessman. In the "2010 Irish Independent Rich List" he was listed as 25th with a €368 million personal fortune. Early life Smurfit was born in St Helens, En ...

— businessman, former CEO of Jefferson Smurfit Group

Sports

Tadhg Beirne Tadhg Gerard Beirne (; born 8 January 1992) is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a lock for United Rugby Championship club Munster, where he is the club captain, and the Ireland national team. Club career Leinster Beirne graduated thro ...

— Irish rugby union international, British & Irish Lion #838, Munster rugby player * Brian Carney — Irish rugby league player * Will Connors — Irish rugby union international, Leinster Rugby player and former Ireland sevens player *

Thomas Crean Major Dr. Thomas Joseph Crean (19 April 1873 – 25 March 1923) was an Irish rugby union player, British Army soldier and doctor. During the Second Boer War, while serving with the Imperial Light Horse, he was awarded the Victoria Cross. In 19 ...

— Irish rugby union player, British & Irish Lion #53, British Army soldier and doctor, Awarded the V.C. *

Gordon D'Arcy Gordon William D'Arcy (born 10 February 1980, in Ferns, County Wexford) is a retired Irish rugby player who was selected for two British & Irish Lions tours. He played most of his career at inside centre for Irish provincial side Leinster. He ...

— Irish rugby union international, British & Irish Lion #720, Leinster rugby player *

Ted Durcan Thomas Edward Durcan (born 25 February 1973) is a retired, two-time British Classic-winning Irish jockey. He was champion jockey in the United Arab Emirates on seven occasions and rode over 1,000 winners in Great Britain in career lasting from ...

— Champion Flat Jockey, winner of multiple global classic races *

Paddy Hopkirk Patrick Barron Hopkirk (14 April 1933 – 21 July 2022) was a rally driver from Northern Ireland, he was considered to be one of the finest rally drivers that Ireland ever produced. Following his retirement from competing he became well known ...

— international rally driver, winner of Monte Carlo Rally * David Kearney — Irish rugby union international, Leinster rugby player *

Rob Kearney Robert Kearney (born 26 March 1986) is an Irish former rugby union player. He spent 15 years playing for Leinster, before having a six-month stint in Australia where he played for Perth based side Western Force. Kearney also played over a deca ...

— Irish rugby union international, British & Irish Lion #766, Leinster rugby player * James Magee — Irish cricketer and rugby union player, British & Irish Lion #56 * Fergus McFadden — Irish rugby union international, Leinster rugby player * Max McFarland — Scotland rugby sevens international * Noel Purcell — Irish rugby union player, Irish & GB water polo Olympian, the first man to have represented two countries at the Olympics * Patrick Quinlan — Australian cricketer and lawyer * Arthur Robinson — Irish first-class cricketer * Dan Sheehan — Irish rugby union international, Leinster rugby player

Partner schools

Aloisiuskolleg The Aloisiuskolleg is a co-educational, Jesuit (Catholic church, Catholic), University-preparatory school in Bonn-Bad Godesberg, Germany, which includes boarding school, boarders. It is named for Saint Aloysius Gonzaga. Highly ranked academically ...

, Jesuit boarding school in

Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...

Bad Godesberg Bad Godesberg () is a borough () of Bonn, southern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. From 1949 to 1999, while Bonn was the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany, most foreign embassies were in Bad Godesberg. Some buildings are still used as br ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

* Collegium Augustinianum Gaesdonck, boarding school in

Goch Goch (; archaic spelling: Gog) is a town in the Kleve (district), Kleve district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, close to the border with the Netherlands, south of Kleve and southeast of Nijmegen. History Goch is at least 750 years old: th ...

Enniskillen Royal Grammar School Enniskillen Royal Grammar School, located in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, is an academically selective, co-educational, non-denominational voluntary grammar school. The school opened its doors on 1 September 2016. Two forme ...

, voluntary grammar school in

Enniskillen Enniskillen ( , from , ' Ceithlenn's island') is the largest town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the middle of the county, between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 14,086 at the 2011 censu ...

, County Fermanagh *

Kolleg St. Blasien The Kolleg St. Blasien is a state-recognised private Gymnasium (university preparatory school) and Catholic school with boarding facilities for boys and girls. It is situated in the town of St. Blasien in the German Black Forest. The school has 8 ...

, Jesuit boarding school in

St. Blasien St. Blasien (; sometimes spelled in full as Sankt Blasien) is a small town located in the Waldshut district in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated in the Southern Black Forest, 17 km northeast of Waldshut-Tiengen. St. Blaise's Ab ...

Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview Saint Ignatius' College Riverview is an Australian independent single-sex primary and secondary Day school, day and Boarding school, boarding school for boys located in Riverview, New South Wales, Riverview, a small suburb on the Lane Cove Rive ...

, Jesuit boarding school in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, Australia * Passy-Buzenval, Catholic private school,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill St Joseph's College (abbreviated as SJC and commonly called ''Joeys'') is an independent Catholic secondary day and boarding school for boys, conducted in the Marist Brothers tradition, located in Hunters Hill, a suburb on the Lower North Sh ...

, Marist Brothers boarding school in

, Australia *

St Aloysius' College (Sydney) St Aloysius' College is an Education in Australia#Independent schools, independent Catholic school, Catholic Primary school, primary and Secondary school, secondary day school for boys, located in Kirribilli, a suburb on the North Shore (Sydney) ...

, Jesuit Day School in

, Australia

References

External links

Clongowes Wood College websiteClongowes Youth Club
{{Authority control 1814 establishments in Ireland Educational institutions established in 1814 Secondary schools in County Kildare Boys' schools in the Republic of Ireland Private schools in the Republic of Ireland Jesuit secondary schools in Ireland Catholic boarding schools in Ireland Clane