Dominican College Sion Hill is one of the oldest girls' secondary schools in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, founded in 1836 in

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County Dublin "Action to match our speech" , image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Dublin.svg , map_alt = map showing County Dublin as a small area of darker green on the east coast within the lighter green background of ...

. Its approach to education is based on the Dominican ideal of developing the whole person. "Dominican College Sion Hill aims to help each student achieve her full potential academically, spiritually, emotionally and socially in a happy environment."
Official Website Orla Condren is the current principal. , it had 444 girls enrolled. It is a national school and has a catchment area of Blackrock- Monkstown, County Dublin, Monkstown-

Dún Laoghaire Dún Laoghaire ( , ) is a suburban coastal town in Dublin in Ireland. It is the administrative centre of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown. The town was built following the 1816 legislation that allowed the building of a major port to serve Dubli ...

Dalkey Dalkey ( ; ) is an affluent suburb of Dublin, and a seaside resort southeast of the city, and the town of Dún Laoghaire, in the county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown in the historic County Dublin, Ireland. It was founded as a Viking settlement ...

History

Foundation

Sion Hill was founded by the Dominican Sisters in 1836, in a suburban villa called Sion Hill because of rare shrubs brought by its owners from the Holy Land. In the beginning the school catered for 40 day pupils, 8 boarders and 10 nuns. By 1950 this had increased to 120 day pupils and 130 boarders. The boarding school closed in the late 1960s and the school has since catered only for day pupils.

Grounds

There used to be two grass hockey pitches attached to the school but these were sold off in 1990 for residential development, built by 1992. In 2016 a new multi-use all-weather pitch was built to support physical education.

Concert Hall

A school concert hall was established in 1928, and modernised in 2008.

Sports

Hockey

Sion Hill has a long tradition of playing hockey. They have teams participating in the Leinster Schoolgirls competitions. The teams are professionally coached and use the facilities of an all-weather hockey pitch.

Tennis

Sion Hill has teams participating in the Leinster Championships. The tennis facilities comprise 1 tennis court and during summer the hockey pitch can be adapted to provide several more.

Basketball

Sion Hill has teams participating in the Dublin League. The teams are professionally coached and use 1 indoor court.

Other sports

There are other sports provided for at Sion Hill, such as athletics and

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Extracurricular

Music

The music department offers music at Junior and Leaving Certificate level, with opportunities to pursue the music technology option, and conducting, for the Leaving Certificate. There are three voluntary choirs and an orchestra in the school which perform at various school functions and go carol singing annually at Powerscourt Townhouse Centre in Dublin. Sion Hill also enters competitions such as the Cork Choral Festival, the Arklow Music Festival (2nd place in 2006), the Wesley Inter-Schools Festival (1st prize, March 1999) and the Department of Education examinations (making the regional finals in 1995 and 1996).

Debating

Debating is a popular activity with many successes in various competitions debating in English, Irish, French and German.

Clubs

Sion Hill also has clubs such as St. Vincent Paul, Alive and an Art Club.

Notable alumni and teachers

Niamh Bhreathnach Niamh Síle Bhreathnach (; born 1 June 1945) is a former Irish Labour Party politician who served as Minister for Education from 1993 to 1994 and 1994 to 1997. She served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dún Laoghaire constituency from 1992 to ...

, former Minister for Education and Science, Labour Party TD * Clare Cryan, artist * Frances Fitzgerald, Fine Gael MEP and former

Tánaiste The Tánaiste ( , ) is the deputy head of the government of Ireland and thus holder of its second-most senior office. The Tánaiste is appointed by the President of Ireland on the advice of the Taoiseach. The current office holder is former Tao ...

, Minister for Justice and Equality and TD *

Mary Hanafin Mary Hanafin (born 1 June 1959) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport from 2010 to 2011, Deputy Leader of Fianna Fáil from January 2011 to March 2011, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Inn ...

, former Minister for Education and Science, Fianna Fáil TD *

Róisín Ingle Róisín Ingle (born 7 October 1971) is an Irish writer – a journalist, columnist and editor – as well as a podcast presenter and producer. She grew up in Sandymount, Dublin and, except for a brief stint in the UK, has lived and worked ...

, columnist and features editor at

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* Sr.

Mary Stanislaus MacCarthy Sister Mary Stanislaus MacCarthy (1849–1897) was an Irish poet, educator and nun. MacCarthy was a daughter of poet Denis Florence MacCarthy, who wrote as "Desmond of The Nation" and Elizabeth MacCarthy (née Donnelly). Biography Mary MacCar ...

(1849–1897), poet, educator and nun * Sr. Dr.

Margaret Mac Curtain Margaret Mac Curtain (1929–2020) was a Dominican sister, Irish historian, writer, and educator. Career Mac Curtain was a native of County Cork, Ireland. She was the daughter of Sean and Ann Mac Curtáin. She received her Bachelor of Arts de ...

, prioress and principal of Sion Hill *

Frances Moran Frances Elizabeth Moran, (6 December 1893 – 7 October 1977) was an Irish barrister and legal scholar. She was Reid Professor of Criminal Law from 1925 to 1930, and Regius Professor of Laws from 1944 to 1963 at Trinity College, Dublin (TCD). S ...

, barrister and legal scholar *

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (''née'' Moynihan; born 31 March 1953) is a former Irish Labour Party politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Kerry South constituency from 1992 to 2007. She was born in Cork in 1953, but is a native of K ...

, politician * Sinéad O'Connor, singer Blackrock

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dominican College Sion Hill Blackrock, Dublin Secondary schools in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown Dominican schools in the Republic of Ireland Catholic secondary schools in the Republic of Ireland 1836 establishments in Ireland Educational institutions established in 1836 Schools in County Dublin