St Mary's Knockbeg College ( ga, Coláiste Muire Cnoc Beag) is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

, all-boys secondary school located on the

Laois County Laois ( ; gle, Contae Laoise) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medie ...

Carlow Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2016 census, it had a combined urban and rural population of 24,272. The River Barrow flows through the town and forms the historic bounda ...

border 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 ...

, approximately 3 km from both

town and

Graiguecullen Graiguecullen GFC are a Gaelic Athletic Association club from County Laois, Ireland. The club played in Carlow for many years but in 1926 they were suspended. The club then chose to play in Laois and have been doing so ever since. The club were ...

, Co. Laois. A former seminary school for the diocese of

Kildare and Leighlin The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin (; ga, Deoise Chill Dara agus Leithghlinn) is a Roman Catholic diocese in eastern Ireland. It is one of three suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin and is subject to the A ...

, it was founded in 1793. Exclusively a boarding school until the 1980s, it now accommodates only day-pupils; the boarding school having closed down in June 2011. Knockbeg College celebrated its bicentenary in 1993. Knockbeg won the All-Ireland College's Senior Football Championship in 2005, under the guidance of former

Laois GAA The Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) ( ga, Cumann Luthchleas Gael Coiste Laois) or Laois GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Laois. The county board i ...

football captain and current teacher,

Chris Conway Chris Conway is a Gaelic football coach and player from County Laois. He plays for the Arles-Kilcruise club. He formerly played at centre forward for Laois and in 2003 was part of the Laois team that won the Leinster Senior Football Championsh ...

. In 2006, Knockbeg were the victors of the Thomas Crosbie Holdings All Ireland Quiz Championship, bringing All-Ireland success to the college twice in two years, and were crowned All-Ireland German Debating Champions in 2008.

History

St Mary's Knockbeg College is one of the oldest secondary schools in Ireland, located on the

border. It traces its origins back to 1793 when a lay school for boys was established in St.Patrick's College,

in conjunction with the seminary there. In 1847 it was decided that the young pupils in the school should come out to Knockbeg, which had been a gentry estate on the banks of the

River Barrow The Barrow ( ga, An Bhearú) is a river in Ireland. It is one of The Three Sisters; the other two being the River Suir and the River Nore. The Barrow is the longest of the three rivers, and at 192 km (120 mi), the second-longest ri ...

before being purchased by the

Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin (; ga, Deoise Chill Dara agus Leithghlinn) is a Roman Catholic diocese in eastern Ireland. It is one of three suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin and is subject to the ...

, in 1892 all lay students were moved to Knockbeg. The initial school had about 40 pupils but the numbers grew as all the lay pupils from St Patrick's transferred out. In 1898 the school became the official junior seminary for the diocese. To this day the aim of the college is to offer a holistic Catholic education. Through the years the boarding numbers in the school built up to the around 160 mark and has since increased in the 1980s when Day-Boys were taken in. At present, there are well over 350 pupils attending the school.

Sports

Knockbeg College has a long sporting tradition, and in 2005, Knockbeg claimed the Leinster Senior Football College's title after a gap over 50 years. Following this, they went on to claim the

Hogan Cup The Hogan Cup ( ga, Corn Uí Ógáin), also known as the All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Senior A Football Championship, is the top level Gaelic football championship for secondary schools (sometimes referred to as colleges) in Ireland. The com ...

for the first time in their history. Knockbeg has produced many quality footballers throughout the years, playing inter-county football for their respective counties. Knockbeg's hurling and basketball teams have also achieved moderate success over the years. Its athletics team is growing and developing to be one of the most successful athletic schools in the country in track and field and cross country. This history of sport has led many students to later play for the

Laois county football team The Laois county football team ( ) represents Laois in men's Gaelic football and is governed by Laois GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Irelan ...

. This includes past students

Donal Kingston Donal "Donie" Kingston (born 12 August 1990) is a Gaelic footballer from County Laois. He had played with Barrowhouse for a short while before being granted a transfer citing residential reasons, in which he transferred to senior club Arles� ...

, Brian McDonald,

Ross Munnelly Ross Munnelly (born 23 December 1982) is an Irish sportsperson from County Laois. He plays Gaelic football for his club Arles–Kilcruise and previously for the Laois senior team. In 2003, he was part of the Laois team that won the Leinster Se ...

and

Rory Stapleton Rory Stapleton is a Gaelic footballer from County Laois. He usually plays at left corner back for Laois and in 2003 was part of the Laois team that won the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship title for the first time since 1997. In 2006, ...

. In addition, Laois captain

Stephen Attride Stephen Attride (born 1993) is a Gaelic footballer who has played for the Killeshin club and the Laois county team, serving as captain of his county for the 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons. Attride was primarily interested in athletics from a young ...

has taught physical education and science at the school.

Notable alumni

James Fintan Lalor James Fintan Lalor (in Irish, Séamas Fionntán Ó Leathlobhair) (10 March 1809 – 27 December 1849) was an Irish revolutionary, journalist, and “one of the most powerful writers of his day.” A leading member of the Irish Confederation (You ...

, Irish revolutionary and writer, leading member of the

Young Irelanders Young Ireland ( ga, Éire Óg, ) was a political and cultural movement in the 1840s committed to an all-Ireland struggle for independence and democratic reform. Grouped around the Dublin weekly ''The Nation'', it took issue with the compromise ...

. * Lt. Col.

Myles Keogh Myles Walter Keogh (25 March 1840 – 25 June 1876) was an Irish people, Irish soldier. He served in the armies of the Papal States during the war for Italian unification in 1860, and was recruited into the Union Army during the American Civil ...

, second lieutenant of his unit in the papal army's Battalion of St. Patrick (1860–1862) who was made Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great by

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...

. He later became Captain of Company I, 7th U.S. Cavalry Regiment and was killed at the

Battle of the Little Bighorn The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and also commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Nor ...

, 1876. *

Frank O'Meara Francis Joseph O'Meara (30 March 1853 – 15 October 1888) was an Irish artist known for his Impressionist landscape painting. Life Frank O'Meara was born in Carlow 30 March 1853, to Thomas and Sarah O'Meara (née Isbourne). The youngest of ...

-born

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

artist known for his

Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

plein air ''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors. This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...

landscape painting Landscape painting, also known as landscape art, is the depiction of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, especially where the main subject is a wide view—with its elements arranged into a coherent compos ...

(1853–1888). Some of his acclaimed paintings include: ''Old Woman Burning Leaves'', ''Reverie'' and ''Old Mill at Grez''. *

Willie Redmond William Hoey Kearney Redmond (13 April 1861 – 7 June 1917) was an Irish nationalist politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP), was a lawyer and soldier Denman, Terence in: McGuire, James and Quinn, James (eds): ''Dictionary of Iris ...

Irish nationalist Irish nationalism is a nationalist political movement which, in its broadest sense, asserts that the people of Ireland should govern Ireland as a sovereign state. Since the mid-19th century, Irish nationalism has largely taken the form of cu ...

, land reform agitator and

Irish Parliamentary Party The Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP; commonly called the Irish Party or the Home Rule Party) was formed in 1874 by Isaac Butt, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish national ...

MP for 34 years who died fighting in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. * Rev. Dr. Matthew Cullen,

Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin The Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin is the ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, one of the suffragan dioceses of the Archdiocese of Dublin. The episcopal title takes its name from the towns of Kildare and Old Leighlin ...

(1927–1936). *

Kevin O'Higgins Kevin Christopher O'Higgins ( ga, Caoimhghín Críostóir Ó hUigín; 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 ...

, Irish Nationalist and Pro-Treaty TD for Laois–Offaly,

Minister for Home Affairs An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...

/Vice-President of the Executive Council in the first Dáil and founder of the

Garda Síochána (; meaning "the Guardian(s) of the Peace"), more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (; "Guardians") or "the Guards", is the national police service of Ireland. The service is headed by the Garda Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Gover ...

. Assassinated by the

Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief tha ...

in 1927. * Rev. Dr. Patrick Lennon,

(1967–1987). * Tommy Murphy, former

footballer who was named in the midfield position in the GAA

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

Team of the Millennium. * Paddy Lalor, former

Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christian- ...

TD for Laois–Offaly, Minister for Industry and Commerce and

M.E.P. The Society of Foreign Missions of Paris (french: Société des Missions Etrangères de Paris, short M.E.P.) is a Roman Catholic missionary organization. It is not a religious institute, but an organization of secular priests and lay persons ...

* Rev. Dr. Laurence Ryan,

(1987–2002). *

Liam O'Neill Liam O'Neill is a Gaelic games administrator, who served as the 37th president of the Gaelic Athletic Association. He is from County Laois. Biography A former chairman of the Leinster Council, O'Neill initially sought the GAA presidency at the ...

, former Chairman of the

Leinster Council The Leinster Council is a provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Leinster. The Leinster Council has been partnered with the European County ...

and

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

of the

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...

, 2012–2015.RTÉ report of Liam O'Neill's selection as GAA president
*

Charles Flanagan Charlie Flanagan (born 1 November 1956) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Laois–Offaly constituency since 2020, and previously from 1987 to 2002, 2007 to 2016 and from 2016 to 2020 for the Laois const ...

Fine Gael Fine Gael (, ; English: "Family (or Tribe) of the Irish") is a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil � ...

TD for

and former Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. *

Colm Begley Colm Begley (born 31 August 1986) is an Irish Gaelic footballer from County Laois. He has also played Australian rules football for the St Kilda Football Club and the Brisbane Lions of the Australian Football League (AFL). Begley played ...

, former

Australian Rules Football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

er, who played for the

Brisbane Lions The Brisbane Lions is a professional Australian rules football club based in Brisbane, Queensland, that plays in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club was formed in late 1996 via a merger of the Melbourne-based 1883 foundation VFL c ...

and

St Kilda Saints The St Kilda Football Club, nicknamed the Saints, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier league. The club's name originates fr ...

. *

Tom Daly (rugby union) Tom Daly (born 31 July 1993) is an Irish rugby union player for Connacht. At 6'4" and 106-kg (16 stone), he plays the centre position. He formerly played for Lansdowne in the All Ireland League. Club career Daly featured for Leinster at both ...

, current

Rugby Union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

player, who plays for

Leinster Rugby Leinster Rugby ( ga, Rugbaí Laighean) is one of the four professional provincial rugby union teams from the island of Ireland and the most successful Irish team domestically. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby ...

and captains the

Ireland national rugby sevens team The Ireland national rugby sevens team competes in several international rugby sevens competitions. The team is governed by the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU). Ireland competes as a "core team" on the World Rugby Sevens Series, a competiti ...

References

External links

Knockbeg College official website

Knockbeg College photographs

Knockbeg College Vimeo Channel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knockbeg College Boys' schools in the Republic of Ireland Buildings and structures in Carlow (town) Education in Carlow (town) Education in County Laois Educational institutions established in 1793 Secondary schools in County Carlow 1793 establishments in Ireland