St. Munchin's College is a second-level education college located in Corbally,

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

, Ireland. The school was founded in 1796. It is a Diocesan CollegeDiocese of Limerick > Education > Post Primary or minor seminary.

College Crest

The college crest is shield-shaped in blue and red – the college colours. Depicted on it are: a book to show that its function was to be educational, a torch to represent the devil, a cross to show that it was to be Christian and a bishop's

mitre The mitre (Commonwealth English) (; Greek: μίτρα, "headband" or "turban") or miter (American English; see spelling differences), is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of bishops and certain abbots in ...

and

crozier A crosier or crozier (also known as a paterissa, pastoral staff, or bishop's staff) is a stylized staff that is a symbol of the governing office of a bishop or abbot and is carried by high-ranking prelates of Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholi ...

to show that it was to be

diocesan In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

. The motto chosen was "Veritas in Caritate" adapted from Bishop Anthony Wood's own episcopal motto. The text is taken from St Paul's Letter to the Ephesians: "If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ." (Eph 4:15)

History

"Limerick Diocesan College, under the Patronage of St. Munchin, was first founded by Most Rev. John Young, Bishop of Limerick, in 1796. After many changes, it is established on the site in Corbally by Most Rev. Henry Murphy, Bishop of Limerick, who placed the foundation stone on 28th April, 1960" Thus reads, in English translation, the inscription to be seen on the foundation stone of St. Munchin's College, Corbally,

. It is an institution of learning with a long and noble history, stretching back over two hundred years. In this time, St. Munchin's College has indeed seen many changes, both of organisation and location. The Diocese of Limerick was formally established at the Synod of Ráth Breasail in the year 1111. The boundaries of the diocese as arranged at that time have remained practically unchanged to the present day. The diocese includes most of County Limerick, and two parishes in Co. Clare. The patron saint of the diocese is St Munchin; tradition holds that St. Munchin was the first bishop of Limerick and he founded a cathedral which remained the principal church of the diocese until Donal O'Brien, King of Limerick, built St. Mary's Cathedral in the 12th century. For many centuries Irish Theological Schools had been suppressed and the students for the priesthood had to be educated outside Ireland. Many famous Colleges for the education of priests were established on the continent-

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

, Salamanca,

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

and

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

to name just a few However, by the end of the 18th century, circumstances had changed. Firstly, the effects of the French Revolution had closed many of the seminaries abroad and secondly, the attitude of the government to the education of the Catholic clergy had changed. A bill to provide for the education of the Catholic clergy received the

Royal assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in other ...

on 5 June 1795. The

Duke of Leinster Duke of Leinster (; ) is a title in the Peerage of Ireland and the premier dukedom in that peerage. The subsidiary titles of the Duke of Leinster are: Marquess of Kildare (1761), Earl of Kildare (1316), Earl of Offaly (1761), Viscount Leinster, ...

offered a site at Maynooth, his offer was accepted and, on 1 October 1795 St. Patrick's College at Maynooth was formally opened. At this time, in most Irish dioceses, preparatory seminaries were established, among them St. Munchin's College, Limerick. The driving force behind the establishment of the new college was Bishop John Young. On 29 September 1796, St. Munchin's College was opened at Palmerstown in Limerick City. The curriculum was made up of

Logic Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the science of deductively valid inferences or of logical truths. It is a formal science investigating how conclusions follow from premises ...

and

Divinity Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine

. It was a major seminary for those pursuing studies for the priesthood. It was some years before St. Munchin's took on the form of a Diocesan College, that is, an educational institution in which both laymen and future priests pursue their secondary studies together. The first of many changes in location was not long coming and, within six months, by March 1797, the college moved from Palmerstown to Newgate Lane where it would remain for only three years. The next site was at Peter's Cell and, by 1809, it was on the move again, this time to Park House in Corbally. In 1825 the college at Park House closed but, its last President, opened an academy in Mallow Street. The academy was opened to lay students as well as students for the priesthood. A fully fledged St. Munchin's College was opened again in 1853, under the patronage of Bishop John Ryan. The college, known as 'St. Munchin's Diocesan Seminary' was located at No. 1 Hartstonge Street, and the college authorities were very proud of the facilities that were available: "The seminary itself is situated in the most elevated and healthy part of the city, and no expense has been spared to fit it up in the best possible manner, for the reception of day pupils and boarders". A wide range of subjects was on offer, including Music, Drawing, Painting, and Dancing. A major change in the running of St. Munchin's took place when Bishop Ryan decided to remove the diocesan clergy from the college. This, it would seem, was because "the priests of St. Munchin's had paid too much local attention to a local election". (Thomas Begley, Diocesan Historian) Bishop Ryan approached the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

with a request to take over the administration of the college. After formal negotiations were successfully concluded between the Bishop and the Society of Jesus, both in Ireland and in Rome, St Munchin's College became a

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

-run school on 10 March 1859. This wasn't the first venture into education by the Jesuits in Limerick. In fact, their first school in Ireland was set up in St. Mary's Parish in 1565. By 1862 the Diocesan College moved to Crescent House where the curriculum included classical and modern languages, mathematics, physics, history, geography, and elocution. The school also had a 'Mercantile Department' in which 'an extensive and accurate knowledge is imparted of arithmetic, book-keeping, abstracts and other requirements of the actuary's office'. Young men were prepared there for 'the university and the ecclesiastical colleges, the learned professions, the public service, civil and military'. In 1867 Bishop George Butler decided to re-establish his own seminary at Hartstonge Street and the Jesuits maintained their own school at the Crescent which was renamed the Crescent College. The two schools quickly developed a rivalry on the rugby field which survives to this day. In the 1870s the Jesuits were again asked to administer St. Munchins, which this time moved to

Mungret Mungret () is a village and civil parish in County Limerick, Ireland. It is located close to Limerick City on the N69 national secondary road. As of the 2016 census, the village had a population of 277 people. The local church, which is dedica ...

. This arrangement, however, was not to last and the college was again transferred to the clergy of the Diocese and moved to the former town house of Lord Limerick at Henry Street where it remained until a new school was built in the 1960s at Corbally.

Torch Magazine

Every year, transition year students in the school produce the end of year magazine called ''The Torch''. The magazine began in 1977 and has been produced every year since. ''The Torch'' features profiles of all the 6th year students (which are written by their classmates), articles about everything that goes on in the school during the year, interviews with new teachers and students who deserve special recognition (such as captains of rugby teams) and photos from the school year. ''The Torch'' is regarded by many as one of the best student magazines in the Limerick area.

Sport

The school won the

Munster Schools Junior Cup The Munster Schools Junior Cup or Munster Junior Cup is the under-age rugby union competition for schools affiliated to the Munster Branch of the IRFU with team members under 16 years of age. The competition has been traditionally dominated by ...

in 2018. Winning its first title in the

Munster Schools Senior Cup The Munster Schools Senior Cup or Munster Senior Cup is the under-age rugby union competition for schools affiliated to the Munster Branch of the IRFU. The inaugural Munster Schools Senior Cup took place in 1909 and, since then, Cork city's two ...

in 1968, it has since won the cup four times. It also has 6 titles at Junior Cup level. A number of former pupils have gone on to play at international level, including Bill O'Connell,

Bill Mulcahy William Albert Mulcahy (born 7 January 1935 in Rathkeale, County Limerick, Ireland) is a retired Irish rugby union player. He represented UL Bohemians R.F.C. University College Dublin R.F.C., Bective Rangers, Skerries RFC, Leinster, Ireland and ...

, Larry Moloney,

Colm Tucker Colm Tucker (22 September 1952 – 11 January 2012) was an international rugby union player. He toured South Africa in 1980 with the British Lions during a period when at club level he was representing Shannon RFC Shannon Rugby Football ...

(also a Lion), John Fitzgerald, Paul Hogan, Phil Danaher (also Irish captain),

Anthony Foley Anthony Gerard Foley (30 October 1973 – 16 October 2016) was an Irish rugby union player and head coach of Munster. He was attached to the same squad during his professional playing career. He was a member of the Munster team that won the 200 ...

(also Irish captain), Keith Wood (also a Lion and Irish captain),

Jerry Flannery Jeremiah Paul Flannery (born 17 October 1978) is a former Irish rugby union player and current coach. During his playing career, Flannery, a hooker, played for Munster and Ireland, before being forced to retire in March 2012 due to injury prob ...

(also a Lion), Barry Murphy,

Jeremy Staunton Jeremy Staunton (born 7 May 1980) is an Irish rugby union fly-half and Fullback, having retired in 2012 while playing for English club Leicester Tigers in the top level of English rugby, the English Premiership. He has also played at every leve ...

Marcus Horan Marcus Horan (born 7 September 1977) is a retired Irish rugby union player who played prop for Munster and Ireland. Early life Horan was educated at Scoil Seanain Naofa (Clonlara National School), St. Munchin's College and Limerick Institute of ...

, Denis Hurley and Damien Varley and current Irish internationals

Keith Earls Keith Gerard Earls (born 2 October 1987) is an Irish rugby union player for Munster in the United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup. Internationally, Earls plays for Ireland and represented the British & Irish Lions on their ...

(also a Lion), Donnacha Ryan and Conor Murray (also a Lion).

Alumni

* George Clancy (1977-), international rugby referee *

Niall Collins Niall Collins (born 30 March 1973) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister of State for Skills and Further Education since July 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Limerick County constituency since 2016, and ...

TD (1973-),

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- ...

member of

Dáil Éireann Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) is the lower house, and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland read ...

for

Limerick County "Remember Limerick" , image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Limerick.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Munster , subdivision_ ...

since 2007 *

Edmond Cotter Col. Edmond William Cotter (12 February 1852 – 23 August 1934) was an Irish Republican, who played for the Royal Engineers in the 1872 FA Cup Final. As a soldier, he was engaged in four military campaigns: the Ashanti campaign of 1873–74, the ...

(1852-1934),

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...

finalist with

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

officer,

Irish Volunteer The Irish Volunteers ( ga, Óglaigh na hÉireann), sometimes called the Irish Volunteer Force or Irish Volunteer Army, was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists and republicans. It was ostensibly formed in respons ...

Neil Cronin Neil Cronin (born 6 December 1992) is an Irish rugby union player for Munster in the United Rugby Championship. He plays as a scrum-half and represents Garryowen in the All-Ireland League. Garryowen During the 2017–18 season, Cronin capta ...

(1992-), former full time teacher at At Munchin's College, currently playing for

Munster Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...

in the Pro14 and has a 1-year contract with Munster (2018-2019) * Neil Cusack (1951-), long-distance runner and Olympian, only Irishman to win the

Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was i ...

. * Philip Danaher (1965-), former Irish international and Munster rugby player *

(1987-),

, Ireland and British and Irish Lions rugby player * Denis Hurley (1984-),

and Irish international rugby player * John Fitzgerald (1961-), former Irish international and Munster rugby player *

Niall FitzGerald Niall FitzGerald (born 13 September 1945), is an Irish businessman. Early life and education FitzGerald was born 13 September 1945 in County Sligo. FitzGerald grew up in Limerick, Ireland, and was educated at St Munchin's College in Limerick. He ...

KBE (1945-), former chairman and CEO of

Unilever Unilever plc is a British multinational consumer goods company with headquarters in London, England. Unilever products include food, condiments, bottled water, baby food, soft drink, ice cream, instant coffee, cleaning agents, energy drink, t ...

plc until his appointment as Chairman of

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was estab ...

in 2004 *

(1978-), former

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 ...

and

rugby player * John Fleming (1948-), appointed Catholic Bishop of Killala Diocese, Co. Mayo, Ireland in 2002 *

(1973-2016),

and

player *

Colm Galvin Colm Galvin (born 2 February 1993) is an Irish hurler who previously played as a midfielder for the Clare senior team. Galvin joined the team during the 2012 championship and immediately became a regular member of the starting fifteen. A Mun ...

(1993-),

Clare Clare may refer to: Places Antarctica * Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land Australia * Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley * Clare Valley, South Australia Canada * Clare (electoral district), an electoral district * Cl ...

hurler and legend * Dan Goggin (1994-),

rugby player *

John Gormley John Gormley (born 4 August 1959) is an Irish former Green Party politician who served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from June 2007 to January 2011, Leader of the Green Party from June 2007 to May 2011 and Lor ...

(1959-), leader of the

Green Party (Ireland) The Green Party ( ga, Comhaontas Glas, , Green Alliance) is a green political party that operates in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. As other like-minded Green parties, it has eco-socialist/green left and more moderate factions. ...

was appointed Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in the Irish Government of 2007 * Fr.

Edward Joseph Hannan Canon Edward Joseph Hannan (Irish: ''Éamonn Seosamh Ó hAnnáin'') (1836–1891) was an Irish-born priest, mainly remembered as the founder of Hibernian Football Club in Edinburgh. Life He was born in Ballingarry, County Limerick on 21 June 1 ...

, founder of

Hibernian F.C. Hibernian Football Club (), commonly known as Hibs, is a professional football club based in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland. The club plays in the Scottish Premiership, the top tier of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL). ...

(1977-),

and

rugby player * Richard Hourigan (1939-2002), former

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 � ...

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Stephen Keogh Stephen Keogh (born 10 May 1982) is a former Irish rugby union player. Early life Keogh was born in Limerick, Ireland, and grew up in Dromkeen, County Limerick. He attended St. Munchin's College before playing in the second-row for Ireland ...

(1982-), former

and

Leinster Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ir ...

rugby player *

Fergal Lawler The Cranberries were an Irish rock band formed in Limerick, Ireland. Originally named the Cranberry Saw Us, the band were formed in 1989 by lead singer Niall Quinn, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler. Quinn was ...

(1971-), drummer with The Cranberries * Fr. Tim Leonard (1893-1929), Columban Father violently killed by Communists in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

in 1929. *

David McHugh David McHugh is a former Irish rugby union referee. McHugh refereed matches at the 1995, 1999 and 2003 Rugby World Cups. In 1996 McHugh refereed the inaugural Heineken Cup final. He would also referee the 2001 final, making him the first ref ...

(1955-), international rugby referee *

(1935-), former

and British and Irish Lions rugby player * Barry Murphy (1982-), former

and Irish international rugby player, member of Irish acoustic folk rock band

Hermitage Green Hermitage Green is a Hamlet (place)#United Kingdom, hamlet near the village of Winwick, Cheshire, Winwick in Cheshire, England. It is also the location of St Oswald's Church, Winwick#St Oswald's Well, St Oswald's Well (). During 2006 the series ...

* Conor Murray (1989-), rugby player,

and British and Irish Lions *

Jeremiah Newman Jeremiah Newman (1926–1995) was Bishop of Limerick 1974–1995 having served as Professor and President of St Patrick's College, Maynooth. Early life and education He was born in Dromcollogher on 31 March 1926 and after a local primary educati ...

(1926-1995), Bishop of Limerick, President of St Patrick's College, Maynooth * Tim O'Connor (1951-), Irish Public Servant and Diplomat. Tim was part of the Irish Government Negotiating Team for the Good Friday Agreement * Kieran O'Donnell (1963-), member of Seanad Éireann,

member of

for

Limerick City Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 c ...

2011-2016 * Donal O'Grady (1980-),

hurler and captain * Bishop Patrick O'Neill, former bishop of limerick *

Niall O'Shaughnessy Niall O'Shaughnessy (November 23, 1955 – September 16, 2015 Alpharetta, Georgia) was an Irish track and field athlete, specializing in middle distances. Career He represented Ireland in the 800 metres and 1500 metres at the 1976 Olympics ...

(1955-2015), Olympic middle-distance runner *

Frank O'Mara Frank O’Mara (born 1960 in Limerick) is a former Irish runner. A three-time Olympian, he was twice World Indoor Champion in the 3000m. O’Mara has post-graduate degrees from the University of Arkansas and had a successful career in the wirele ...

(1960-), Olympic middle-distance runner *

Sean O Riada Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish 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; angliciz ...

(1931-1971), composer * Éamonn 'Ned' Rea (1944-), All-Ireland winning

hurler * Donnacha Ryan (1983-),

and Irish international rugby player *

(1980-),

, Irish and

Aviva Premiership Premiership Rugby, officially known as Gallagher Premiership Rugby, or the Gallagher Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is an English professional rugby union competition. The Premiership has consisted of thirteen clubs since 2021, and is the ...

rugby player *

(1952-2012), former

, Irish international and Lions rugby player * Damien Varley (1983-),

rugby player *

Dick Walsh Richard (Dick) "Drug" Walsh (30 December 1877 – 28 July 1958) was an Irish hurler who played as a centre-forward at senior level for the Kilkenny county team. Born in Mooncoin, County Kilkenny, Walsh first arrived on the inter-county sce ...

(1934-2005), journalist, political, and assistant editor

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

* Keith Wood (1972-), former rugby player for

and the British and Irish Lions. Winner of IRB International Player of the Year in 2001

References

* http://www.limerickdiocese.org/post-primary.html *

Munster Schools Rugby Senior Cup The Munster Schools Senior Cup or Munster Senior Cup is the under-age rugby union competition for schools affiliated to the Munster Branch of the IRFU. The inaugural Munster Schools Senior Cup took place in 1909 and, since then, Cork city's two ...

* https://www.munsterrugby.ie/

External links

* http://www.stmunchinscollege.com/ * http://www.limerickdiocese.org/post-primary.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Munchin's College Secondary schools in County Limerick 1796 establishments in Ireland Educational institutions established in 1796