Mount Temple Comprehensive School

Mount Temple Comprehensive School is a secondary school in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland. The school operates under the patronage of the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, and has, as a primary objective, the provision of state-funded second-level education to the Protestant population of northern Dublin, while accepting pupils of all religions, and none. The school was established in 1972 following the amalgamation of Mountjoy School, Hibernian Marine School in coastal Clontarf, and Bertrand & Rutland School.

Students

Mount Temple Comprehensive School had about 450 students when it opened in 1972, which rose to over 700 students in the 1980-90s and from 2010 to 2020 had almost 900 students. There have been plans for many years for a new school to be built on site to cater for these extra students. In October 2020, the planning inspector recommended planning permission be granted, despite some local objections, clearing the way to build a three-storey school that can accommodate one thousand students.

Popular culture

Mount Temple was the school where the rock band U2 was formed. In September 1976, 14-year-old drummer Larry Mullen Jr. posted a notice on the school's noticeboard, looking for fellow musicians. All four members of U2 are former pupils of the school.

Christopher Nolan's autobiographical novel ''Under the Eye of the Clock'', which won the Whitbread Award, is based around his time in Mount Temple. The school now awards "Eye of the Clock Awards" for contributions to school life and academic achievement.

Summer activities

During the summer months the whole school facility is used by the Centre of English Studies (CES), catering for hundreds of international students who come to Dublin to learn English.

History

Three schools

Hibernian Marine School was a charity school founded in 1766, originally to provide for the orphans and children of seamen. The school was originally located in Ringsend, and moved to a new premises on Sir John Rogerson's Quay in 1773. In 1904 it moved to Seafield Road in Clontarf, where the Seacourt estate now stands.

Mountjoy School was a boarding school in Mountjoy Square (in the same building was the ''Incorporated Society for Promoting Protestant Schools''), founded in 1896. It later moved to the current location in Clontarf in 1948.

Bertrand & Rutland School was in Eccles Street on the northside of Dublin. It was a Church of Ireland School, which was itself formed formed by a 1947 merger of Rutland School and Bertrand High school, the latter of which was in turn formed by the amalgamation of Bethesda Female Orphan School and Bertrand Female Orphan School in 1943. The ''Bertrand and Rutland Fund'' still funds scholarships to Protestant schools in Ireland.

Amalgamations

Hibernian Marine School amalgamated with Mountjoy School in 1968 and became Mountjoy & Marine School. The school later amalgamated with Bertrand & Rutland and took the name of Mount Temple Comprehensive School in 1972.

Site

Mount Temple was once a residence for the agent of the Earl of Charlemont. The present house was built by the magistrate J. C. Stronge in 1860, and was a family home to Elizabeth Bowen. For a period, the estate was owned by Thomas Picton-Bradshaw and known as ''Bradshaws''. Mountjoy School then took possession in 1949 prior to the merger that formed Mount Temple Comprehensive.

Notable alumni

* Shaun Aisbitt, Ireland's tallest man
* Steve Averill, musician, designer working closely with U2
* Amanda Brunker, former Miss Ireland
* Linda Brunker, sculptor
* Diane Caldwell, Irish international footballer
* Adam Clayton, musician, best known as the bassist of the Irish rock band U2
* Damien Dempsey, musician
* David Howell "The Edge" Evans, musician, best known as the guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist of the Irish rock band U2
* Dik Evans, brother of David Howell "The Edge" Evans and founder member of The Hype and Feedback, previous incarnations of the band U2
* Frank Ll. Harrison, musicologist
* Ali Hewson, activist, businesswoman and wife of U2 frontman Bono
* Paul David "Bono" Hewson, frontman of U2, and husband of activist and businesswoman, Ali Hewson.
* Robert Hilliard, Olympic boxer, Church of Ireland minister, journalist, and communist who died fighting with the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War
* Mick Kearney, player with Leinster Rugby
* Becky Lynch, professional wrestler (WWE)
* Andrew Maxwell, comedian
* Alan Maybury, Irish football international
* Neil McCormick, music journalist
* Sir David McMurtry, industrialist, co-founder of metrology company Renishaw plc, based in Wotton-under-Edge.
* Larry Mullen Jr., musician and the drummer for the rock band U2
* Christopher Nolan, author
* Mark O'Neill, television presenter
* Duncan Smith, Labour Party TD for Dublin Fingal

Notable faculty

* Elspeth Henderson, president of Irish Girl Guides
* Patrick Hughes, former Irish cricket international
* Colin McKenzie, head of Irish Kidney AssociationU2’S Former Music Teacher Lands a Top Gig as Kidney Association Chief
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* Gerard Stembridge, writer, director and actor

References

External links

Mount Temple Comprehensive School - official website

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Mount Temple Comprehensive School
Secondary schools in Dublin (city)
Anglican schools in the Republic of Ireland