The O’Connell School is a secondary and primary school for boys located on North Richmond Street in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

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 ...

. The school, named in honour of the leader of Catholic Emancipation,

Daniel O’Connell Daniel(I) O’Connell (; 6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847), hailed in his time as The Liberator, was the acknowledged political leader of Ireland's Roman Catholic majority in the first half of the 19th century. His mobilisation of Catholic Irelan ...

, has the distinction of being the oldest surviving Christian Brothers school in Dublin, having been first established in 1829. It is now under the trusteeship of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust. The school offers the

Junior Certificate The Junior Cycle () is the first stage of the education programme for post-primary education within the Republic of Ireland. It is overseen by the Department of Education (Ireland), Department of Education and the National Council for Curriculu ...

and

Leaving Certificate A secondary school leaving qualification is a document signifying that the holder has fulfilled any secondary education requirements of their locality, often including the passage of a final qualification examination. For each leaving certificate ...

programmes.

Notable staff and past pupils

A number of significant figures in Irish public life attended O'Connell's School.

Arts, journalism and entertainment

Philip Chevron Philip Ryan (17 June 1957 – 8 October 2013), professionally known as Philip Chevron, was an Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist and record producer. He was best known as the lead guitarist for the celtic punk band the Pogues and as the fro ...

- musician, songwriter and member of the Pogues * Paul Harrington - singer songwriter, Eurovision winner 1994 *

Michael Holohan Michael Holohan (born 27 March 1956) is an Irish composer. Biography Michael Holohan was born in Drumcondra, Dublin. He was educated at O'Connell School, University College Dublin (BA, 1978) and Queen's University in Belfast. He studied compo ...

– composer, member and former chair of Aosdána. *

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 ...

– writer who briefly attended the school; the school is mentioned in ''

Dubliners ''Dubliners'' is a collection of fifteen short stories by James Joyce, first published in 1914. It presents a naturalistic depiction of Irish middle class life in and around Dublin in the early years of the 20th century. The stories were writ ...

'' in the story "Araby" *

Pat Kenny Patrick Kenny (born 29 January 1948) is an Irish broadcaster, who currently hosts the daily radio show ''The Pat Kenny Show'' on Newstalk and the current affairs show ''Pat Kenny Tonight'' on Virgin Media One. Prior to this, Kenny had a 41-ye ...

– radio and television presenter *

Barry Keoghan Barry Keoghan ( ; born 18 October 1992) is an Irish actor. His accolades include a BAFTA Award, along with nominations for an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. In 2020, he was listed at number 27 on ''The Irish Times'' list of Ireland ...

– film and television actor *

Thomas Kinsella Thomas Kinsella (4 May 1928 – 22 December 2021) was an Irish poet, translator, editor, and publisher. Born outside Dublin, Kinsella attended University College Dublin before entering the civil service. He began publishing poetry in the early ...

– poet and playwright *

Declan Masterson Declan Masterson is an Irish uilleann piper, traditional musician, composer and arranger. In addition to pursuing a solo career and playing with Moving Hearts and Patrick Street, Masterson was one of the ''Riverdance'' musicians. He has perf ...

– multi-instrumentalist, composer, former Musical Director at Riverdance *

Colm Meaney Colm J. Meaney (; ; born 30 May 1953) is an Irish actor. Known for his performances across screen and stage, he has received seven nominations from the Irish Film & Television Academy, winning twice for 2001's '' How Harry Became a Tree'', and ...

– film and television actor *

Michael O'Hehir Michael James Hehir (also known as Michael O'Hehir and ; 2 June 1920 – 24 November 1996) was an Irish hurling Hurling (, ') is an outdoor Team sport, team game of ancient Gaelic culture, Gaelic Irish origin, played by men and ...

– radio broadcaster and sports commentator * Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh – sports commentator who briefly taught at the O'Connell School *

Luke Kelly Luke Kelly (17 November 1940 – 30 January 1984) was an Irish singer, folk musician and actor from Dublin, Ireland. Born into a working-class household in Dublin city, Kelly moved to England in his late teens and by his early 20s had become ...

– lead singer of folk group

The Dubliners The Dubliners () were an Folk music of Ireland, Irish folk band founded in Dublin in 1962 as The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group, named after its founding member; they subsequently renamed themselves The Dubliners. The line-up saw many changes in pers ...

Brendan Cauldwell Brendan Cauldwell (25 October 1922 – 12 January 2006) was an Irish radio, film and television actor. Early life and education Cauldwell was born in Fairview, Dublin. He was educated at O'Connell's Irish Christian Brothers School and went on ...

- actor

Business and philanthropy

Bill Cullen William Lawrence Cullen (February 18, 1920 – July 7, 1990) was an American radio and television personality whose career spanned five decades. Known for appearing on game shows and later as a prolific game show host, he hosted 23 shows, ear ...

– Irish businessman, philanthropist and star of The Apprentice

Science, medicine, technology, engineering and mathematics

* Peter V. Delaney – Irish colorectal surgeon * John Hooper – first Director of the Statistics Branch of the Department of Industry and Commerce in Ireland *

William Mulholland William Mulholland (September 11, 1855 – July 22, 1935) was an Irish American self-taught civil engineer who was responsible for building the infrastructure to provide a water supply that allowed Los Angeles to grow into the largest city in Cal ...

– Irish-American dam civil engineer * Joseph Ó Ruanaidh – scientist

Politics

* Maurice Ahern – Politician and

Lord Mayor of Dublin The Lord Mayor of Dublin () is the honorary title of the chairperson ( ) of Dublin City Council which is the local government body for the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The incumbent, since December 2024, is Fine Gael councillor Emma ...

2000–2001 *

Brendan Bracken Brendan Rendall Bracken, 1st Viscount Bracken (15 February 1901 – 8 August 1958), was an Irish-born businessman, politician and a Minister of Information and First Lord of the Admiralty in Winston Churchill's War Cabinet. He is best remembe ...

– British Minister of Information during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

* Ray Burke –

Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil ( ; ; meaning "Soldiers of Destiny" or "Warriors of Fál"), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (), is a centre to centre-right political party in Ireland. Founded as a republican party in 1926 by Éamon de ...

politician *

Éamonn Ceannt Éamonn Ceannt (21 September 1881 – 8 May 1916), born Edward Thomas Kent, was an Irish republican, mostly known for his role in the Easter Rising of 1916. Background Ceannt was born in the little village of Ballymoe, overlooking the River Su ...

– Irish Nationalist; one of the 1916 Easter Rising signatories *

John A. Costello John Aloysius Costello (20 June 1891 – 5 January 1976) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach from 1948 to 1951 and from 1954 to 1957. He was leader of the opposition from 1951 to 1954 and from 1957 to 1959 and attorney gene ...

–

Taoiseach The Taoiseach (, ) is the head of government or prime minister of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the President of Ireland upon nomination by Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...

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

– Nationalist MP and Irish Volunteer who died in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Seán Lemass Seán Francis Lemass (born John Francis Lemass; 15 July 1899 – 11 May 1971) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach and Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1959 to 1966. He also served as Tánaiste from 1957 to 1959, 1951 to 1954 ...

– Taoiseach * P. J. Mara – Fianna Fáil public affairs consultant *

Seán T. O'Kelly Seán Thomas O'Kelly (; 25 June 1882 – 23 November 1966), originally John T. O'Kelly, was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as the second president of Ireland from June 1945 to June 1959. He also served as deputy prime minister of Ir ...

– second President of Ireland *

Ernie O'Malley Ernest Bernard Malley (; 26 May 1897 – 25 March 1957) was an Irish republican and writer. After a sheltered upbringing, as a young medical student he witnessed and participated in the Easter Rising of 1916, an event that changed his outlook ...

-Irish revolutionary and author * John Stafford – TD and former Lord Mayor of Dublin * Nial Ring – Politician and Lord Mayor of Dublin 2018–2019 * Lorcan Sherlock – Politician and Lord Mayor of Dublin 1912–1915

Religion

* Abraham Brownrigg - Bishop of Ossory (1884–1928) * James Kavanagh –

University College Dublin University College Dublin (), commonly referred to as UCD, is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 38,417 students, it is Ireland's largest ...

professor and bishop in the Dublin Diocese

Sports

Tom Farquharson Thomas Gerard Farquharson (4 December 1899 – 24 December 1970) was an Irish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Born in Dublin, he played youth football for local sides. In his teens, he became a member of the Irish Republica ...

- goalkeeper for Cardiff and Ireland, dubbed ''the penalty king'' * Bertie Kerr –

football international and bloodstock agent * Paddy Neville – cricketer * Troy Parrott – professional footballer * Ronnie Delaney – Olympic Gold Medallist * Stephen Elliott - Professional footballer *

Niall Brophy Niall Henry Brophy (19 September 1935 – 10 March 2023) was an Irish rugby union player. He represented University College Dublin R.F.C., Blackrock College R.F.C., London Irish, London Irish R.F.C., Barbarian F.C., Leinster Rugby, Leinster, Ir ...

- athlete and rugby player * Keith Treacy - Professional footballer

Veterans

Paddy Finucane Wing Commander Brendan Eamonn Fergus Finucane, ( ; 16 October 1920 – 15 July 1942), known as Paddy Finucane among his colleagues, was an Irish Second World War Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter pilot and flying ace—defined as an aviator c ...

– World War II top-scoring fighter pilot ace in the RAF * Frank Flood – IRA officer executed in 1921 during the War of Independence; one of The Forgotten Ten * Seán Heuston – a leading member of the 1916 Easter Rising

References

External links

* {{Edmund Rice Schools in Ireland Congregation of Christian Brothers secondary schools in the Republic of Ireland Boys' schools in the Republic of Ireland Educational institutions established in 1829 Secondary schools in Dublin (city) 1829 establishments in Ireland