St Columba's College is a

co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

independent day and boarding school founded in 1843 located in

Whitechurch, County Dublin Whitechurch () is a small suburban area on the south side of County Dublin, in the local government area of South Dublin, situated south of Ballyboden, east of Edmondstown and west of Marlay Park. The greater part of the area lies north of th ...

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 ...

. Among the founders of the college were Viscount Adare (who later became The 3rd

Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl (usually referred to as Earl of Dunraven) was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 5 February 1822 for Valentine Quin, 1st Viscount Mount-Earl. Quin had already been created a Baronet, of Adare ...

in 1850),

William Monsell William Monsell, 1st Baron Emly, Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, PC (21 September 1812 – 20 April 1894) was an Anglo-Irish landowner and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician. He held a number of ministerial positions between 18 ...

(who was later created The 1st Baron Emly in 1874), Dr William Sewell and

James Henthorn Todd James Henthorn Todd (23 April 1805 – 28 June 1869) was a biblical scholar, educator, and Irish historian. He is noted for his efforts to place religious disagreements on a rational historical footing, for his advocacy of a liberal form of Prot ...

. The school is affiliated with the

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...

and caters to 300+ pupils, aged 11 to 19. Alumni are organized in the Old Columban Society. Its campus consists of on the edge of Dublin and the M50 motorway. The school has grown up around a series of quadrangles, and major developments since the 1993 150th anniversary have provided it with many modern facilities. In 2004 it opened the Grange Building, housing over 100 boarders, as well as classrooms and house staff accommodation. In 2006, the 19th century Argyle buildings in the heart of the College were refurbished. The old Cadogan Building opened in January 2008 as a new music school. Academic standards are high; in 2006, the average points score by all

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 ...

candidates was 440 out of 625, and in 2007 this went up slightly to 442. In 2008 it was 424, in 2009 446, and in 2010 the highest yet at 459. Over the past five years the average has been: 442 points. Average class size is 12 pupils per teacher. The '' Sunday Independent'' newspaper has identified it as the most expensive school in Ireland.

History

The school was originally established at Stackallan House in County Meath in 1843 but moved to its current location at Whitechurch, County Dublin in 1849.

House system

St Columba's operates a

house system The house system is a traditional feature of schools in the United Kingdom. The practice has since spread to Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries. The school is divided into units called "houses" and each student is allocated to on ...

. Each pupil is placed in one of seven houses; Stackallan, Glen or Gwynn for all boys Form II to VI; Hollypark or Iona for all girls; Beresford for junior girls; Tibradden for boys under 13. The size of the house ranges from 20 to 65 pupils. A

Housemaster {{Unreferenced, date=October 2024 In education, a housemaster is a schoolmaster in charge of a boarding house, normally at a boarding school and especially at a public school. The housemaster is responsible for the supervision and care of board ...

Housemistress {{Unreferenced, date=October 2024 In education, a housemaster is a schoolmaster in charge of a boarding house, normally at a boarding school and especially at a public school. The housemaster is responsible for the supervision and care of board ...

, assisted by at least one resident House Tutor, is in charge of each house, and acts ''in loco parentis'' in every aspect of the children's welfare throughout their time at the college. Tibradden and Beresford occupy separate buildings in the centre of the college. Like the senior houses each has its own living and sleeping quarters and routine. Older boys and girls, selected by the house staff, help to provide an existence more structured and more protected than that of the rest of the school.

Terms

The school year is divided into three terms of which the first, the

Michaelmas Term Michaelmas ( ) term is the first academic term of the academic year in a number of English-speaking universities and schools in the northern hemisphere, especially in the United Kingdom. Michaelmas term derives its name from the Feast of St M ...

(September to December) is the longest. The

Hilary Term Hilary term is the second academic term of the University of OxfordTrinity Term Universities Trinity term is the third and final term of the academic year at the University of Oxford,alumni Alumni (: alumnus () or alumna ()) are former students or graduates of a school, college, or university. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for groups of women, and alums (: alum) or alumns (: alumn) as gender-neutral alternatives. Th ...

organization of the college. The first president of the society was Acting-Warden R M Gwynn supported by OCs W.F.S. Bantry White and Cecil L. Smith. It keeps members in touch with each other and the college and has also published books about the history of the college. The school magazine The''Columban'' was first published in 1879. During the First World War it denounced the

Easter Rising The Easter Rising (), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the aim of establishing an ind ...

. Many OCs were officers in the British Army, so that when one of them died the bell in college was rung in commemoration. In 1917, a Treasurer was appointed to oversee editorials and printing. Each year in May the ''Old Columban Bulletin'' is published, containing about 25 pages of news of Old Columbans and the college. Regular dinners and drinks parties are organised, in Dublin,

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

. An Old Columban Scholarship is awarded to children of Old Columbans, who are all entitled to a discount on College fees. Currently they have over 3,000 members, of whom over 50% live in the Republic of Ireland, 5% in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

, 16% in

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

, 5% in

continental Europe Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous mainland of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by som ...

and 7% in the rest of the world. Old Columbans Germany has established a website, and is organizing events for Old Columbans from Germany as well as Old Columbans living in Germany.

Notable alumni

* Robert Babington, Ulster Unionist politician and judge * Arthur W. Barton, a school benefactor * Christopher Barton, rower (won

The Boat Race The Boat Race is an annual set of rowing races between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club, traditionally rowed between open-weight eights on the River Thames in London, England. It is also known as the U ...

and an Olympic silver medal in 1948) * Marcus de la Poer Beresford, 7th Baron Decies, an Anglo-Irish hereditary peer * John S. Beckett, musician, composer and conductor * Michael Biggs, sculptor * Robert Blackburn, educationalist *Sir

Dermot Boyle Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Dermot Alexander Boyle, (2 October 1904 – 5 May 1993) was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force. He served in the Second World War initially as a staff officer with the Advanced Air Striking Force in Reims ...

, Marshal of the Royal Air Force *

Thomas Chamney Thomas Chamney (born 16 April 1984) is an Irish runner who was born in Clonmel and brought up in Dublin. He specialises in the 800 metres event. He was educated at Kilkenny College and at Saint Columba's College, Dublin. Chamney runs for the C ...

, former Olympic track and field athlete *

Adam Clayton Adam Charles Clayton (born 13 March 1960) is an English-Irish musician who is the bass guitarist of the rock music, rock band U2. Born in Oxfordshire, England, he lived in County Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland after his family moved to ...

, musician ( U2) *

Brian Faulkner Arthur Brian Deane Faulkner, Baron Faulkner of Downpatrick, (18 February 1921 – 3 March 1977), was the sixth and last Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, from March 1971 until his resignation in March 1972. He was also the Chief Executive ...

Prime Minister of Northern Ireland The prime minister of Northern Ireland was the head of the Government of Northern Ireland (1921–1972), Government of Northern Ireland between 1921 and 1972. No such office was provided for in the Government of Ireland Act 1920; however, the L ...

Jasmine Guinness Jasmine Leonora Guinness (born 28 September 1976) is an Irish designer and a fashion model active since 1994. She is a member of Anglo-Irish brewing Guinness family. Personal life She is the daughter of Patrick Guinness and Liz Casey. She was ...

, designer and fashion model *

Edward Gwynn Edward John Gwynn (1 April 1868 – 10 February 1941) was an Irish academic who served as the 36th Provost of Trinity College Dublin from 1927 to 1937. He was also President of the Royal Irish Academy from 1934 to 1937. Professor Gwynn was a sc ...

, scholar *

Stephen Gwynn Stephen Lucius Gwynn (13 February 1864 – 11 June 1950) was an Irish journalist, biographer, author, poet and Protestant Nationalist politician. As a member of the Irish Parliamentary Party he represented Galway city as its Member of Parliamen ...

, writer and author * E. Chambré Hardman, pictorialist photographer * Christopher Robin Haskins, Baron Haskins, businessman, life peer, and former member of the British Labour Party *

Joseph Hone Joseph Marlow Hone (25 February 1937 – 15 August 2016) was a British writer of the spy novel. His most famous novels featured a British spy called Peter Marlow. The first of the series was ''The Private Sector'' (1971), set in the Six-Day War. ...

, writer, professor * Rex Ingram, filmmaker *

Richard Claverhouse Jebb Sir Richard Claverhouse Jebb (27 August 1841 – 9 December 1905) was a British classical scholar and Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), MP for Cambridge. Life Jebb was born in Dundee, Scotland, to Robert, a well-known Irish barrister, an ...

, classicist *

Roy Johnston Roy Harry William Johnston (11 November 1929 – 13 December 2019) was an Irish theoretical physicist and republican political activist. He was a Marxist who as a member of the IRA in the 1960s argued for a ''National Liberation Strategy'' to ...

, Irish physicist *

William John Leech William John Leech (10 April 1881 – 16 July 1968) was an Irish painter. Biography Leech was born in Dublin the son of Anne Louisa née Garbois (1847–1921) and Professor Henry Brougham Leech LLD (1843–1921). He went to school at St Co ...

, painter * John Martley, poet *

Charles Marriott Charles Stowell "Father" Marriott (14 September 1895 – 13 October 1966) was an English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Lancashire, Cambridge University and Kent. Marriott played between 1919 and 1938 and was considered one of th ...

, International cricketer * Ian McKinley, International rugby player *Sir

Kenneth O'Connor Sir Kenneth Kennedy O'Connor KBE MC QC (21 December 1896 – 13 January 1985, aged 88) was a soldier, lawyer and judge who served in the British Colonial Service. Biography Early life O'Connor was born in Ranchi, Jharkhand, British India. He ...

, President of the

East African Court of Appeal The East African Court of Appeal (EACA) was a court which served as the appellate court for the British colonies in eastern Africa and west Asia. The court was established in 1902 as the Eastern African Court of Appeal and was the appellate court ...

* Harry Read, rugby union international and first-class cricketer * Alan Ruddock, journalist, editor of The Sunday Times Ireland, and The Scotsman * Patrick Scott, artist *

Victoria Smurfit Victoria Smurfit (born 31 March 1974) is an Irish actress. She is known for playing Orla O'Connell in the BBC television series '' Ballykissangel'', Detective Chief Inspector Roisin Connor in the ITV police procedural '' Trial & Retribution'' ...

, actress *

Holly Somerville Holly Somerville is an Irish botanical artist, illustrator and teacher. She has worked for Trinity College, Dublin, and produced the botanical illustrations for the seventh edition of David Webb's ''An Irish Flora''. Career Born Holly Nixon in ...

, botanical illustrator and artist *

William Trevor William Trevor Cox (24 May 1928 – 20 November 2016) was an Irish novelist, playwright, and short story writer. One of the elder statesmen of the Irish literary world, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest contemporary writers of sho ...

, KBE, writer * Peter Wyse Jackson, botanist *

Ivan Yates Ivan Yates (born 23 October 1959) is an Irish broadcaster, businessman and former politician. He was elected as a Fine Gael Teachta Dála (TD) for the Wexford constituency at the 1981 general election and at each election until his retirement ...

, politician, former TD *

Michael Yeats Michael Butler Yeats (22 August 1921 – 3 January 2007) was an Irish barrister and Fianna Fáil politician. He served two periods as a member of Seanad Éireann. Biography Early life His was the son of W. B. Yeats, a poet and Nobel Prize in L ...

, barrister and Fianna Fáil politician

Wardens

Robert Corbet Singleton Robert Corbet Singleton was Warden of St. Columba’s College, Dublin, subsequently First Warden of St. Peter’s College, Radley, and a noted writer and translator of hymns. He was born on 9 October 1810 in Ireland and died on 7 February 1881 in ...

(1843–47) * M.C. Morton (1848–50) * George Williams (1850–56) * John Gwynn (1856–64) * John Longden (1864–67) * Robert Rice (1867–91) * Percy Whelan (1891-1904) * William Parker (1904–08) * R.M. Gwynn (1909-09), Acting-Warden * William Blackburn (1909–19) * R.M. Gwynn, (1919-1919) Acting-Warden * C.B. Armstrong (1919–33) * C.W. Sowby (1933–49) * F.M. Argyle (1949–74) * D. Gibbs (1974 - 1988) * T. E. Macey (1988 - 2001) * Lindsay Haslett (2001-2016) * M. Boobbyer (2016–present)

References

External links

*
English department blogScience department websiteOld Columbans Germany
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Columba's College Secondary schools in County Dublin Anglican schools in the Republic of Ireland Boarding schools in Ireland Educational institutions established in 1843 Member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference Private schools in the Republic of Ireland 1843 establishments in Ireland