Wesley College is an independent co-educational secondary school for day and boarding students in Ballinteer,

County Dublin County Dublin ( or ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, and holds its capital city, Dublin. It is located on the island's east coast, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Until 1994, County Dubli ...

, Ireland. Wesley College is under the control of a Board of Governors, appointed each year by the Methodist Church in Ireland. Wesley College was founded on 1 October 1845 and counts two Nobel laureates among its alumni. Strong emphasis is put on religious education for all denominations and both extra-curricular activities and sport play an important part in this school. The college offers pupils an opportunity to explore the humanities, sciences, technology, business studies, English literature, music and the arts. Wesley College offers a range of extracurricular and sporting activities in the belief that these assist a "sound general education and contribute to the whole person".

History

Origins

On 16 May 1844, a gathering of men met in

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 ...

and agreed to form a Wesleyan Proprietary Grammar School in Ireland "for the purpose of affording a thorough literary, scientific and commercial education, with a sound, religious, and moral training, in strict accordance with the principles of Wesleyan Methodism". The committee originally proposed a boarding and day school for boys, in the vicinity of Belfast but later decided that the Wesleyan Connexional School should be established in Dublin which was the hub of Ireland's transport system and had a far greater population. A large dilapidated dwelling house, No. 79

St. Stephen's Green St Stephen's Green () is a garden square and public park located in the city centre of Dublin, Ireland. The current landscape of the park was designed by William Sheppard. It was officially re-opened to the public on Tuesday, 27 July 1880 by Ar ...

, sited on what is now part of the Department of Foreign Affairs, was leased from the trustees of

The King's Hospital The Hospital and Free School of King Charles II, Oxmantown, also called The King's Hospital (KH; ) is a Church of Ireland co-educational independent day school, day and boarding school situated in Palmerstown, County Dublin, Republic of Ireland, ...

. The Wesleyan Connexional School was founded in 1845 in St. Stephen's Green, Dublin by a group of Methodist Ministers and other men for the Methodist Community in Ireland. In 1879 the Methodist Conference granted the request of the School's Trustees that it would be named Wesley College.

Development

In June 1911 the Wesley College Trustees put the following proposal to the Methodist Conference, "This committee, having had the fact brought under their notice that at the present time there is no school in the three southern provinces under the Methodist Management offering to girls the advantages of an Intermediate education, suggests to the Conference that the present is a suitable occasion for opening Wesley College to girls who desire to secure such training as will fit them for professional and business careers". The Conference responded favourably and the Trustees purchased No. 110 St. Stephen's Green as a girls' hostel. It had formerly been known as "The Epworth Club", a boarding house for young Epworth business men coming to Dublin, which had ceased to serve its purposes. The hostel was called Epworth House. Six boarder girls and fifteen day-girls, together with the new boys, joined the 175 (approximately) boys to increase the number to 311 in 1914 who joined in September of 1911. Right up to the 1940s co-education was narrowly interpreted and strictly supervised. The boys were always called by their surnames, while the girls had their surnames prefixed by "Miss". Casual conversation between the boys and girls was discouraged and they did not have meals together until the 1950s.

Move to Ballinteer

In 1969 Wesley College sold its buildings at Appian Way in Dublin to Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club and its other buildings at Burlington Road and Leeson Street Upper to property developers to form the site on which was later to be constructed the Burlington Hotel. The school then moved to its present site in Ballinteer, a suburb of Dublin, at the foothills of the Dublin mountains. The final school activity on the old College site was the end-of-year service in the Large Schoolroom on 14 June 1969, followed by a celebration of Holy Communion in the chapel. The official opening and dedication of the new buildings at Ludford Park had taken place at 3.00 p.m. on Saturday, 7 June 1969, opened by

Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera (; ; first registered as George de Valero; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was an American-born Irish statesman and political leader. He served as the 3rd President of Ire ...

, President of Ireland. The 1969 campus was added to in 1980, 1987, and 1991. A library and information technology building was added in 1999 and a new music and arts centre was opened in 2005. In 2019 a new sports centre was opened. Christopher Woods announced his retirement in 2024 and Brian Moore succeed him starting from the academic year of 2024-2025. Brian Moore is a past Wesley Student and was the principal of Rathdown School in Thomastown.

School coat of arms

In 1969, the college obtained from the Chief Herald an official grant of arms, which replaced that previously used. The upper part of the shield has a red ground, and bears the Bible, surmounted by a Maltese cross, an old Wesley College symbol. To the right is an escallop shell from the arms of

John Wesley John Wesley ( ; 2 March 1791) was an English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a principal leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The societies ...

's family. The lower part of the shield has a blue ground and on it a flaming castle from the Dublin City arms. The scroll below the shield contains the college motto in Greek, "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." (I Thessalonians 5.21)

List of Headmasters/Principals

Extracurricular activities

Extracurricular activities include drama, debating (where speakers have recently achieved international honours),

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...

, Christian Union, and many others. In 2010 Carin Hunt, a fifth year, travelled to

Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...

as part of the Irish debating team for the World's Debating. Former student Mark Haughton was the Irish Team's debating coach, and had achieved second as part of the Irish team, in the World's Debating while at Wesley. Carin went on to captain the team in the School's finals in Dundee the following year, taking them to the semi-finals. Wesley has won the All Ireland hockey trophy. Wesley not only places an emphasis on activities which solely help students themselves but also to move children is highly important for the teaching staff. Students in Transition year are able to reach out in various ways such as classroom assistance, helping children with special needs and music teaching. In recent years a team from Wesley's Transition year has embarked on a Habitat for Humanity house building trip annually. The students of the college also produce a newspaper, ''Full Stop'' four times a year, which has been providing a voice for students since the 9 of December 2003.

MUN

Another notable activity is Model United Nations (MUN) Wesley has been recognized multiple times with the best delegate, best Jr./Sr. Delegate etc. Wesley also hosts their own MUN conference (WCDMUN) during the course of the year.

Rugby

From the beginning,

Rugby Union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

has been the main competitive team sport for boys in the school. The school won the Leinster Schools Rugby Senior Cup in 1898 and the Senior league final in 2000. The Senior Cup team have played in the Vincent Murray Cup final on five occasions; winning in 2002, 2013, 2015 and 2018 and losing the final in 2009. In 2018 the school won their first junior trophy beating Kilkenny College the Fr Godfrey final. Wesley has produced a number of provincial and international rugby players including Josh van der Flier and Eric Miller. Rugby Honours * Leinster Schools Rugby Senior Cup - 1898 * Leinster Schools Rugby Senior League - 2000 * Leinster Schools Vinnie Murray Cup - 2002, 2013, 2015, 2018 (Runners Up: 2009) * Leinster Schools Fr Godrey Cup - 2018

Interschools Music Festival

Each year Wesley hosts one of the largest interschools music festivals in the country. Hundreds of students from many schools, both primary and secondary level, compete in individual and choral singing as well as individual instrumental and orchestral. In 2010, the school built a dedicated Music and Arts Centre. Included in this centre is the purpose built G. B. Shaw Auditorium, named after one of Wesley's most famous past pupils.

Lifelines

In 1992, the college published its fourth, and final, instalment of the Lifelines anthology. The earlier instalments were published in 1985, 1988 and 1990 by The Underground Press Ltd, Wesley College. Under format of the anthologies, a panel of students within Wesley write to notable people, such as celebrities, sports people and world leaders, asking them to highlight their favourite poem with a brief explanation for their choosing. Thus far the anthology has raised over €140,000 for Irish charity Concern. The latest edition itself has raised €29,000 and was honoured as the Best Irish Published Book of the Year, in the 2007 Irish Book Awards. In 2010, The National Library of Ireland purchased the original letters that were included in the original 1985 edition of Lifelines. Subsequently, Wesley College donated all correspondence, photographs and other related archival material to the Library. The Discover Lifelines exhibition in the Library's main hall showed letters from this archive from writers, poets, actors, artists, media personalities and politician and ran throughout 2010. A collective edition of the anthology was published by Town House, Dublin, in 1992.

Senior Choir

The Senior Choir at Wesley College Dublin received a number of awards during the term 2011/2012, including the All Ireland School Choir Competition. This was broadcast on live RTÉ television. The choir also won both of their competitions in that year's Feis Ceol in Dublin. They have appeared on the Late Late Show on RTÉ as well as on RTÉ Radio One on Pat Kenny's morning show.

Wartime contribution

Wesley, like many other schools in Ireland, contributed to the effort of the two major world wars. Over 85 students of the college 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 ...

. Their names are listed on a memorial in the college concourse which reads "This building was erected to the honour of all old boys of this College who ventured their lives for defence of home and country in the Great War and especially in loving and grateful memory of those who fell". (The building mentioned was the old College Chapel, where the memorial was located before the move to Ballinteer.) 25 students of Wesley, including one German, died between 1939 and 1945 in 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 ...

. These are also listed on a memorial in the main concourse. Remembrance Day is marked each year with the laying of a wreath on the memorial.

Notable past pupils

Politics and government

* Lionel Booth, TD * Sir Edward Carson,

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

and MP, Leader of the

Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a Unionism in Ireland, unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded as the Ulster Unionist Council in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it l ...

1910-21 * Henry Flavelle Forbes, C.I.E., President of the Court of Appeal, Iraq, 1920/21 * Sir Robert Henry Woods MP, ENT Surgeon, President of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland 1910–11 * Sir Robert Hart, 1st Baronet, Inspector General of China's Imperial Maritime Custom Service (1863) * Chaim Herzog, sixth

President of Israel The president of the State of Israel (, or ) is the head of state of Israel. The president is mostly, though not entirely, ceremonial; actual executive power is vested in the Cabinet of Israel, cabinet led by the Prime Minister of Israel, pr ...

* William McMillan, and Australian politician and businessman. * H. B. Higgins, Attorney General of the Australian Government in 1904 * Sir Harold J. Maguire, Director-General of Intelligence at the British Ministry of Defence (1968–1972) * Mervyn Taylor, TD, Minister for Equality and Law Reform * Senator Gordon Wilson * Neale Richmond TD, also served as Senator

Music and the arts

* Harry Furniss, caricaturist * David Kitt and Robbie Kitt, members of the band Spilly Walker * Annie Mac, BBC Radio 1 DJ * Niall Morris, tenor, member of the Celtic Tenors * Eva O'Connor, theatre actress who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in the 2009 Irish Times Theatre Awards * Stanley Townsend, television, film and stage actor (in the BBC's ''Rough Diamond'' and other dramas) * Heather Jones, Professor of Modern and Contemporary European History, University College London * Mark McCabe, music producer, remixer and Radio DJ for RTE 2FM. Best known for releasing Maniac 2000 that is the number two best selling record ever in Ireland *

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage ...

, parents went to Wesley before moving to the UK * Louisa Harland, actress best known for her role in sitcom 'Derry Girls'

Science

* John Widdess, biologist, journal editor and medical historian * Kenneth Wolfe, Professor of Genomic Evolution, UCD School of Medicine and UCD Conway Institute, University College Dublin

Business and philanthropy

* Philip Berber, former CEO of Cybercorp and multimillionaire philanthropist, Chairman of A Glimmer of Hope Foundation * Richard Burrows, Chairman of

British American Tobacco British American Tobacco p.l.c. (BAT) is a British multinational company that manufactures and sells cigarettes, tobacco and other nicotine products including electronic cigarettes. The company, established in 1902, is headquartered in London, E ...

, former Governor of the Bank of Ireland * Frederick Keppel, Irish-American art dealer

Clergy

* Michael Burrows, Bishop of Cashel and Ossory * Donald Caird, Archbishop of Dublin * Richard Clarke, Archbishop of Armagh, Primate of Ireland * Frank Johnston, head of the Royal Army Chaplains' Department, British Army

Nobel laureates

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

, playwright, Nobel Prize for Literature * Ernest Walton, Nobel Prize for Physics.

Sporting alumni

Former Wesley College students have represented Ireland at international level in a number of sports.

Rugby union

;

British and Irish Lions The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England national rugby union team, England, Ireland national rugby union team, Ireland, Scotland national rugby union team, Scotland, and ...

* Eric Miller ; * Herbert Aston * Eric Miller * Josh van der Flier

Cricket

; men's internationals ; women's internationals * Lara Molins * Nikki Squire * Nikki Symmons * Julie van der Flier

Association football

; men's internationals * Fred Horlacher ; women's internationals * Sylvia Gee

Field hockey

; men's internationals * Michael Darling * Kyle Good * Kirk Shimmins ; women's internationals * Nikki Symmons

Olympians

;

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 ...

* Scott Evans; badminton –

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

Beijing, 2012 London,

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

Rio * Michael Darling; field hockey –

* Kyle Good; field hockey –

* Kirk Shimmins; field hockey –

* Nick Sweeney; discus thrower –

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

, 1996,

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

* David Wilkins; sailing –

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

, 1988,