PRESS RELEASE
2 JUNE 2004
TRUSTEES OF ST KIERAN’S COLLEGE, KILKENNY
ANNOUNCE CLOSURE OF BOARDING SCHOOL
The Trustees of St. Kieran’s College in Kilkenny today announce the closure
of its boarding school on Friday 4th June next.
The number of applicants to the boarding school has dropped significantly over
the past ten years despite a sustained advertising campaign to attract students
to the college. Accordingly it is no longer feasible to maintain a boarding
school at the college.
When St. Kieran’s College first opened its doors in 1782, it was in response
to the educational needs of the time. For many years of its history the boarding
school was the only means of providing an academic, spiritual and personal
formation for the majority of students in the diocese. Past students of the
boarding school are to be found in all walks of life in Ireland and beyond.
Education involves change and this includes change for academic institutions.
The greater need today is for the day school. The boarding school, while it
offered a first class education and formation to pupils, is not seen nowadays
as the preferred option for education for the greater majority of young people.
The Trustees have decided, in response to current needs, that available
resources and personnel should be invested in the St. Kieran’s Day School
which is flourishing.
To mark the closure past pupils are invited to visit the school on the
afternoon of Saturday 26th June for a reception followed by a Mass of
Thanksgiving which will be celebrated by the Patron of the College, Most
Reverend Laurence Forristal, Bishop of Ossory.
Ends
Further information:
Martin Long Director of Communications (086 172 7678)
Brenda Drumm Communications Officer (087 233 7797)
Mgr Jim Cassin, President, St Kieran’s College (086 238 0984)
NOTES TO EDITORS:
* Famous past pupils:
Thomas Kilroy – Playwright
Archbishop Thomas White – Former Apostolic Nuncio to New Zealand
Bishop Walter MacDonald – Former Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco (deceased)
Bishop Robert Healy – Auxiliary Bishop of Perth (deceased)
Bishop Peter Birch – Former Bishop of Ossory (deceased)
Abbot Dom Aengus Dunphy (Portglenone ’58-77)
James Gibbons – Minister of Agriculture (deceased)
Rev. Walter MacDonald, author of ‘Reminiscences of a Maynooth Professor’
Eddie Keher – Former Kilkenny Hurler
Ted Carroll – Former Kilkenny Hurler (Deceased)
Sean J. White – Journalist (deceased)
Ralph Fiennes – Actor
Kieron Crotty – former TD
Michael Crotty – former Kilkenny hurler
James Stephens – the Fenian Leader
Fr. Theobald Matthew – the Apostle of Temperance 1802 – 180
The Callan Curates – Fr Thomas O’Shea & Fr. Matthew O’Keffee – founders of the
Callan Protection Society 1849 fore runner of the land league.
John Banim – local writer and novelist – author of the series ‘The tales of the
O’Hara Family.’
Canon William Carrigan, the diocesan historian, is a past pupil.
James Meagher, author from Mullinahone.
Legendary Nicky Rackard former Wexford Hurler
Monsignor Thomas Maher, Fomer President and trainer of many successful hurling
Kilkenny hurling teams.
* Thomas McDonagh the 1916 leader was a teacher in the school from 1901 to 1903
* Francis Sheehy Skeffington 1916 leader was in the school as a teacher from 1900 to 1901.
* John Wilson former Tánaiste was a teacher in the school from 1957 to 1950.
