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Castleknock College

Castleknock College (Irish: Coláiste Caisleán Cnucha) is a voluntary Vincentian secondary school for boys, situated in the residential suburb of Castleknock, eight km (5.0 mi) west of Dublin city centre, Ireland.

St Vincent's Castleknock College
Coláiste Chaisleán Cnucha
Location

Ireland
Coordinates53°22′07″N 6°22′06″W / 53.3685°N 6.3683°W / 53.3685; -6.3683
Information
TypeVoluntary
MottoNos Autem in Nomine Domini
("We however, (put our trust) in the Name of the Lord")
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic, Vincentian
Patron saint(s)Saint Vincent de Paul
Established1835; 189 years ago (1835)
FounderPhilip Dowley
PresidentVery Rev. Paschal Scallon C.M.
HeadmasterChris Kinder
ChaplainRev. Stephen Monaghan C.M.
GenderMale
Age range12–19
Number of students708
HousesBodkin, O’Shea, O’Callaghan, Ferris
Colour(s)Navy and sky blue   
SongNos Autem, Abide With Me
PublicationThe Castleknock College Chronicle
Alumni namePastmen
Websitecastleknockcollege.ie

Founded in 1835 by Philip Dowley, it is one of the oldest boys schools in Ireland.[1] Although priority is given to those of the main Catholic tradition, as a Christian school, it is attended by students of other denominations and faiths.[2] The school's colours are navy and sky blue. The school crest is a book, symbolising education, a cross, symbolising Catholicism, the Irish shamrock, symbolising the success of the Vincentians in Ireland and the papal tiara, symbolising loyalty to the Holy See.

History edit

In 1830, a year after the passing of Catholic Emancipation, priests from the Vincentian Community (Congregation of the Mission; CM) in Maynooth College obtained permission to open a day school under the patronage of the Archbishop of Dublin. On 28 August 1833 a day school at 24 Usher's Quay, in central Dublin, was opened.

On 28 August 1835, St. Vincent's Ecclesiastical Seminary was opened in Castleknock, as a boarding school catering for just 47 boys.[3] The first student to enrol in 1835 was John Lynch of Clones, County Monaghan. He would later enter the Vincentian order and eventually become Archbishop of Toronto. A contemporary of John Lynch was Patrick Moran, who would also be ordained as a Vincentian priest and become Bishop of Cape Town before being appointed as the first Catholic Bishop of Dunedin (New Zealand) in 1869.

Philip Dowley a former Dean of Maynooth and Provincial for the Vincentians, was the first president of the college.

The school site had previously been occupied by a Protestant school for boys run by William Gwynne. The school buildings together with 40 acres of land were sold to the Vincentian Fathers in 1835.[4]

Queen Victoria and her royal party visited the school on 22 April 1900. The event is historic, as being the first occasion that an English sovereign visited an Irish Catholic college. The intended visit of the Queen to Castleknock was made known to the authorities of the school some days beforehand by the Rudolph Feilding, 9th Earl of Denbigh.[5] This royal visit confirmed a place for the school at the summit of Irish education and Irish society.[6]

Before the foundation of Clonliffe College in 1861, seminarians for the Dublin Archdiocese would study in Castleknock before completing their studies in Maynooth College.[7]

Academic life edit

 
Menu from celebration dinner.

The school aims for a low teacher/pupil ratio, and has a range of computing and science laboratories.[8] The school's Alton Library, a reference and lending facility, is the largest second-level school library in Ireland.[9]

Sporting tradition edit

Sporting facilities at the school include nine rugby pitches, one soccer pitch, a cricket crease with pavilion, table tennis room, state of the art tennis courts, a fully equipped weights room and an athletics track.

Sport has been played at Castleknock since the foundation of the college. Throughout the mid-nineteenth century a game peculiar to Castleknock, known as stilts, was played by the entire student body on a gravel patch in grounds. Owing to the often over-zealous efforts of the participants this game was discouraged by the college fathers in favour of soccer, which was the game of choice among students of Castleknock until 1909 when it was replaced by rugby as the college's primary sport.[10] In 1918 the college won the Leinster Colleges Senior Hurling Championship. Shortly afterwards the college concentrated more on rugby and the playing of Gaelic games became less prominent.[11]

Rugby edit

Rugby posts were first erected in the college in November 1909. The school has won the Leinster Schools Senior Cup on eight occasions since first entering (and winning) the competition in 1913. Castleknock teams have been runners-up in the competition on fifteen occasions, contesting more finals than any other school apart from Belvedere College and Blackrock College. The Leinster Schools Junior Cup has also been won on eight occasions, the last time in 1966. Castleknock is considered to be one of the Major Leinster Rugby Schools, the others being Blackrock, Clongowes, Belvedere, Terenure, St Michael's and St Mary's. The college appointed Adrian Flavin, a former Ireland rugby player, as director of rugby in the year 2013.[12]

26 past men have represented Ireland at full international level, the most recent being Leinster Rugby's Devin Toner (class of 2004) who has been capped on seventy occasions. Toner is one of two past men to have won the Heineken Cup (2009, 2011, 2012) with Denis Hurley of Munster Rugby lifting the trophy in 2008.

Past men James Leo Farrell and Michael Dunne were part of the British and Irish Lions touring squad to New Zealand and Australia. Farrell had also played for the Lions on the 1927 tour to Argentina.

Athletics edit

Students can choose from sprints, relays, long-distance, hurdles, high jump, long jump, triple jump, javelin, shot-put, hammer, discus, pole vault and walking. In the summer term, the college competes in the Leinster and All-Ireland finals held in Tullamore. The college has minor, junior, intermediate and senior athletics teams which compete for, and have won, the West Leinster Championship.[13]

Others sports edit

Castleknock College competes in a variety of other sports including soccer, cricket, tennis, table-tennis, badminton, golf, swimming, show-jumping and volleyball.

Music edit

The school has a concert orchestra, a soul band, a junior concert band, a barbershop ensemble and an award-winning choir.[14]

Spiritual life edit

The college chaplain and members of the Vincentian Community are available for guidance and counselling. The school has always encouraged pupils to become involved in caring for the less-well-off members of society.[15]

The College Chapel edit

Masses are held daily in the Boys' Chapel by members of the Vincentian community. An annual family Mass for each year is celebrated at which boys of that year and their families participate together with the community and teachers. Masses are held at regular times in the chapel (e.g. Lent, Advent, exam time). Year and class Masses, benediction, scripture/prayer group meetings are held regularly throughout the year. Opportunity to attend the Sacrament of Reconciliation is available during the school week and also after benediction of the Blessed Sacrament on Thursday nights.

The College Chapel houses a large pipe organ which dates back to the early 1850s. The chapel organ was installed as a gift to the college community by Charles-Gerrard,[who?] Brother of the Lord. It is used in college masses and services.

SVP – Society of Saint Vincent de Paul edit

Castleknock College was established by the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians), the religious order founded by St. Vincent de Paul; the college follows the ethos and traditions of the Vincentian order. The most popular student society within the college is the St. Vincent de Paul Society; charity work undertaken by the school community is organised through the St Vincent de Paul Society.

Members are involved in helping the impoverished through a variety of means such as visiting local centres for people with special needs. The SVP conferences also raise funds and collect food for the sister conferences in the Dublin 15 area.

Castleknock Ambo Partnership edit

Inaugurated in 2008 and expected to continue indefinitely, the Young Vincentian Mission sends a small group of fifth year students to work and live with the Vincentian community in Ethiopia, for two to three weeks each summer, overseen by the VLM – Vincentian Lay Missionaries. The first group in 2008 traveled to Mekelle in Northern Ethiopia and since 2009 the students have traveled to Ambo, Ethiopia. Successful applicants are trained and engage in a range of voluntary work for those struck by extreme poverty in Ambo, including teaching in the local Vincentian school, working in the Vincentian Food Programme, the Vincentian School for the Deaf, a leprosy village befriending members of the community and coaching Ambo United Football Club. Students are required to raise sufficient funds to meet their travel and subsistence expenses, and events are organised within and without the college to raise funds. This development programme has enabled the construction of expanded education facilities and the provision of medical and food supplies.[16]

Other extra–curricular activities edit

Extra–curricular activities offered include membership of the painting society, the chess club, Irish literature – Ceardlann Litríocht na Gaeilge, the Cumann Gaeilge, the maths society, the prefect mentoring system, debating, band, music, language societies (French, Spanish, German and Chinese), book club, student enterprise, SVP – Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, speech and drama, charity work, the history society and Picasso's Left Ear (student intellectual publication).

Chess edit

In 2007 the under-16 chess team won the Leinster Championship and finished runners-up in the All-Ireland Championship. Sixth year student, Anthony Bourached, recently won the Leinster Under-18 Chess Championship. Christopher O'Reilly, one of the two sixth years who currently teach chess at the school is a grandmaster and both students have competed on an international level winning a number of trophies in the process.

Debating edit

Debating is a tradition dating back to the school's foundation. It was originally taught in the school curriculum during the Victorian era and was originally known as 'public oration'. There are separate clubs for junior and senior pupils. The school's debating society has contributed to the Irish World Schools Debating Team, with five students representing Ireland since the competition's beginning in 1988. In both 2007 (Alan Henry & Liam O'Connell) and 2008 (Adam Noonan & Killian Breen) the college won the Leinster Schools Senior Debating Championships. The Past Pupils' Union coordinates the annual College Union Debate where students and Pastmen debate against each other.[17] Past speakers at the Union Debate include former Attorney General Paul Gallagher, Eunan O'Halpin, Mick Quinn and Irish Times correspondent Patsy McGarry.[18][19] The college also holds gold medal debates for every academic year giving the students the opportunity to win the medal on prize day if they win the debate.[20] The gold medal debates are used in sixth year to select an eligible Valedictorian for the year, who give his address at both the graduation mass and again at prize day. Former winners of the senior gold medal debates include the Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave, the Supreme Court Justice Anthony J. Hederman, Conor Gearty and Oisín Quinn.[21] The college debaters participate in many competitions including the L&H debates in UCD.[22]

Castleknock Chronicle edit

The Castleknock Chronicle has been published every year since 1886 by the College Union; it is a record of the main events in the college, and a valuable historical source.[23] It records the students in each year group and the members of every team and society in the college. In has photographs and articles written by staff and students about events in the college. The Chronicle also holds the distinction of being the publisher of the last-known photograph of the RMS Titanic.[24] As of 2011 it was being digitised.

Grounds edit

 
Western entrance to the college
 
Castleknock Castle and motte on the college grounds 2018.
 
Castleknock Castle and College viewed from the Carpenterstown Road.

There are two hills in the grounds: the Windmill Hill and the hill of the castle. The former is reputed to be the burial mound of Cumhal, father of Fionn mac Cumhaill, a legendary Irish warrior. According to legend, mac Cumhaill was interred here following his death at the Battle of Cnucha. An archaeological dig of this hill carried out in June 2007 revealed the remains of four human skeletons probably dating from the early Christian period. The second hill is topped with the remains of Castleknock Castle which dates from the early thirteenth century, when it was founded by the Norman knight Hugh Tyrrell, who was later created Baron of Castleknock. He chose this location near the end of the esker which stretches from Galway to Dublin. Built on two mounds of the esker, it commanded the route into Dublin from the west. Castleknock was the final rallying point for the forces of the last High King of Ireland, Rory O'Connor. He failed to drive the Cambro-Normans from the area around Dublin in 1171.

The college is set on 70 acres of landscaped parkland estate with nine rugby pitches, a cricket crease and pavilion, a soccer pitch, an athletics and running track, six state of the art tennis courts, an all-weather rugby practice pitch and agricultural land[25] in which cows graze and wildlife such as pheasants, rabbits and squirrels are in abundance. There is car parking for students and others. The college is close to Castleknock village and is located beside Farmleigh Estate and the Phoenix Park.

College buildings edit

The college consists mainly of three buildings: McNamara house, Cregan house and the Dowley house. The McNamara and Cregan buildings are connected via the foyer known as 'St Vincent's Hall'. McNamara house contain several other wings and Vincentian community facilities as well as other classrooms and subject specific rooms. McNamara House also contains the library, concert hall, day boys' refectory and the boarders refectory.

Building works 2005–2009 edit

From 2005 the college infrastructure was renewed, at a cost in the region of €16 million.[26] A 'link building' was built, and existing buildings expanded and refurbished; Irish President Mary McAleese officially opened the newly restored buildings on 29 September 2008. A state-of-the-art multi purpose sports and tennis ground was recently built, allowing for students and others to enjoy various activities.

Cultural associations edit

The school featured indirectly but prominently in Gerard Siggins' series of novels Rugby Rebel as the shared basis of Castlerock College (a portmanteau of Castleknock College and Blackrock College), the boarding school which the protagonist Eoin attends. The popular fictional series starring Ross O'Carroll Kelly has mentioned Castleknock on a number of occasions in the books and Irish Times columns; the name of the fictional school the lead character attended was also Castlerock College.

Popular media edit

The 2016 Irish comedy-drama film Handsome Devil directed by John Butler was predominantly filmed at Castleknock and featured as the fictional all-boys boarding school 'Woodhill College'. It was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. It centres on an ostracised teenager (Fionn O'Shea) at an elite rugby-obsessed all boys boarding school in Ireland whose new roommate (Nicholas Galitzine) is the school's new rugby star-player. The two form an unlikely friendship until it is tested by those around them. Handsome Devil has received critical acclaim, winning the award for Best Irish Feature of 2017 from the Dublin Film Critics' Circle; four nominations at the 2018 Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) Awards, including Best Feature Film; and the Best Single Drama Award at the annual Celtic Media Festival in 2018.

Evelyn, the 2002 drama film loosely based on the true story of Desmond Doyle and his fight in the Irish courts (December 1955) to be reunited with his children was predominantly filmed at Castleknock and featured as the orphanage. The film stars Sophie Vavasseur in the title role, Pierce Brosnan as her father and Aidan Quinn, Julianna Margulies, Stephen Rea and Alan Bates as supporters to Doyle's case. The film had a limited release in the United States, starting on 13 December 2002 and was later followed by the United Kingdom release on 21 March 2003.

Presidents of Castleknock College edit

  • Philip Dowley (1835–1864)[27]
  • Thomas MacNamara (1864–1866)
  • Peter Duff (1867–1873)
  • Malachy O'Callaghan (1873–1885)
  • James Moore (1885–1892)
  • Thomas Hardy (1892–1895)
  • Joseph Geoghegan (1895–1902)
  • M.P. Brosnahan (1902–1907)
  • Paul Cullen (1907–1915)
  • M.J. O'Reilly (1915)
  • John Shanahan (1915–1916)
  • E.P. Meehan (1916–19)
  • Vincent McCarthy (1919–1926)
  • Henry O'Connor (1926–32)
  • T.K. Donovan (1932–1938)
  • W.J. Meagher (1938–1944)
  • William Sullivan (1944–1950)
  • D.F. Cregan (1950–1957)
  • M.J. Walsh (1957–1963)
  • Patrick O'Donoghue (1963–1972)
  • Matthew Barry (1972–1980)
  • Henry Slowey (1980–1985)
  • Kevin O'Shea (1985–1999)
  • Simon Clyne (1999–2005)
  • Peter J. Slevin (2005–2018)
  • Paschal Scallon (2018–)

[28]

Past Pupils' Union edit

 
The Lord Chief Justice of England, Charles Russell, Baron Russell of Killowen in 1899.

The Castleknock Union was founded in the year 1896 by the Lord Chief Justice of England, Charles Russell, Baron Russell of Killowen with the aim of reconnecting all past pupils of the college.[29] The college hosts many networking events for past pupils throughout the year that include the annual business lunch, the gold medal debate, the union debate and Union Day.[30][31][32] Many notable figures have been guest speakers at the annual Business lunch such as the Irish rugby head coach Joe Schmidt and the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.[33][34] In 2016 the Past Pupils' Union launched the Union Scholarship Fund to assist boys who otherwise could not afford to attain an education at Castleknock College due to socioeconomic barriers.[35]

Notable past pupils edit

 
Pastman Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave TD in 1976.

Former pupils of Castleknock College are known as Pastmen.

The school's alumni and faculty include two Taoisigh,[36] one President of Ireland,[37] one Ceann Comhairle, several cabinet ministers,[38] two Supreme Court Justices,[39] five Attorneys General,[40] one Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, three archbishops, one founding member of Fianna Fáil, the founder of the Green Party of Ireland,[41] one Lord Mayor of Dublin,[42] one Victoria Cross holder,[43] 26 Irish International rugby players and numerous notable figures in the world of arts, academia and business.

Academia, science and medicine

Arts and media

 
Pastman Colin Farrell in 2016.

Business

Law

Military

Politics and diplomacy

Religious

Sports

In fiction

Notable teachers, past and present edit

Partner Schools edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "History". Castleknock College. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  2. ^ "Headmaster's Message". Castleknock College. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  3. ^ "History – Castleknock College". Castleknock College. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  4. ^ William John Fitzpatrick, Memories of Father Healy of Little Bray, Macmillan, 1895, page 14
  5. ^ "Queen Victoria visits Castleknock College". KnockUnion.ie. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  6. ^ O'Neill, Ciaran (2014). Catholics of Consequence: Transnational Education, Social Mobility, and the Irish Catholic Elite 1850–1900. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-870771-4.
  7. ^ Secondary Schools – St. Vincents Castleknock Dubin www.vincentians.ie
  8. ^ "The College and its Facilities". St. Vincent's Castleknock College. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  9. ^ "The College and its Facilities". Castleknock College. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  10. ^ "Rugby". Castleknock College. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  11. ^ Fitzpatrick, David (2004). Harry Boland's Irish Revolution. Cork University Press. ISBN 9781859183861.
  12. ^ "Adrian Flavin, College Director of Rugby". KnockUnion.ie. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  13. ^ "Athletics". St. Vincent's Castleknock College. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  14. ^ "Music". Castleknock College. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  15. ^ "Chaplaincy". Castleknock College. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  16. ^ "Ambo project". Castleknock College. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  17. ^ "Union Debate 2020". KnockUnion.ie. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  18. ^ "1916 Centenary Debate - the Photos". KnockUnion.ie. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  19. ^ "Devin Toner, Castleknock Union Pastman of the Year 2018". KnockUnion.ie. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  20. ^ "Debating". Castleknock College. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  21. ^ "Debating Gold Medal at Knock". KnockUnion.ie. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  22. ^ "Debating". St. Vincent's Castleknock College. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  23. ^ "Castleknock College Union". www.knockunion.ie. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  24. ^ "Titanic: The Last Photograph?". 23 April 2004.
  25. ^ "About Us". Castleknock College. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  26. ^ "The College and its Facilities". Castleknock College. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  27. ^ "History". Castleknock College. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  28. ^ "SVC President". KnockUnion.ie. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  29. ^ "First Union Meeting". KnockUnion.ie. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  30. ^ "2020 Business Lunch – Guest Speaker An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar". KnockUnion.ie. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
  31. ^ "Union Debate 2019". KnockUnion.ie. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
  32. ^ "Union Debate 2020". KnockUnion.ie. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  33. ^ "Business Lunch 2019". KnockUnion.ie. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  34. ^ "2020 Business Lunch – Guest Speaker An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar". KnockUnion.ie. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  35. ^ "Union Scholarship Fund". KnockUnion.ie. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  36. ^ "Liam Cosgrave, former taoiseach and Fine Gael leader, dies aged 97". The Irish Times. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  37. ^ "The Meehan Brothers & 'Dev' at Knock". KnockUnion.ie. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  38. ^ "Former Justice Minister Patrick Cooney settles defamation case". www.irishexaminer.com. 5 February 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  39. ^ "Judge Anthony Hederman hailed as 'quiet hero' at funeral Mass". Independent.ie. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  40. ^ Coulter, Carol. "Brilliance under fire". The Irish Times. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  41. ^ "Founder warns of 'wipe-out' of Greens". The Irish Times. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  42. ^ "Lunch with Oisin Quinn: No rest for the wigged as lawyer swaps court for Mansion House". Independent.ie. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  43. ^ "The VC and GC Association". vcgca.org. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  44. ^ Parsons, Michael. "Who was Fr Joseph Leonard?". The Irish Times. Retrieved 20 March 2020.

External links edit

  • Official Castleknock College website

castleknock, college, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, augus. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Castleknock College news newspapers books scholar JSTOR August 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Castleknock College Irish Colaiste Caislean Cnucha is a voluntary Vincentian secondary school for boys situated in the residential suburb of Castleknock eight km 5 0 mi west of Dublin city centre Ireland St Vincent s Castleknock CollegeColaiste Chaislean CnuchaLocationCastleknockIrelandCoordinates53 22 07 N 6 22 06 W 53 3685 N 6 3683 W 53 3685 6 3683InformationTypeVoluntaryMottoNos Autem in Nomine Domini We however put our trust in the Name of the Lord Religious affiliation s Roman Catholic VincentianPatron saint s Saint Vincent de PaulEstablished1835 189 years ago 1835 FounderPhilip DowleyPresidentVery Rev Paschal Scallon C M HeadmasterChris KinderChaplainRev Stephen Monaghan C M GenderMaleAge range12 19Number of students708HousesBodkin O Shea O Callaghan FerrisColour s Navy and sky blue SongNos Autem Abide With MePublicationThe Castleknock College ChronicleAlumni namePastmenWebsitecastleknockcollege wbr ie Founded in 1835 by Philip Dowley it is one of the oldest boys schools in Ireland 1 Although priority is given to those of the main Catholic tradition as a Christian school it is attended by students of other denominations and faiths 2 The school s colours are navy and sky blue The school crest is a book symbolising education a cross symbolising Catholicism the Irish shamrock symbolising the success of the Vincentians in Ireland and the papal tiara symbolising loyalty to the Holy See Contents 1 History 2 Academic life 3 Sporting tradition 3 1 Rugby 3 2 Athletics 3 3 Others sports 4 Music 5 Spiritual life 5 1 The College Chapel 5 2 SVP Society of Saint Vincent de Paul 5 3 Castleknock Ambo Partnership 6 Other extra curricular activities 6 1 Chess 6 2 Debating 7 Castleknock Chronicle 8 Grounds 9 College buildings 9 1 Building works 2005 2009 10 Cultural associations 11 Popular media 12 Presidents of Castleknock College 13 Past Pupils Union 14 Notable past pupils 15 Notable teachers past and present 16 Partner Schools 17 See also 18 References 19 External linksHistory editIn 1830 a year after the passing of Catholic Emancipation priests from the Vincentian Community Congregation of the Mission CM in Maynooth College obtained permission to open a day school under the patronage of the Archbishop of Dublin On 28 August 1833 a day school at 24 Usher s Quay in central Dublin was opened On 28 August 1835 St Vincent s Ecclesiastical Seminary was opened in Castleknock as a boarding school catering for just 47 boys 3 The first student to enrol in 1835 was John Lynch of Clones County Monaghan He would later enter the Vincentian order and eventually become Archbishop of Toronto A contemporary of John Lynch was Patrick Moran who would also be ordained as a Vincentian priest and become Bishop of Cape Town before being appointed as the first Catholic Bishop of Dunedin New Zealand in 1869 Philip Dowley a former Dean of Maynooth and Provincial for the Vincentians was the first president of the college The school site had previously been occupied by a Protestant school for boys run by William Gwynne The school buildings together with 40 acres of land were sold to the Vincentian Fathers in 1835 4 Queen Victoria and her royal party visited the school on 22 April 1900 The event is historic as being the first occasion that an English sovereign visited an Irish Catholic college The intended visit of the Queen to Castleknock was made known to the authorities of the school some days beforehand by the Rudolph Feilding 9th Earl of Denbigh 5 This royal visit confirmed a place for the school at the summit of Irish education and Irish society 6 Before the foundation of Clonliffe College in 1861 seminarians for the Dublin Archdiocese would study in Castleknock before completing their studies in Maynooth College 7 Academic life edit nbsp Menu from celebration dinner The school aims for a low teacher pupil ratio and has a range of computing and science laboratories 8 The school s Alton Library a reference and lending facility is the largest second level school library in Ireland 9 Sporting tradition editSporting facilities at the school include nine rugby pitches one soccer pitch a cricket crease with pavilion table tennis room state of the art tennis courts a fully equipped weights room and an athletics track Sport has been played at Castleknock since the foundation of the college Throughout the mid nineteenth century a game peculiar to Castleknock known as stilts was played by the entire student body on a gravel patch in grounds Owing to the often over zealous efforts of the participants this game was discouraged by the college fathers in favour of soccer which was the game of choice among students of Castleknock until 1909 when it was replaced by rugby as the college s primary sport 10 In 1918 the college won the Leinster Colleges Senior Hurling Championship Shortly afterwards the college concentrated more on rugby and the playing of Gaelic games became less prominent 11 Rugby edit Rugby posts were first erected in the college in November 1909 The school has won the Leinster Schools Senior Cup on eight occasions since first entering and winning the competition in 1913 Castleknock teams have been runners up in the competition on fifteen occasions contesting more finals than any other school apart from Belvedere College and Blackrock College The Leinster Schools Junior Cup has also been won on eight occasions the last time in 1966 Castleknock is considered to be one of the Major Leinster Rugby Schools the others being Blackrock Clongowes Belvedere Terenure St Michael s and St Mary s The college appointed Adrian Flavin a former Ireland rugby player as director of rugby in the year 2013 12 26 past men have represented Ireland at full international level the most recent being Leinster Rugby s Devin Toner class of 2004 who has been capped on seventy occasions Toner is one of two past men to have won the Heineken Cup 2009 2011 2012 with Denis Hurley of Munster Rugby lifting the trophy in 2008 Past men James Leo Farrell and Michael Dunne were part of the British and Irish Lions touring squad to New Zealand and Australia Farrell had also played for the Lions on the 1927 tour to Argentina Athletics edit Students can choose from sprints relays long distance hurdles high jump long jump triple jump javelin shot put hammer discus pole vault and walking In the summer term the college competes in the Leinster and All Ireland finals held in Tullamore The college has minor junior intermediate and senior athletics teams which compete for and have won the West Leinster Championship 13 Others sports edit Castleknock College competes in a variety of other sports including soccer cricket tennis table tennis badminton golf swimming show jumping and volleyball Music editThe school has a concert orchestra a soul band a junior concert band a barbershop ensemble and an award winning choir 14 Spiritual life editThe college chaplain and members of the Vincentian Community are available for guidance and counselling The school has always encouraged pupils to become involved in caring for the less well off members of society 15 The College Chapel edit Masses are held daily in the Boys Chapel by members of the Vincentian community An annual family Mass for each year is celebrated at which boys of that year and their families participate together with the community and teachers Masses are held at regular times in the chapel e g Lent Advent exam time Year and class Masses benediction scripture prayer group meetings are held regularly throughout the year Opportunity to attend the Sacrament of Reconciliation is available during the school week and also after benediction of the Blessed Sacrament on Thursday nights The College Chapel houses a large pipe organ which dates back to the early 1850s The chapel organ was installed as a gift to the college community by Charles Gerrard who Brother of the Lord It is used in college masses and services SVP Society of Saint Vincent de Paul edit Castleknock College was established by the Congregation of the Mission Vincentians the religious order founded by St Vincent de Paul the college follows the ethos and traditions of the Vincentian order The most popular student society within the college is the St Vincent de Paul Society charity work undertaken by the school community is organised through the St Vincent de Paul Society Members are involved in helping the impoverished through a variety of means such as visiting local centres for people with special needs The SVP conferences also raise funds and collect food for the sister conferences in the Dublin 15 area Castleknock Ambo Partnership edit Inaugurated in 2008 and expected to continue indefinitely the Young Vincentian Mission sends a small group of fifth year students to work and live with the Vincentian community in Ethiopia for two to three weeks each summer overseen by the VLM Vincentian Lay Missionaries The first group in 2008 traveled to Mekelle in Northern Ethiopia and since 2009 the students have traveled to Ambo Ethiopia Successful applicants are trained and engage in a range of voluntary work for those struck by extreme poverty in Ambo including teaching in the local Vincentian school working in the Vincentian Food Programme the Vincentian School for the Deaf a leprosy village befriending members of the community and coaching Ambo United Football Club Students are required to raise sufficient funds to meet their travel and subsistence expenses and events are organised within and without the college to raise funds This development programme has enabled the construction of expanded education facilities and the provision of medical and food supplies 16 Other extra curricular activities editExtra curricular activities offered include membership of the painting society the chess club Irish literature Ceardlann Litriocht na Gaeilge the Cumann Gaeilge the maths society the prefect mentoring system debating band music language societies French Spanish German and Chinese book club student enterprise SVP Society of Saint Vincent de Paul speech and drama charity work the history society and Picasso s Left Ear student intellectual publication Chess edit In 2007 the under 16 chess team won the Leinster Championship and finished runners up in the All Ireland Championship Sixth year student Anthony Bourached recently won the Leinster Under 18 Chess Championship Christopher O Reilly one of the two sixth years who currently teach chess at the school is a grandmaster and both students have competed on an international level winning a number of trophies in the process Debating edit Debating is a tradition dating back to the school s foundation It was originally taught in the school curriculum during the Victorian era and was originally known as public oration There are separate clubs for junior and senior pupils The school s debating society has contributed to the Irish World Schools Debating Team with five students representing Ireland since the competition s beginning in 1988 In both 2007 Alan Henry amp Liam O Connell and 2008 Adam Noonan amp Killian Breen the college won the Leinster Schools Senior Debating Championships The Past Pupils Union coordinates the annual College Union Debate where students and Pastmen debate against each other 17 Past speakers at the Union Debate include former Attorney General Paul Gallagher Eunan O Halpin Mick Quinn and Irish Times correspondent Patsy McGarry 18 19 The college also holds gold medal debates for every academic year giving the students the opportunity to win the medal on prize day if they win the debate 20 The gold medal debates are used in sixth year to select an eligible Valedictorian for the year who give his address at both the graduation mass and again at prize day Former winners of the senior gold medal debates include the Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave the Supreme Court Justice Anthony J Hederman Conor Gearty and Oisin Quinn 21 The college debaters participate in many competitions including the L amp H debates in UCD 22 Castleknock Chronicle editThe Castleknock Chronicle has been published every year since 1886 by the College Union it is a record of the main events in the college and a valuable historical source 23 It records the students in each year group and the members of every team and society in the college In has photographs and articles written by staff and students about events in the college The Chronicle also holds the distinction of being the publisher of the last known photograph of the RMS Titanic 24 As of 2011 update it was being digitised Grounds edit nbsp Western entrance to the college nbsp Castleknock Castle and motte on the college grounds 2018 nbsp Castleknock Castle and College viewed from the Carpenterstown Road There are two hills in the grounds the Windmill Hill and the hill of the castle The former is reputed to be the burial mound of Cumhal father of Fionn mac Cumhaill a legendary Irish warrior According to legend mac Cumhaill was interred here following his death at the Battle of Cnucha An archaeological dig of this hill carried out in June 2007 revealed the remains of four human skeletons probably dating from the early Christian period The second hill is topped with the remains of Castleknock Castle which dates from the early thirteenth century when it was founded by the Norman knight Hugh Tyrrell who was later created Baron of Castleknock He chose this location near the end of the esker which stretches from Galway to Dublin Built on two mounds of the esker it commanded the route into Dublin from the west Castleknock was the final rallying point for the forces of the last High King of Ireland Rory O Connor He failed to drive the Cambro Normans from the area around Dublin in 1171 The college is set on 70 acres of landscaped parkland estate with nine rugby pitches a cricket crease and pavilion a soccer pitch an athletics and running track six state of the art tennis courts an all weather rugby practice pitch and agricultural land 25 in which cows graze and wildlife such as pheasants rabbits and squirrels are in abundance There is car parking for students and others The college is close to Castleknock village and is located beside Farmleigh Estate and the Phoenix Park College buildings editThe college consists mainly of three buildings McNamara house Cregan house and the Dowley house The McNamara and Cregan buildings are connected via the foyer known as St Vincent s Hall McNamara house contain several other wings and Vincentian community facilities as well as other classrooms and subject specific rooms McNamara House also contains the library concert hall day boys refectory and the boarders refectory Building works 2005 2009 edit From 2005 the college infrastructure was renewed at a cost in the region of 16 million 26 A link building was built and existing buildings expanded and refurbished Irish President Mary McAleese officially opened the newly restored buildings on 29 September 2008 A state of the art multi purpose sports and tennis ground was recently built allowing for students and others to enjoy various activities Cultural associations editThe school featured indirectly but prominently in Gerard Siggins series of novels Rugby Rebel as the shared basis of Castlerock College a portmanteau of Castleknock College and Blackrock College the boarding school which the protagonist Eoin attends The popular fictional series starring Ross O Carroll Kelly has mentioned Castleknock on a number of occasions in the books and Irish Times columns the name of the fictional school the lead character attended was also Castlerock College Popular media editThe 2016 Irish comedy drama film Handsome Devil directed by John Butler was predominantly filmed at Castleknock and featured as the fictional all boys boarding school Woodhill College It was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival It centres on an ostracised teenager Fionn O Shea at an elite rugby obsessed all boys boarding school in Ireland whose new roommate Nicholas Galitzine is the school s new rugby star player The two form an unlikely friendship until it is tested by those around them Handsome Devil has received critical acclaim winning the award for Best Irish Feature of 2017 from the Dublin Film Critics Circle four nominations at the 2018 Irish Film and Television Academy IFTA Awards including Best Feature Film and the Best Single Drama Award at the annual Celtic Media Festival in 2018 Evelyn the 2002 drama film loosely based on the true story of Desmond Doyle and his fight in the Irish courts December 1955 to be reunited with his children was predominantly filmed at Castleknock and featured as the orphanage The film stars Sophie Vavasseur in the title role Pierce Brosnan as her father and Aidan Quinn Julianna Margulies Stephen Rea and Alan Bates as supporters to Doyle s case The film had a limited release in the United States starting on 13 December 2002 and was later followed by the United Kingdom release on 21 March 2003 Presidents of Castleknock College editPhilip Dowley 1835 1864 27 Thomas MacNamara 1864 1866 Peter Duff 1867 1873 Malachy O Callaghan 1873 1885 James Moore 1885 1892 Thomas Hardy 1892 1895 Joseph Geoghegan 1895 1902 M P Brosnahan 1902 1907 Paul Cullen 1907 1915 M J O Reilly 1915 John Shanahan 1915 1916 E P Meehan 1916 19 Vincent McCarthy 1919 1926 Henry O Connor 1926 32 T K Donovan 1932 1938 W J Meagher 1938 1944 William Sullivan 1944 1950 D F Cregan 1950 1957 M J Walsh 1957 1963 Patrick O Donoghue 1963 1972 Matthew Barry 1972 1980 Henry Slowey 1980 1985 Kevin O Shea 1985 1999 Simon Clyne 1999 2005 Peter J Slevin 2005 2018 Paschal Scallon 2018 28 Past Pupils Union edit nbsp The Lord Chief Justice of England Charles Russell Baron Russell of Killowen in 1899 The Castleknock Union was founded in the year 1896 by the Lord Chief Justice of England Charles Russell Baron Russell of Killowen with the aim of reconnecting all past pupils of the college 29 The college hosts many networking events for past pupils throughout the year that include the annual business lunch the gold medal debate the union debate and Union Day 30 31 32 Many notable figures have been guest speakers at the annual Business lunch such as the Irish rugby head coach Joe Schmidt and the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar 33 34 In 2016 the Past Pupils Union launched the Union Scholarship Fund to assist boys who otherwise could not afford to attain an education at Castleknock College due to socioeconomic barriers 35 Notable past pupils edit nbsp Pastman Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave TD in 1976 Former pupils of Castleknock College are known as Pastmen The school s alumni and faculty include two Taoisigh 36 one President of Ireland 37 one Ceann Comhairle several cabinet ministers 38 two Supreme Court Justices 39 five Attorneys General 40 one Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales three archbishops one founding member of Fianna Fail the founder of the Green Party of Ireland 41 one Lord Mayor of Dublin 42 one Victoria Cross holder 43 26 Irish International rugby players and numerous notable figures in the world of arts academia and business Academia science and medicine Simon Clyne Vincentian president of St Patrick s Drumcondra Castleknock College and chaplain to the President of Ireland Robert Farnan member of Seanad Eireann gynaecologist member of the Council of State and founder member of Fianna Fail J B Lyons medical historian writer and professor Gerald Molloy Irish catholic priest theologian and scientist Jerome Murphy O Connor professor of New Testament at the Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem Joseph Patrick Slattery physicist radiologist Catholic priest pioneer in the field of radiography in Australia 1877 1886 Jeremy Swan physician and cardiologist co inventor of the Swan Ganz catheter Edward M Walsh founding president of the University of Limerick Arts and media nbsp Pastman Colin Farrell in 2016 Vincent Browne journalist amp broadcaster former Fine Gael politician Eugene McCabe novelist short story writer playwright and television screenwriter William Francis Casey writer and journalist editor of The Times 1948 1952 Colin Farrell actor Ciaran Hope Fulbright Scholar and Irish composer of orchestral choral and film music Paddy O Byrne Irish radio broadcaster and actor Barry McGovern actor Arthur Mathews writer Father Ted and The Fast Show D P Moran Irish nationalist writer and literary critic Gerry Stembridge writer director and actor co creator of the radio programme Scrap Saturday with Dermot Morgan Bill Shipsey Irish human rights activist Business Bobby Kerr CEO Insomnia Coffee and Dragon on the Irish Dragons Den Johnny Ronan businessman and property developer Law Charles Casey High Court judge named Attorney General in 1951 John A Edwards judge of the Court of Appeal and former judge of the High Court Brian McGovern judge of the Court of Appeal Paul Gallagher former Attorney General of Ireland who served from June 2007 to March 2011 and from June 2020 to December 2022 Conor Gearty barrister at law author professor of human rights law at the London School of Economics and Rausing Director of the Centre for the Study of Human Rights winner of the Irish Times National Debating Championship Team 1978 1979 Anthony J Hederman Attorney General of Ireland 1977 1981 judge of the Supreme Court 1981 1993 Cecil Lavery former Fine Gael TD and Senator lawyer Attorney General of Ireland Supreme Court Judge Charles Russell Baron Russell of Killowen Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales 1894 1900 Peter Smithwick former President of the District Court and Chairman of the Smithwick Tribunal of Inquiry Joseph Alfred Sheridan former colonial chief justice of East Africa Military William MacDonald the first person to be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in February 1940 James Henry Reynolds VC Anglo Zulu War and Surgeon Reynolds of Rorke s Drift Henry Coey Kane Royal Navy Admiral Politics and diplomacy Patrick Cooney Fine Gael politician government minister Member of the European Parliament Liam Cosgrave Fine Gael politician former Taoiseach minister and Irish ambassador to the United Nations Liam T Cosgrave former Fine Gael Senator Paddy Donegan Fine Gael politician government minister Roger Garland Green Party politician and environmental campaigner first member of the Green Party to be elected to Dail Eireann Desmond Governey former Fine Gael TD Timothy Linehan former Fine Gael TD Marc MacSharry politician Oisin Quinn former Lord Mayor of Dublin and son of businessman Lochlann Quinn Arthur Matthews Cumann na nGaedheal TD 1927 32 J X Murphy governor of the Bank of Ireland independent TD 1927 32 Matthew O Reilly Fianna Fail TD 1927 54 P W Shaw Cumann na nGaedheal TD 1923 33 Timothy Sheehy politician Cumann na nGaedheal TD for Cork West 1927 1932 Edward Harney Australian parliamentarian Edward Barry Irish nationalist politician P J Brady Irish nationalist politician Henry Joseph Gill Irish Parliamentarian Edward Kelly lawyer and politician Nationalist MP for South Donegal 1910 1918 Religious Father Healy of Little Bray parish priest of Little Bray noted for his wit and wisdom John Bannon 1829 1913 Confederate army chaplain student 1844 46 Francis Browne Jesuit priest and RMS Titanic photographer John Conmee Irish Jesuit and rector of Clongowes Wood College Nicholas Donnelly titular bishop of Canea and auxiliary bishop of Dublin Patrick Feehan Archbishop of Chicago Patrick Moran 1823 1895 First Bishop of Dunedin New Zealand 1869 1895 Michael Verdon 1838 1918 Second Bishop of Dunedin New Zealand 1896 1918 Michael Prior theologian John Joseph Lynch former Archbishop of Toronto Joseph Leonard close friend of Jackie Kennedy wife of President of the United States John F Kennedy 44 Stephen Fennelly Archbishop of Madras Thomas Grimley Vicar Apostolic of Cape Town Richard Ryan served as Bishop of Geraldton and Bishop of Sale Australia Sports Jack Arigho rugby won 16 caps for Ireland between 1928 and 1931 James Leo Farrell rugby player Ireland 1926 32 British and Irish Lions 1927 and 1930 Denis Hurley rugby player current member of the Munster Rugby team Irish rugby international Marty Moore rugby player current member of the Ulster Rugby team Ruaidhri Murphy plays Super 15 rugby with the ACT Brumbies Devin Toner rugby player current member of the Ireland Rugby and Leinster Rugby teams Mark Ward Gaelic footballer Meath Gaelic football team Aidan McCullen retired Irish international rugby player Tom Farrell rugby union player Thos Foley skier member of the Ireland Olympic Team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin In fiction Ross O Carroll Kelly a fictional wealthy Dublin 4 rugby union jock who attends the fictional Castlerock College a portmanteau of Castleknock College and Blackrock College Notable teachers past and present editEamon de Valera member of the teaching staff 1910 11 Fianna Fail politician elected TD in the first Dail 1919 and former Taoiseach and President of Ireland Frank Fahy member of the teaching staff 1906 21 politician veteran of the Easter Rising and War of Independence elected TD in the first Dail 1919 Ceann Comhairle of Dail Eireann 1932 50 and Fianna Fail TD for Meath Mary Harney briefly and also interim moderator of the college debating society former Tanaiste and Minister for Leader and Progressive Democrats TD and former Fianna Fail TD Jeremy Staunton former rugby player for Munster and Ireland current mathematics teacher Adrian Flavin former rugby player for Ireland current director of rugby Partner Schools editSt Paul s College Raheny Dublin Ireland St Stanislaus College Bathurst New South Wales Australia Osterreichisches Sankt Georgs Kolleg Istanbul TurkeySee also editCongregation of the Mission Catholic schools in Ireland by religious order 1833 in IrelandReferences edit History Castleknock College Retrieved 30 November 2019 Headmaster s Message Castleknock College Retrieved 30 November 2019 History Castleknock College Castleknock College Retrieved 16 September 2018 William John Fitzpatrick Memories of Father Healy of Little Bray Macmillan 1895 page 14 Queen Victoria visits Castleknock College KnockUnion ie Retrieved 8 December 2019 O Neill Ciaran 2014 Catholics of Consequence Transnational Education Social Mobility and the Irish Catholic Elite 1850 1900 Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0 19 870771 4 Secondary Schools St Vincents Castleknock Dubin www vincentians ie The College and its Facilities St Vincent s Castleknock College Retrieved 5 May 2020 The College and its Facilities Castleknock College Retrieved 5 October 2019 Rugby Castleknock College Retrieved 5 October 2019 Fitzpatrick David 2004 Harry Boland s Irish Revolution Cork University Press ISBN 9781859183861 Adrian Flavin College Director of Rugby KnockUnion ie Retrieved 3 December 2019 Athletics St Vincent s Castleknock College Retrieved 4 May 2020 Music Castleknock College Retrieved 5 October 2019 Chaplaincy Castleknock College Retrieved 5 October 2019 Ambo project Castleknock College Retrieved 5 October 2019 Union Debate 2020 KnockUnion ie Retrieved 3 May 2020 1916 Centenary Debate the Photos KnockUnion ie Retrieved 3 May 2020 Devin Toner Castleknock Union Pastman of the Year 2018 KnockUnion ie Retrieved 8 May 2020 Debating Castleknock College Retrieved 23 December 2019 Debating Gold Medal at Knock KnockUnion ie Retrieved 22 December 2019 Debating St Vincent s Castleknock College Retrieved 5 May 2020 Castleknock College Union www knockunion ie Retrieved 7 May 2020 Titanic The Last Photograph 23 April 2004 About Us Castleknock College Retrieved 6 January 2020 The College and its Facilities Castleknock College Retrieved 5 October 2019 History Castleknock College Retrieved 6 January 2020 SVC President KnockUnion ie Retrieved 6 January 2020 First Union Meeting KnockUnion ie Retrieved 3 December 2019 2020 Business Lunch Guest Speaker An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar KnockUnion ie Retrieved 6 December 2019 Union Debate 2019 KnockUnion ie Retrieved 6 December 2019 Union Debate 2020 KnockUnion ie Retrieved 4 May 2020 Business Lunch 2019 KnockUnion ie Retrieved 7 December 2019 2020 Business Lunch Guest Speaker An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar KnockUnion ie Retrieved 7 December 2019 Union Scholarship Fund KnockUnion ie Retrieved 7 December 2019 Liam Cosgrave former taoiseach and Fine Gael leader dies aged 97 The Irish Times Retrieved 23 November 2019 The Meehan Brothers amp Dev at Knock KnockUnion ie Retrieved 23 November 2019 Former Justice Minister Patrick Cooney settles defamation case www irishexaminer com 5 February 2019 Retrieved 23 November 2019 Judge Anthony Hederman hailed as quiet hero at funeral Mass Independent ie Retrieved 23 November 2019 Coulter Carol Brilliance under fire The Irish Times Retrieved 23 November 2019 Founder warns of wipe out of Greens The Irish Times Retrieved 4 May 2020 Lunch with Oisin Quinn No rest for the wigged as lawyer swaps court for Mansion House Independent ie Retrieved 23 November 2019 The VC and GC Association vcgca org Retrieved 23 November 2019 Parsons Michael Who was Fr Joseph Leonard The Irish Times Retrieved 20 March 2020 External links editOfficial Castleknock College website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Castleknock College amp oldid 1185203433, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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