Holy Faith Schools Timeline

1861-1872

Catholic School of St. Brigid
10 Crow Street, Dublin
The first Catholic School of St. Brigid was opened on 07 October 1861 at number 10 Crow Street [present Temple Bar area of the city]. In 1872, the school at Crow Street transferred to Clarendon Street Schools (see Prunty, 1999, 101; Gibbons, 1928, 225; Fifth Annual Report of St. Brigid’s Orphanage, 1861).

1863

Grand Strand Street School(s)
Grand Strand Street, Dublin
Under the auspices of St. Brigid’s Orphanage, the second school was opened in Great Strand Street in the Spring of 1863 (see Gibbons, 1928, 226).The Eighth Annual Report of St. Brigid’s Orphanage (1864), notes that there were two schools in operation from ‘Strand Street’ from 1863, under the auspices of St. Brigid’s Orphanage.

1864-1887

West Part Street Scool(s), Dublin
The Coombe School, Dublin
St. Brigid’s Catholic Schools of the Seven Dolours

Originally Protestant Schools, Margaret Aylward’s first move was to take ‘over the Ragged Schools of the Coombe’ (Prunty, 1999, 111).According to the Ninth Annual Report of St. Brigid’s Orphanage (1865), ‘Within the last year, two additional [schools] have been opened, one for girls, and one for little boys, in West Park Street, in the Liberties, and just opposite the great proselytising school on the Coombe.’

1865-

Glasnevin House
Glasnevin, Dublin
In 1865, Margaret Aylward purchased Glasnevin House and her sisters continued to teach in the primary school there, which was already in operation by the Sacred Heart Sisters.

1865-1977

St. Brigid’s Primary School
Old Finglas Road, Glasnevin, Dublin
Operated on the Glasnevin campus; now Aylward House, the Generalate.

1875-1986

Sacred Heart Skerries Junior, Secondary and Boarding Schools
Skerries, Dublin
For girls and boys up to First Holy Communion, and secondary day school for girls. Originally the home of John Gowan, by 1928 it had 40 pupils in its Junior Boy’s Boarding School.

1870

Jervis Street School
65 lower Jervis Street, Dublin
In 1888, foundation in Little Strand Street (1888-1975) consisted of the amalgamation of Jervis Street and Great Strand Street Schools and the establishment of ‘Our Coombe’ Secondary Day School.

1872-1970

Clarendon Street Holy Faith Junior and Secondary Schools
Clarendon Street, Dublin
off Grafton street (now the Westbury Hotel since 1972). In 1872, the establishment of Lady of Good Council Clarendon Street Convent and Schools were completed, and Crow Street School transferred to Clarendon Street Schools.

1872-1970

St. Brigid’s Primary Schools
Clarendon Street, Dublin
off Grafton Street; the Westbury Hotel is now built on the site of the former Sisters of the Holy Faith Convent and School.

1873-1982

Holy Faith Boarding School (for girls)
Glasnevin, Dublin
‘opened for “respectful girls”, was warmly welcomed “for the farmers’ daughters, the parents of whom dread sending their children to a regular young ladies school, it so turns their heads”‘ (Prunty, 1999, 116).

1878

St. Brigid’s Primary School
Kilcullen, Co. Kildare
Holy Faith withdrew from Kilcullen in 1878 and established Celbridge Convent and St. Brigid’s Primary School.

1880-1992

St. Brigid’s Primary School
Mount St. Joseph, Mullinavat, Co. Kilkenny
In 1879, Mullinavat in Ossory opened. It was the only Holy Faith foundation outside of the Dublin archdiocese. By 1886, there were 9 houses in the congregation, 8 in the Dublin Dioceses and 1 in the Ossory Diocese (Co. Kilkenny). By 1928 it had a community of 6 Holy Faith sisters.

1884-1982

Dominick Street Schools (junior and secondary schools)
54 Lower Dominick Street, Dublin
Girls and (boys up to First Holy Communion). It was a private school for girls and junior boys (Gibbons, 1928, 327).

1888-1975

St. Brigid’s Primary School
Little Strand Street, Dublin
In 1888, the foundation in Little Strand Street consisted of the amalgamation of Jervis Steet and Great Strand Street schools.

1890

Holy Faith Junior Private Secondary School
Clontarf Road, Clontarf, Dublin
Established on 22 September 1890. ‘Four Holy Faith sisters founded a school on Clontarf Road on 22nd of September 1890. The present Holy faith Secondary School building opened in 1950 on Belgrove Road just cross the road from the older building.’ (History of Irish Education Project).

1892-

St Brigid’s Primary School and Boarding School
Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow
The primary school was ‘intended to offer education to the offspring of poor families. A boarding school was opened too, with ten boys on the roll, and the fees paid by the families of the boarders helped to finance the whole operation.’ (Bray People, 09 December, 2017).

1894-1958

St. Michael’s Junior and Private Day School (for girls)
Cappagh Road, Finglas, Dublin
On 8th May 1894, the Holy Faith Sisters opened a convent on Cappagh Road, Finglas. This convent was located on the present-day site of St. Michael’s Secondary School. Soon after the Sisters took up residence, a private day school was opened for girls and a Junior Boarding School was begun for boys. These schools were placed under the patronage of St. Brigid. Current address St. Michael’s Holy Faith Secondary School Wellmount Road, Finglas, Dublin 11 (St. Michael’s Holy Faith website).

1894-1927

St. Michael’s Junior Boarding School (for boys)
Cappagh Road, Finglas, Dublin
In 1927 a fine red-brick school was built close to the convent in the Sister’s grounds and St. Brigid’s pupils were transferred to this new building (which edifice now forms part of the Secondary School). The boys’ Boarding School was discontinued at about this time. In 1954 Fort William (Craigies) was acquired as a convent and the previous convent was converted into classrooms, which were used by St. Brigid’s until 1959 and subsequently by St. Michael’s until 1976 when the old building was demolished (St. Michael’s Holy Faith website).

1897-1985

St. Philomena’s Junior Private School
The Coombe, Dublin
For girls and boys up to First Holy Communion.

1897-

St. Patrick’s Kilcoole National School
Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow
The establishment of St. Patrick’s Kilcoole National School in Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow in 1897 and from 1899 to 1928 Kilcoole Boarding School operated for boys up to age of 12.

1898-1982

St. Mary’s Primary Schools
Glasnevin, Dublin
Junior private school for girls and boys up to First Holy Communion.

1898-

St. Mary’s Secondary School (for girls)
Glasnevin, Dublin

1901-2007

St. Mary’s Secondary School
Haddington Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin
St Mary’s Holy Faith Secondary School opened in 1901 and closed its doors in June 2007 (The Irish Times, 20 November 2007).

1903

Blacklion School
Trafalgar Road, Greystones, Co. Wicklow
The school was built in 1845 and in 1903, the Holy Faith Sisters took over responsibility for it (St. David’s Holy Faith School website).

1901-1985

St Mary’s Junior Private School
Haddington Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin
this was a private, fee-paying school.

1906

St. David’s Holy Faith School(s)
Kimberly Road, Greystones
For girls and young boys up to First Holy Communion, and secondary day school for girls (St. David’s Holy Faith School website)

1906

St Brigid’s National School
Greystones, Co. Wicklow
‘St Brigid’s National School is a Roman Catholic co-educational school that was first established in 1906 by the Holy Faith Sisters to provide Catholic education for the children of Greystones. The present school building was officially opened in November 1973’ (Saint Brigid’s National School website).

References

Gibbons, Margaret (1928) The Life of Margaret Aylward: Foundress of the Sisters of the Holy Faith, Sands and Company, London

Prunty, Jacinta (1999) Margaret Aylward: Lady of Charity, Sister of Faith 1810-1889, Four Courts Press, Dublin

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