Castleknock College

Castleknock College (Coláiste Caisleán Cnucha in Irish) is a private (fee-paying) secondary school for boys situated in the residential suburb of Castleknock, 8 km west of the city centre in Dublin, Ireland.

History

The history of Castleknock College dates back over 170 years. In 1830, a year after the passing of Catholic Emancipation, priests from the Vincentian Community (Congregation of the Mission, C.M.) in Maynooth College obtained permission to open a day school under the patronage of the Archbishop of Dublin. On the 28th of August 1833 a day school at 24 Usher's Quay Dublin was opened.

So successful was the school that on the 28th of August 1835, St. Vincent's Ecclesiastical Seminary was opened in Castleknock, catering for just 47 boys. The first student to arrive in 1835 was John Lynch of Clones, Co. Monaghan. He would later enter the Vincentian order and 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 in New Zealand in 1869. Castleknock College's position at the forefront of Irish Catholic education was affirmed on 22nd April 1900, when Queen Victoria and her royal party visited the College.

Sports

Castleknock College has long been established as one of the top rugby schools in Leinster. The College 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 except Blackrock, the most recent appearance in the final was in 1983 when the team lost by 7 points to De La Salle Churchtown. The Leinster Schools Junior Cup has also been won on eight occasions in Castleknock's history, the last time in 1966. In 2006 three members of the Castleknock College SCT were selected for the Ireland team for the Under-19 World Cup in Dubai. Brian Collins played in every match at out-half while Tom Walsh and Ruaidhri Murphy featured prominently throughout the tournament. In Ireland's second round 17-16 victory over Samoa, all of the Irish points were scored by Castleknock players. The Irish team eventually finished a very creditable fifth in the tournament, beating England in the group stages.

Castleknock College has also tasted success in schools athletics with College athlete Adrian Toolan winning the All-Ireland Senior 400M title in 2006. Adrian was a member of the victorious relay team that won the All-Ireland Schools Senior 4x100M title in 2006. Final Year student John Coghlan was recently crowned All-Ireland Schools Senior Cross Country Champion 2007, thus continuing the winning trend in both Track & Field and Cross Country. Castleknock College competes in a variety of other sports including soccer, tennis, golf and cricket.

The Castleknock Chronicle has been published by the College every year since it was first produced in 1888. The Chronicle acts as a record of the main events in the College and is an invaluable historical source for the Vincentian community, staff, students and past-men of Castleknock.

Grounds

The Castleknock College grounds are located in the suburb of Castleknock, beside the Phoenix Park. The college is easily accessible via the M50 ring road around Dublin.

The College grounds contain two hills, one of which is reputed to be the burial mound of Cumhal, father of Fionn mac Cumhail, a legendary Irish warrior. According to legend, Cumhal was interred here following his death at the Battle of Cnucha.

The second hill is topped with the remains of a Norman castle dating from the early thirteenth century. It is this castle which has given the name to the Castleknock district. The castle remains include less than half of the original keep with portions of the walls of the bailey, enclosing a space of roughly 33 m x 20 m (100 ft x 60 ft). The bailey is still surrounded on the north and west by the original fosses and earthen ramparts.

New developments

In 2005, the administration of Castleknock College decided on a new development plan to renew the entire College. It is divided into three stages over a total of three years, with an expected cost of € 16 m.

Phase One will concentrate on connecting the MacNamara and Cregan House buildings, and has been underway since the start of 2006. The buildings will be linked by a connector building (or "Link Building"). This three story building will become the central front door to the College, it will house three state-of-the-art science laboratories, new interactive classhalls, centralised communication and administration as well as disabled access to all floors.

During summer 2005, when the removal of "Sandy Row" began (part of MacNamara House), damage was sustained to the school chapel. The school was fortunate that the damage can be repaired, but all masses and assemblies will be held in the concert hall so as to speed up the repair for the Sixth Year Graduation Mass in May '06, and to avoid any danger to students and others.

Phase Two will commence twelve months later, concentrating on the expansion of Cregan House to allow for the development of arts, library and language facilities. It will also provide more class hall space, a concourse on each floor to provide easier passage between classes, a meeting area and so on.

Phase Three will take place roughly an estimated twelve months after phase two, and will focus on new state of the art sports facilities.

Alumni and the Castleknock College Union

In 1896 the Castleknock College Union was founded by the past-men of the College as means of maintaining the Vincentian ethos and cameraderie among the graduates of Castleknock College. Castleknock can claim to have the oldest such society in Ireland. The first President of the Castleknock Union was Lord Russell of Killowen, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales (the first Catholic to hold that office since the reformation). The main events held each year by the Union are the Annual Dinner, the Past-men's Retreat on Good Friday and Union Day.

Union Day is the prize-giving and sports day in the College and is seen as a link between those attending the College and its past-men. The first official Sports Day was held in the College on April 4th 1872.It is always held on the second last Sunday before public examinations commence and is celebrated outdoors, weather permitting. The Graduation Mass is held in the College Chapel for the sixth year students on Union Day. The President of the Union addresses the College graduates at this Mass and welcomes them as new members of the Castleknock College Union.

A selection of notable alumni are listed below:

Jack Arigho, rugby, won 16 caps for Ireland between 1928 and 1931.
Richard Barrett, Property (Treasury Holdings).
Ambrose Birmingham, M.D., physician, academic, Fellow of the College of Surgeons, Examiner to Cambridge University.
Vincent Browne, journalist & broadcaster.
Patrick Cooney, politician, government minister, Member of the European Parliament.
Liam Cosgrave, Taoiseach.
Paddy Donegan, politician, government minister.
Most Rev. Nicholas Donnelly, Bishop of Canea.
Most Rev. Dr. James Downey, Co-Adjutor Bishop of Ossory.
Alan 'Dixie' Duggan, rugby, Ireland international.
Major William Egan, D.S.O., O.B.E., army officer.
Jody Fanagan, golfer, member of the victorious GB&I team in the 1995 Walker Cup.
Colin Farrell, actor.
Most Rev. Patrick Feehan, Archbishop of Chicago.
Most Rev. Stephen Fennelly, Archbishop of Madras.
Most Rev. Thomas Fennelly, Archbishop of Cashel.
Mr Justice Fergus Flood, lawyer, judge.
Thos Foley, skier, member of the Ireland Olympic Team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
Roger Garland, politician & environmental campaigner.
Conor Gearty, barrister, author, Professor of Human Rights Law at the London School of Economics and Rausing Director of the Centre for the Study of Human Rights.

Most Rev. Laurence Gilhooly, C.M., Bishop of Elphin.
Graham Quilan, the main suspect as the stig in top gear
Desmond Governey, politician.
Most Rev. Thomas Grimley, Vicar Apostolic of Cape Town.
Anthony J. Hederman, lawyer, judge, former Attorney General of Ireland.
Admiral Sir Henry Coey (H.C.) Kane, K.C.B., V.C., Admiral of the Royal Navy and recipient of the Victoria Cross.
Edward Kelly, lawyer and politician, Nationalist MP for South Donegal 1910 - 1918.
Most Rev. John Kilduff, C.M., Bishop of Ardagh.
Cecil Lavery, lawyer, politician (former TD and Senator), Attorney-General of Ireland, Supreme Court Judge.
Most Rev. John Leonard, Bishop of Cape Town.
George Lynch, writer and war correspondent for the Daily Mail and New York Journal.
Most Rev. James Lynch, C.M., Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin.
Most Rev. John Lynch, C.M., Archbishop of Toronto.
Peter V. Lyons, President of the GUI, Committee Member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, St. Andrews.
Charles W. MacCarthy, M.D., physician, Fenian, recipient of the Croix Militaire, Chairman of the Irish National Executive of the Home Rule Movement in New South Wales.
M. C. MacInerney, K.C., barrister, Divisional Magistrate for Dublin 1910 - 1917.
Marc MacSharry, politician.
Eugene McCabe, playwright and novelist.
Most Rev. Neal McCabe, C.M., Bishop of Ardagh.
Arthur Mathews, writer.
Neil McCann, Business (Fyffes.)
Joseph McDermott, lawyer, President of the Incorporated Law Society.
Barry McGovern, actor.
Most Rev. Patrick Moran, Bishop of Dunedin.
James Morrin OBE, Deputy Commissioner, Hong Kong Police.
P. F. Mullally, politician, prominent member of the Land League, Chairman of Tipperary County Council.
Brian O'Connell, journalist.
James E. O'Doherty, lawyer and politician, Nationalist MP for North Donegal.
Pierce Purcell, academic, first Professor of Civil Engineering, University College Dublin.
Lieut.-Col. James Henry Reynolds, V.C., army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross.
Gavin McIntyre took part in the 1st same sex marriage to long term partner Jessica(John)Tighe in the Republic of Ireland.
James Riordan, politician and lawyer, Crown Solicitor for Tyrone and Fermanagh.
John Ronan, Property (Treasury Holdings).
Charles Russell, Baron Russell of Killowen, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales (1894 - 1900).
Most Rev. Patrick J. Ryan, Archbishop of Philadelphia.
Most Rev. Richard Ryan, C.M., Bishop of Sale, Australia.
Timothy Sheehy, politician, TD for [Cork West]].
Jeremy Swan M.D., cardiologist and physician, co-inventor of the Swan-Ganz catheter.
Most Rev. Michael Verdon, Bishop of Dunedin.
Richard Withey, the world record holder of " the world's Largest Chin"
Rev. James McCarthy Head of The Church of Ireland
Mark Coffey is entered in the Guinnes World book of reock for being the most whiped man
Sean Fleury President of the Gay And Lesbien Society of Ireland
Addam Delemere, the world's smallest man. 2 foot 1"

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