Heritage
Heritage
Education has long been at the heart of Kilkenny. A college of vicars’ choral was
established at St. Canice’s Cathedral in the thirteenth century and in 1538 Piers Butler,
Earl of Ormonde and his wife, Margaret, founded a school to the west of the Cathedral,
where the library now stands.
Thus, when James, first Duke of Ormonde, established
Kilkenny College in John Street, c.1666, he was following
the Butler tradition of promoting education in the city. It
soon became a famous school and so, in the 1780s, a new
College was built on the same site overlooking the river
Nore. The Georgian building, with its elegant facade, now
houses the offices of the County Council.
There has been a long list of famous past pupils. The best known are undoubtedly
Jonathan Swift, the author and satirist who went on to become Dean of St. Patrick’s
Cathedral and Bishop George Berkeley the philosopher and Bishop of Cloyne, who
gave his name to the University City of Berkeley in California. Other famous names
include William Congreve and George Farqhuar (both Restoration playwrights), John
Banim, Thomas Prior (founder of the Royal Dublin Society) and David Beatty (1st Sea
Lord at the Battle of Jutland in 1916).
A far-reaching development occurred in 1973 when the Collegiate School, Celbridge,
was amalgamated with Kilkenny College and the school became co-educational. In
1985 the College moved to
a greenfield site on the
Castlecomer road.
Comprising an attractive
complex of classrooms,
dormitories, catering and
dining facilities, it is set on
a landscaped 50-acre site
framed by mature trees.
Today Kilkenny College
fulfils a dual role as the
largest co-educational
boarding school in Ireland
and as the local school for
a large number of day
pupils from the city and
surrounding area. It
welcomes pupils from a
wide spectrum of
backgrounds and
traditions.
Under the recent headships of Mr. Samuel McClure and Canon Robert John Black, Kilkenny College has become one of the finest schools in Ireland, combining a family atmosphere with the best education available. The College motto, Comme je trouve, comes from the Butler family crest. The Butlers believed in making the most of their opportunities and today’s pupils are encouraged to do the same.
At one time the College was termed a university. In contrast at the end of the 19th Century, the College was reduced to one pupil. The
amalgamation with the Pococke school nearby was its saving. Twenty nine headmasters of Kilkenny College are recorded. In the 20th Century there were four long-serving men:
C.G. Shankey 1917 - 1952; Gilbert
Colton 1953-1979; Samuel McClure
1979-1996 and Robert John Black 1996-
2005.
During Gilbert Colton's time the school
was amalgamated with the Collegiate
School, Celbridge in 1973 and Kilkenny
College became truly co-educational. During Sam McClure's stewardship, the
College moved to its new campus and
under Canon Black's principalship,
more buildings have been constructed.
It is now regarded as one of the finest
schools in the country, combining
family atmosphere with the best
educational facilities available.
The College’s academic results are on a
par with the leading schools in Ireland. The Leaving Certificate results for 2005 were outstanding. The average number of points per
pupil was 400, with a large percentage of pupils achieving over 500 points, placing us among the top 10 schools in the country.
Pupils are therefore well prepared intellectually and socially to take their place in a dynamic and ever-changing country.
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