Summerhill College
| Summerhill College Coláiste Cnoic an tSamhraidh |
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| Summerhill College logo A view of Summerhill College's 19th century Old Building
Estote Factores Verbi
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| Address | |
| College Road Sligo, County Sligo Republic of Ireland |
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| Information | |
| Type | Voluntary secondary school |
| Established | 1857 |
| Founder | The Most Reverend Laurence Gillooly, C.M., Bishop of Elphin |
| Patron | The Most Reverend Kevin Doran, DD, Bishop of Elphin |
| Principal | Mr. Paul Keogh (Acting) |
| Chaplain | Mr. Paul Keogh |
| Teaching staff | 58 |
| Gender | Male |
| Enrollment | 782[1] |
| Colour(s) | Navy Blue, Light Blue |
| Athletics | Soccer, Gaelic games, Rugby union, Athletics, Basketball, Swimming, Surfing |
| Nickname | Boys in Blue, The Hill |
| Website | http://www.summerhillcollege.ie |
| 300px The old buildings of Summerhill College (now replaced by a new building programme) |
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Summerhill College (aka The College of the Immaculate Conception) is a Roman Catholic voluntary secondary school for boys located in the town of Sligo in northwest Ireland.
Contents
History
The school was founded in 1857[2] by the then Bishop of Elphin Dr Laurence Gillooly in Summerhill, Athlone, County Roscommon. It moved to temporary accommodation in Sligo in 1880 (Quay Street) and to a new school building (the present site) in 1892. Although the official name of the school is the College of the Immaculate Conception, it has always been known locally as Summerhill or Summerhill College.
The College has been a Diocesan College—historically an entry school for those wishing to train as priests for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Elphin. The college took in both boarders and day boys until the dormitories were closed in the 1980s due to economic circumstances.[3]
Curriculum
The school offers the traditional Junior and Leaving Certificate cycles to its pupils. It also provides other options such as Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP),[4] Transition Year, Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP)[5] and Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA).[6]
Extra-curricular activities, clubs and sport
Summerhill College has a proud sporting tradition in soccer and Gaelic football. During the school year, soccer coaching is run in the school, with the assistance of Sligo Rovers F.C. It also offers many other sports to its students, including rugby union, basketball, athletics, swimming and surfing.
Selected past pupils
Some of Summerhill's more well-known alumni:[7]
- Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Shane Filan, three of the four members of boy band Westlife
- Father Edward J. Flanagan, founder of Boys Town orphanages in the US (the old gym in the school was named "Fr. Flanagan Hall" after him)
- Fr. Michael O'Flanagan, an Irish Republican and Roman Catholic priest.
- Tommie Gorman, Northern Ireland correspondent with Irish State Broadcaster RTÉ
- Tabby Callaghan, singer, finalist on The X Factor
- John McCormack, world-famous tenor
- Ray MacSharry, former Fianna Fáil TD, Tánaiste and European Commissioner
- Dermot Mannion, former CEO of Aer Lingus
- Joseph MacManus, Provisional Irish Republican Army Volunteer killed in Fermanagh in 1992.
- Paul McGee, former Republic of Ireland Soccer International
- Albert Reynolds, former Fianna Fáil TD and Taoiseach
- Mark Scanlon, professional cyclist, former World Junior Cycling Champion
New school building programme
In January 2006 it was announced that Summerhill was to get €20 million funding for a new school building. Work was due to begin in 2008,[8] but the Department of Education said later that same year that "the project will not be progressed further this year".[9] However, work finally began on the demolition of the 1970s building and construction of a new school in the summer of 2011. The new three-storey building opened its doors to new students in August 2012 at a reduced cost of €12.5M. There are over 40 new classrooms and many state of the art facilities in the new building, with a new gym and hardcourt playing pitches opened in November 2012.[10][11]
Controversies
The school received a damning report from the Department of Education in May 2010.[12] The principal at the time of this inspection was Michael Murphy.
In February 2013 a trial in Sligo Circuit Court heard of alleged improper use of Department of Education funds by former school staff during 2008–09.[13]
See also
References
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- ↑ Freeman's Journal, 8 July 1857
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External links
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