Cistercian College, Roscrea
Encyclopedia
Cistercian College, Roscrea or Roscrea College is a private boarding school in Ireland. It is a Roman Catholic seven-day boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...

 for boys and was founded in 1905.
The current school president is Mrs. Marcelline Cody and the current school principal is Mr. Gerry Grealish. Its pupil population is primarily made up of boarding students, though a small number of teachers' sons also attend as day pupils.

Grounds

Located within the grounds of Mount St. Joseph Abbey
Mount St. Joseph Abbey, Roscrea
Mount St. Joseph Abbey is an abbey of the Trappist branch of the Cistercians located in Roscrea, North Tipperary in Ireland.The abbey was founded in 1878 by a group of 32 Monks from Mount Melleray Abbey, County Waterford...

 in Roscrea
Roscrea
Roscrea is a small heritage town in North Tipperary, Ireland. The town has a population of 4,910. Its main industries include meat processing and pharmaceuticals. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Ikerrin...

, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...

, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, the school is managed by monks of the Trappist
Trappists
The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance , or Trappists, is a Roman Catholic religious order of cloistered contemplative monks who follow the Rule of St. Benedict...

 branch of the Cistercians.
It is situated in the grounds of Mount Saint Joseph Abbey, 2.5 miles west of Roscrea town. Surrounded by open wooded countryside and thirty acres of grounds and sports fields it also adjoins the Abbey farm of 360 hectares.

History

The school was founded by the Cistercian monks in 1905 as a monastic boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...

 for boys and has educated students from all over Ireland. CCR is one of two monastic schools in Ireland and in 1990 a Board of Governors was appointed by the Abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...

 to govern the administration of the college on behalf of the Abbey.

Ethos

The influence of the Abbey is an integral part of the college and daily life is influenced by the presence of the few remaining Cistercian monks. .
Though most of the school's current teaching staff are now lay-persons, a tiny number of Cistercian monks and brothers take part in the school's administration and chaplaincy.

The college aspires to be a Christian community of learning, a worshipping community with an awareness of the presence of God in daily life and in the preparation of pupils for adult life.

Culture of Roscrea College

The school yearbook is known as The Vexillum. Referred to by the boys as The Vex, it is produced annually towards the summer holidays and usually distributed on the final evening before the last summer exams. It is compiled by the pupils. It contains reports on sporting and non-sporting events throughout the year, including the hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...

 and rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...

 campaigns and 6th year profiles. It is a lasting memento for past pupils from their time in the College.
Each year an opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...

 is held, around the time of the mid-term break at Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...

. It is a tradition going back to the founding of the school. Boys from all years are encouraged to participate, whether it be directly on stage, or with sound/lighting/costumes backstage.

Sports

Cistercian College Roscrea has a national and international reputation for sporting achievement. Boys have the opportunity to receive coaching and subsequently compete in a large number of sports.
Team games are served by the facilities that include;
  • Extensive playing fields (rugby
    Rugby football
    Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...

    , hurling
    Hurling
    Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...

    , gaelic football
    Gaelic football
    Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

    , and soccer)
  • An all-weather pitch,
  • Heated indoor swimming pool
  • Basketball court .
  • Tennis courts .
  • Gymnasium .


The main sports played are rugby and hurling during the autumn
Autumn
Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....

 and spring and athletics
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...

 during the late spring early summer. The school's sporting colours are black and white. The school has produced professional rugby players, county hurlers and representatives on the Irish Athletics team notably in hammer
Hammer throw
The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...

 and hurdles.

The College's Sports Complex provides indoor facilities for a wide range of sporting activities.

Debating and Public Speaking

Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...

, English and German-language debating teams compete each year from Cistercian College. They have most notably won the all-Ireland debating competition Comrtas an Phiarsaigh in 2010. Coached by two teachers from the school, all students are encouraged to try out for the debating teams. In-house public speaking competitions take place in each year, with the Silver Medal being awarded to the winner from Third Year, and the Gold Medal to the winner from Sixth Year.

Golf

The students have access to a 9 hole golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....

 course. A golf team participates each year in competition.

Equestrian

Famed horse trainer Willie Mullins
Willie Mullins
Willie Mullins is an Irish racehorse trainer and former jockey. He is based at Closutton, Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, Ireland...

 is a past pupil and horse riding is a popular sport in the college.

Notable Pastmen

  • Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...

     - Former Taoiseach
    Taoiseach
    The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...

    .
  • Gavin Duffy
    Gavin Duffy
    Gavin Duffy is a rugby union footballer who plays at full back or at centre for Connacht Rugby.Educated at Cistercian College, Roscrea and UCG he first played for Ireland at Schools level in 1998 and at Under-21 level before he was brought into their senior side during the 2000/01 season.Duffy...

     - International rugby player.
  • Conor Brady
    Conor Brady
    Conor Brady was the editor of The Irish Times for 16 years, between 1986 and 2002, having previously edited the Sunday Tribune.-Life:Brady was educated at Cistercian College, Roscrea, Co...

     - Former editor of The Irish Times
    The Irish Times
    The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...

    .
  • Dick Spring
    Dick Spring
    Richard "Dick" Spring is an Irish businessman and former politician. He was first elected as a Labour Party Teachta Dála in 1981 and retained his seat until 2002. He became leader of the Labour Party in 1982, and held this position until 1997...

     - Former international rugby player and Tanaiste
    Tánaiste
    The Tánaiste is the deputy prime minister of Ireland. The current Tánaiste is Eamon Gilmore, TD who was appointed on 9 March 2011.- Origins and etymology :...

    .
  • David Andrews
    David Andrews
    David Andrews is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician and barrister.Andrews was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 1965 as a Fianna Fáil deputy for the Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown constituency. From 1970 to 1973 he served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Taoiseach with special responsibility as...

     - Former Minister for Foreign Affairs
    Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland)
    The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is the senior minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the Government of Ireland. Its headquarters are at Iveagh House, on St Stephen's Green in Dublin; "Iveagh House" is often used as a metonym for the department as a whole.The current...

    .
  • Jim Glennon
    Jim Glennon
    Jim Glennon is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician and former Irish International rugby player. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North constituency from 2002–2007....

     - Former international rugby player, and former Teachta Dála
    Teachta Dála
    A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...

    .

Centennial

The college celebrated its centenary year from September 2005 until September 2006, giving rise to many events, visits and talks from famous past students and their friends. The speakers included; President of Ireland
President of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...

 Mary McAleese
Mary McAleese
Mary Patricia McAleese served as the eighth President of Ireland from 1997 to 2011. She was the second female president and was first elected in 1997 succeeding Mary Robinson, making McAleese the world's first woman to succeed another as president. She was re-elected unopposed for a second term in...

 , Dick Spring
Dick Spring
Richard "Dick" Spring is an Irish businessman and former politician. He was first elected as a Labour Party Teachta Dála in 1981 and retained his seat until 2002. He became leader of the Labour Party in 1982, and held this position until 1997...

, Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...

, Mary Hanafin
Mary Hanafin
Mary Hanafin is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who was a Teachta Dála for Dún Laoghaire from 1997 to 2011. She served as Government Chief Whip , Minister for Education and Science , Minister for Social and Family Affairs , Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport and Minister for Enterprise,...

 and Charlie McCreevy
Charlie McCreevy
Charles "Charlie" McCreevy is a former Irish politician. He was the European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services from 2004–2010. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD in 1977 and held the seat in Kildare until 2004 when he became Ireland's European Commissioner...

.

See also

  • Mount St. Joseph Abbey
    Mount St. Joseph Abbey, Roscrea
    Mount St. Joseph Abbey is an abbey of the Trappist branch of the Cistercians located in Roscrea, North Tipperary in Ireland.The abbey was founded in 1878 by a group of 32 Monks from Mount Melleray Abbey, County Waterford...

  • Cistercians
  • Trappists
    Trappists
    The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance , or Trappists, is a Roman Catholic religious order of cloistered contemplative monks who follow the Rule of St. Benedict...


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK