St Kieran's College
Encyclopedia
St. Kieran's College, Kilkenny
, Ireland
is primarily a Secondary school for boys. It has long been a nursery for hurling
, and is located on College Road in Kilkenny
in County Kilkenny
, Ireland
.
, in the diocese of Ossory in 1782, after the passing of the Relief Act of 1782. This act enabled Catholics to found schools for the first time since the Irish penal laws were introduced. Prior to this only Protestants could found educational institutions. Saint Kieran's College was founded as the diocesan school and was the first of its kind in the country.
The school's motto is “Hiems Transiit,” Latin
for “The Winter Has Passed,” It is a metaphor for the repeal of the penal laws which had kept Catholics as second class citizens in Ireland. It is taken from chapter 2 verse 11 of the Song of Solomon
book of the bible:
The saint after which the school was named was Saint Kieran Saighir, "first-born of the saints of Ireland" (Promogenitus Sanctorum Hiberniae).
By the 1790s upheaval on the continent led to the demand for the provision of education for priests at home and in 1792 the college opened its doors to students of philosophy
and theology
, the first college in Ireland to do so.
The first location of the college was at Burrell's Hall, James Street, Kilkenny, which is now the location of Saint Mary's Cathedral
(the seat of the Bishop of Ossory
) and the CBS
secondary school. It was later moved to the present location of the Loreto
Convent Girls' Secondary School on the Granges Road, Kilkenny. Until eventually between 1811 and 1845 a new permanent building was constructed on what is now called College Road. The architect
of the school was William Deane Butler who also designed Saint Mary's Cathedral; he was assisted by George Ashlin
. The tower which rises from the centre of the cathedral was actually originally intended for the college. Some distinguishing features of the building include the Clock Tower, the Chapel and the Glass-Hall.
, where the name of the college was sometimes misspelled as St. Kyrans. St. Kieran's as a seminary
closed in 1994.
.
for his four-volume encyclopaedia on the history of the diocese. The archives also contain documents collected by Carrigan for an intended second edition. These were never used for that purpose after Carrigan died of Spanish Flu
.
school, winning numerous cups and leagues. Other sports that the school partakes in are handball
, gaelic football
, soccer, basketball, equestrian trials, swimming, golf, tennis, and rugby
.
Other than sports, there are poetry workshops with a writer-in-residence, poet Mark Roper, has helped compile poetry broadsheets and advised people on the way to being published. Their own theatre/auditorium means the school always has a location for performances/readings.
Musical and Artistic Studies are also part of the school curriculum. The school also has a film-editing
suite, which was used to complete a feature-length film about the Great Famine. This project was undertaken as part of a Schools Integration Project in Kilkenny. Farming and agriculture
has always been a large part of Kilkenny's heritage
and for the school as well. The farming facilities within the college's city campus have been removed but the school still retains areas of farmland in rural Kilkenny.
On 7th Of May 2009 the U-16 soccer team won the All-Ireland for the first time in the school's history.
for “The Winter Has Passed.” The school crest is the diocese’s crest emblazoned on a Celtic Cross
. The coat of arms of the diocese has a representation of St. Kieran between two pillars. It appears on Episcopal arms from the 18th century and on a beautiful book plate of Archbishop Troy as well as the college crest.
, economist Raymond Crotty
, Kilkenny hurler DJ Carey, Wexford hurler Nicky Rackard
and members of Kerbdog
. Patrick Neary, who resigned as Chief Executive of the Financial Regulator, following the collapse of Anglo Irish Bank, was educated at the school.
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
, 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...
is primarily a Secondary school for boys. It has long been a nursery for 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 is located on College Road in Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
in County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...
, 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...
.
History
Saint Kieran's College was founded in KilkennyKilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
, in the diocese of Ossory in 1782, after the passing of the Relief Act of 1782. This act enabled Catholics to found schools for the first time since the Irish penal laws were introduced. Prior to this only Protestants could found educational institutions. Saint Kieran's College was founded as the diocesan school and was the first of its kind in the country.
The school's motto is “Hiems Transiit,” Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for “The Winter Has Passed,” It is a metaphor for the repeal of the penal laws which had kept Catholics as second class citizens in Ireland. It is taken from chapter 2 verse 11 of the Song of Solomon
Song of Solomon
The Song of Songs of Solomon, commonly referred to as Song of Songs or Song of Solomon, is a book of the Hebrew Bible—one of the megillot —found in the last section of the Tanakh, known as the Ketuvim...
book of the bible:
The saint after which the school was named was Saint Kieran Saighir, "first-born of the saints of Ireland" (Promogenitus Sanctorum Hiberniae).
By the 1790s upheaval on the continent led to the demand for the provision of education for priests at home and in 1792 the college opened its doors to students of philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, the first college in Ireland to do so.
The first location of the college was at Burrell's Hall, James Street, Kilkenny, which is now the location of Saint Mary's Cathedral
St. Mary's Cathedral, Kilkenny
St. Mary’s is the Roman Catholic cathedral for the Diocese of Ossory. It is situated on James’s Street, Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, Ireland. Kilkenny also has a second cathedral, Saint Canice’s which is Church of Ireland....
(the seat of the Bishop of Ossory
Bishop of Ossory
The Bishop of Ossory is an episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient of Kingdom of Ossory in the Province of Leinster, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishoprics.-History:The diocese of Ossory...
) and the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
secondary school. It was later moved to the present location of the Loreto
Loreto College
Loreto College or Loreto School is the name of several Roman Catholic schools throughout the world associated with the Sisters of Loreto.-Australia:*Loreto College Coorparoo, Queensland*Loreto College Ballarat, Victoria...
Convent Girls' Secondary School on the Granges Road, Kilkenny. Until eventually between 1811 and 1845 a new permanent building was constructed on what is now called College Road. The architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
of the school was William Deane Butler who also designed Saint Mary's Cathedral; he was assisted by George Ashlin
George Ashlin
George Coppinger Ashlin was an Irish architect, particularly noted for his work on churches and cathedrals. He had an early association with leading architect E.W. Pugin.-Work:*Adelaide Memorial Church, Myshall...
. The tower which rises from the centre of the cathedral was actually originally intended for the college. Some distinguishing features of the building include the Clock Tower, the Chapel and the Glass-Hall.
Seminary
As a seminary the college educated many priests who went on to be ordained to serve in Ireland and abroad(some 600 in the United States). Unlike Maynooth College St. Kieran's was not supported by the British government financially.St. Kierans' College - Irish priests in the United States: a vanishing subculture By William L. Smith. During the 19th century following the example of St. Patrick's College, Carlow students were able to sit degree examinations for the University of LondonUniversity of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, where the name of the college was sometimes misspelled as St. Kyrans. St. Kieran's as a seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
closed in 1994.
Present day education
The College had originally catered for seminarians and boarding students but eventually day students were allowed to attend. This led to the abolishment of a five-days-a-week class structure and the introduction of the three day week school time. In 2003 it ceased boarding students and became solely a day-student secondary school.NUIM Kilkenny Campus
As well as being a secondary school, the college also houses the NUI Maynooth Adult Education "Outreach Campus" and the CREIDIM Centre, which both give adult education in community studies, business, Irish, theology, philosophy, psychology etc. Since 1997 a BA in Local studies has been offered, and recently a new MA in Local History has commenced.IT Carlow Link
The Bachelor of Business Studies (Hons) is offered in conjunction with the Institute of Technology, CarlowInstitute of Technology, Carlow
The Institute of Technology, Carlow , originally Regional Technical College, Carlow, is one of the original Regional Technical Colleges. It is located to the south of Carlow, Ireland on Kilkenny Road...
.
Extra services
Saint Kieran's College also provides services and class-room usage for the "City Vocational School" and "Pobail Scoil Osraí"- the city's wholly Irish-speaking secondary school. Also within the walls of Saint Kieran's College are the Diocesan Archives and the Carrigan Room. The Carrigan Room contains all of the documents and pictures collected by William CarriganWilliam Carrigan
William Carrigan was an Irish canon of the diocese of Ossory and historian, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.- Early life :...
for his four-volume encyclopaedia on the history of the diocese. The archives also contain documents collected by Carrigan for an intended second edition. These were never used for that purpose after Carrigan died of Spanish Flu
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
.
Activities
Saint Kieran's College is a noted hurlingHurling
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...
school, winning numerous cups and leagues. Other sports that the school partakes in are handball
Gaelic handball
Gaelic handball is a sport similar to Basque pelota, racquetball, squash and American handball . It is one of the four Gaelic games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association...
, gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
, soccer, basketball, equestrian trials, swimming, golf, tennis, and rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
.
Other than sports, there are poetry workshops with a writer-in-residence, poet Mark Roper, has helped compile poetry broadsheets and advised people on the way to being published. Their own theatre/auditorium means the school always has a location for performances/readings.
Musical and Artistic Studies are also part of the school curriculum. The school also has a film-editing
Film editing
Film editing is part of the creative post-production process of filmmaking. It involves the selection and combining of shots into sequences, and ultimately creating a finished motion picture. It is an art of storytelling...
suite, which was used to complete a feature-length film about the Great Famine. This project was undertaken as part of a Schools Integration Project in Kilkenny. Farming and agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
has always been a large part of Kilkenny's heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
and for the school as well. The farming facilities within the college's city campus have been removed but the school still retains areas of farmland in rural Kilkenny.
On 7th Of May 2009 the U-16 soccer team won the All-Ireland for the first time in the school's history.
School crest and motto
The motto of the school is “Hiems Transiit,” LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for “The Winter Has Passed.” The school crest is the diocese’s crest emblazoned on a Celtic Cross
Celtic cross
A Celtic cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. In the Celtic Christian world it was combined with the Christian cross and this design was often used for high crosses – a free-standing cross made of stone and often richly decorated...
. The coat of arms of the diocese has a representation of St. Kieran between two pillars. It appears on Episcopal arms from the 18th century and on a beautiful book plate of Archbishop Troy as well as the college crest.
Past pupils
Notable students to have attended the school include actor Ralph FiennesRalph Fiennes
Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor and film director. He has appeared in such films as The English Patient, In Bruges, The Constant Gardener, Strange Days, The Duchess and Schindler's List....
, economist Raymond Crotty
Raymond Crotty
Raymond Crotty was an Irish economist and campaigner against Irish membership of the European Union. In 1987 he mounted a successful legal challenge in the Irish Supreme Court against the government's attempt to ratify the Single European Act without reference to the people in a referendum.-Life...
, Kilkenny hurler DJ Carey, Wexford hurler Nicky Rackard
Nicky Rackard
Nicholas Rackard better known as Nicky or Nickey Rackard, was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local Rathnure club and was a member of the Wexford senior inter-county team from 1940 until 1956...
and members of Kerbdog
Kerbdog
Kerbdog was an alternative rock band from Kilkenny, Ireland who formed in 1991. Following two albums released on Mercury Records, the band split up in 1998...
. Patrick Neary, who resigned as Chief Executive of the Financial Regulator, following the collapse of Anglo Irish Bank, was educated at the school.