The King's Hospital
Encyclopedia
The King's Hospital is a Church of Ireland
co-educational fee-paying boarding
and day school
situated in Palmerstown
, Dublin, Ireland.
Founded in 1669, it is one of the oldest schools in Ireland and was also known as the Blue Coat School.
Although priority is given to those of the main Protestant tradition, as a Christian
school, it is attended by students of other denominations and faiths. The school's colours are navy and gold. The school crest is three burning castles with the date "1669", almost identical to the crest for Dublin city. The current headmaster is Michael Hall.
.
.
: Bluecoat, Mercer, Grace, Morgan and Ormonde and five day pupil houses. Each boarding house has its own resident housemaster
or housemistress.
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
co-educational fee-paying boarding
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...
and day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
situated in Palmerstown
Palmerstown
Palmerstown , occasionally referred to as Palmerston, is a suburb of Dublin,Ireland. It is located about 8km west of the city centre, in the administrative county of South Dublin. The area is bordered to the north by the River Liffey, to the west by Lucan, to the south by Ballyfermot and to theeast...
, Dublin, Ireland.
Founded in 1669, it is one of the oldest schools in Ireland and was also known as the Blue Coat School.
Although priority is given to those of the main Protestant tradition, as a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
school, it is attended by students of other denominations and faiths. The school's colours are navy and gold. The school crest is three burning castles with the date "1669", almost identical to the crest for Dublin city. The current headmaster is Michael Hall.
Founding
The school was founded in 1669 as The Hospital and Free School of King Charles II and was located in Queen Street, Dublin. King's Hospital was a continuation of the old Free School of Dublin. On 5 May 1674, the school opened with 60 pupils, including 3 girls. From 1783 to 1971, the school was located in Blackhall Place, Dublin, currently the headquarters of the Law Society of IrelandLaw Society of Ireland
The Law Society of Ireland is the educational, representative and regulatory body of the solicitors' profession in the Republic of Ireland...
.
Morgan's takeover
The take-over of Morgan’s School (1957) contributed to steadily increasing numbers of students, and by 1970, a need for extra space and facilities led to the move from the city centre to a modern purpose-built school set in its own 100 acres (404,686 m²) site on the banks of the River Liffey in Palmerstown, County DublinCounty Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
.
Charter Day
The annual calendar includes a number of special days and events forming part of the school tradition. One of these is Charter Day, when the Headmaster or Headmistress delivers an annual address to the school, and academic prizes are presented, commemorating the granting of the School's Charter in 1671.Other traditions
Sports Day, Harvest Festival, Carol Service and Confirmation are other significant occasions, to which parents and past pupils are welcome. There is an open invitation on Sundays to attend worship according to the rites of the Church of Ireland. Morning assembly is compulsory for all pupils, and Sunday service is compulsory for boarders.Co-educational
The school is co-educational and caters for some 700 pupils, roughly half day pupils and half boarders. The King’s Hospital has students from all over Ireland and from overseas. Students from Germany and Spain are the most common international students.Houses
The School is divided into five boarding housesHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
: Bluecoat, Mercer, Grace, Morgan and Ormonde and five day pupil houses. Each boarding house has its own resident housemaster
Housemaster
In British education, a housemaster is a member of staff in charge of a boarding house, normally at a boarding school . The housemaster is responsible for the supervision and care of boarders in the house and typically lives on the premises...
or housemistress.
Sport
The school's main sports are rugby, cricket and hockey, but students can participate in various other sports inside and outside of the school, during the school year, including athletics, basketball, canoeing, dressage, martial arts, rowing, swimming, and tennis.Notable former students and teachers
- John WeirJohn Weir (loyalist)John Oliver Weir , is an Ulster loyalist born in the Republic of Ireland. He served as an officer in Northern Ireland's Royal Ulster Constabulary's Special Patrol Group , and was a volunteer in the illegal Ulster Volunteer Force...
(born 1950) - Royal Ulster ConstabularyRoyal Ulster ConstabularyThe Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
Special Patrol GroupSpecial Patrol GroupThe Special Patrol Group was a unit of Greater London's Metropolitan Police Service, responsible for providing a centrally-based mobile capability for combating serious public disorder and crime that could not be dealt with by local divisions....
officer - Robin RoeRobin RoeReverend Robin Roe CBE MC was an Irish clergyman known for his work as an army chaplain, and a rugby union player.- Early life and education :...
- captain of the Ireland national rugby union teamIreland national rugby union teamThe Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
. Also capped with The LionsBritish and Irish LionsThe British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
and The BarbariansBarbarian F.C.The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
; - Jack BoothmanJack BoothmanJack Boothman was President of the Gaelic Athletic Association between 1994 and 1997. He was an active member of his local Blessington GAA club in County Wicklow.He was elected as president of the Association and took up the position in 1994...
- President of the GAAGaelic Athletic AssociationThe Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
(1994 and 1997); - Angus McKeenAngus McKeenAngus McKeen is a retired Irish rugby union footballer. He won one cap for Ireland at the 1999 Rugby World Cup, as well as playing for Lansdowne Football Club and Leinster. His position was tight-head prop-forward. He is a past-pupil of The King's Hospital school in Dublin.-References:...
- Former Leinster and Ireland rugby prop forward; - Lisa HanniganLisa HanniganLisa Margaret Hannigan is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician. For several years she was a member of Damien Rice's band before beginning her solo career in 2008. She has been the recipient of various award nominations and critical praise both in Ireland and the USA...
- Irish folk/pop singer famous for her recordings with Damien RiceDamien RiceDamien Rice is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who plays guitar, piano, clarinet and percussion....
; - Kathryn ThomasKathryn ThomasKathryn Thomas is an Irish television presenter from Carlow. She does be doing the holiday programme on RTÉ. Now she does a Winning Streak every week with Marty Whelan...
- Irish television presenter; - Tom Murphy (actor)Tom Murphy (actor)Tom Jordan Murphy was an Irish theatre and film actor best known for his 1998 Tony Award winning performance in The Beauty Queen of Leenane....
(Tom Jordan Murphy) - Tony Award-winning Irish actor; - Dr Leo VaradkarLeo VaradkarLeo Varadkar is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin West constituency since June 2007. He is currently the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, being appointed on 9 March 2011....
- Politician and Minister for TransportMinister for Transport (Ireland)The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is the senior minister at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is Leo Varadkar, TD...
; - Robert Alexander WarkeRobert Alexander WarkeThe Right Reverend Robert Alexander Warke, was Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross from 1988 to 1998.He was born on 10 July 1930, educated at The King's Hospital and Trinity College, Dublin and ordained in 1953. His first post was a curacy at St Mark’s Newtownards...
(born 1930), Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and RossBishop of Cork, Cloyne and RossThe Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross is the Church of Ireland Ordinary of the united Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross in the Province of Dublin....
; - Nigel Henderson - Irish Mens's Hockey Goalkeeper;
- Alan Betson - photographer;
- Clelia Murphy - actress, best known for her role as Niamh Cassidy in the RTERTERTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
soap opera, Fair CityFair CityFair City is an award-winning Irish television soap opera on RTÉ One. Produced by Radio Telefís Éireann, it was first broadcast on Monday, September 18, 1989...
; - Caleb Powell - President of the Irish Rugby Football UnionIrish Rugby Football UnionThe Irish Rugby Football Union is the body managing rugby union in Ireland. The IRFU has its head office at 10/12 Lansdowne Road and home ground at Aviva Stadium, where Irish rugby union international matches are played...
(IRFU); - Peter Young - journalist for the Irish Farmers JournalIrish Farmers JournalThe Irish Farmers Journal is a weekly farm newspaper sold in Ireland. It is the best selling farm magazine in the country selling over 70,000 copies per week...
and presenter of RTE'sRTERTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
HigherGround programme. - John and Edward Grimes - members of the hip hopHip hop musicHip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
duo JedwardJedwardJohn Paul Henry Daniel Richard Grimes and Edward Peter Anthony Kevin Patrick Grimes are an Irish hip pop duo. They are identical twins and perform under the name Jedward...
Notable headmasters
- 1922-1927: John Mason HardenJohn Mason HardenThe Rt Rev John Mason Harden, DD was an Irish cleric and educator who later served as the 7th Bishop of Tuam, Killala, and Achonry from 1927 to 1931. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin and ordained in 1898, his first post was a curacy at St Matthew’s, Dublin...
- 1928-1961: J. J. Butler
- 1961-1983: G. S. Magahy