A School Like No Other

St. Columba's College

St. Columba's College

Welcome

St. Columba’s College is set in a beautiful location, overlooking the city of Dublin and on the edge of the Dublin Hills. Our intimate and friendly campus provides a home away from home for 250 boarders and a smaller number of day pupils. Most of the teaching staff reside on site and help to create a family environment in which every pupil is individually nurtured and encouraged to engage fully in a wide and exciting programme, from where our leavers go on to top universities in Ireland, the UK, Europe and the USA. Please visit us to experience our special atmosphere for yourselves. You will be blown away by our beautiful campus, relaxed atmosphere, positive relationships and impressive facilities. St. Columba’s truly is a school like no other.

Please use our ‘Explore’ menu above to find out more information on all aspects of College life or contact us with any enquiries. Read the Warden’s welcome here.

Warden’s Welcome

Within the Irish context St. Columba’s College is a unique institution, a Church of Ireland foundation offering full-time, seven days a week boarding, with an increasing number of day students. We pride ourselves on the exceptional quality of pastoral care that we provide and which we believe is up there with the very best boarding schools in the world.

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On top of that we aim to produce the best Leaving Certificate results in the whole country, as well as running a full and busy programme of cultural and sporting activities. Many of our dedicated staff reside on the beautiful site, giving round the clock care and ensuring that the children are happy and safe at all times.

A school is far more than its academic or sporting results and all that we do here is within a context that encourages and nurtures the spiritual development of all our children. An outsider might raise an eyebrow at our gowned pupils and our daily chapel services, which may seem archaic in these times, but the truth is that we look to combine our deep sense of tradition with a pursuit of excellence in preparing our young people for success at the top universities and beyond, through a very modern and forward looking education. Personally I think we get the balance just right.

I became Warden of St. Columba’s in September 2016, having taught in and led boarding schools in the UK and South Africa. It is a great challenge to lead this great school into its next phase of development, as we seek to benchmark ourselves not just against other top schools in Ireland, but against the very best schools that can be found anywhere.

If you would like to visit us and see what is so special about the school on the hill overlooking Dublin then I would be delighted to welcome you.

Mark Boobbyer, Warden, St. Columba’s College.

Visit the Warden’s Blog here.

Senior Prefect’s Welcome

As the Senior Prefect, I am proud to offer you a very warm welcome to St. Columba’s College, a unique environment with a distinctively happy and positive atmosphere which radiates around all aspects of the College. Surrounded by beautiful buildings, wonderful gardens and a spectacular view of Dublin, Columba’s is the ideal location for a metropolis of learning.

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Learning in St. Columba’s is a way of life, no two days are ever the same. Each day presents new experiences, challenges and learning curves, both in the classroom and on the playing fields. Our small size means that friendships are strong and true. There is an easy familiarity around the college among pupils and staff alike, and the pastoral care, is supportive while still maintaining independence in each pupil, to allow them to learn and thrive.

St. Columba’s is a home away from home for me and I will be sad to leave at the end of this academic year. However, St. Columba’s is not a place that can be easily forgotten due to its individuality and diversity. With exceptional teaching staff and devoted catering and maintenance staff, Columba’s is a well-balanced ecosystem that enables each pupil to be themselves and to become the best versions of themselves. 

This year’s prefects are all dedicated to helping and guiding both new and old pupils to settle into and enjoy this year at St. Columba’s College. 

Megan Bulbulia, Senior Prefect 2019 – 2020

News & Events

Latest News

End of Term Sports Update

Basketball
In basketball, the Senior and Gadette Girls have…
December 12, 2019/by sccdublin

‘The Submarine’, December 2019

The latest edition of The Submarine, edited by Avi and Edna Johnston,…
December 12, 2019/by sccdublin

Christmas Shoebox Appeal 2019

Team Hope's Christmas Shoebox Appeal is a wonderful charity…
December 10, 2019/by sccdublin

Young Adult reading recommendations

Our Librarian, Ms Kent-Sutton, has put together a list of ten…
December 6, 2019/by sccdublin

Art Trip to National Gallery of Ireland

Lioba Preysing, Form IV, reports on her recent class visit to…
November 28, 2019/by sccdublin

Whispering House Official Opening

On Thursday 14th November the College officially opened our new…
November 21, 2019/by sccdublin

2020 Arts Week & Art Prize Brief

The recent naming of the Art Centre as the ‘Patrick Scott Art…
November 20, 2019/by sccdublin

Grease Review

Science teacher (and closet musical theatre fan) Humphrey Jones…
November 20, 2019/by sccdublin

Warden Blackburn

Sunday 17th November 2019 is the 100th anniversary of a sad event…
November 13, 2019/by sccdublin
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Explore our video series and photo galleries to discover more about life in St. Columba’s College.

A Brief Introduction

Academic ExcellenceArtistic ExpressionWonderful CampusSporting EndeavourSkilled TeachersCaring EnvironmentQuality Boarding

St. Columba’s College provide our pupils with a wide variety of subjects, taught by experienced and dedicated teachers. Class sizes are very small (average of 14) which allows for greater depth of treatment and consolidation of learning. Our pupils have a proud history of academic achievement, both in the Junior & Leaving Certificate (Ireland’s state examinations) but also at third level. The average Leaving Certificate points score in 2018 was 483, with a five year average of 464 – among the very best in the country.

Click here to find out more about the academic structure in St. Columba’s College.

It is our strong belief that allowing our pupils express themselves artistically contributes greatly to their personal development. There is a strong tradition of participation in the arts – through drama, music, painting, photography, crafts, choir, debate and much more. There are, on average, a dozen plays performed each year, over 30 musical performances or concerts and an emphasis on bringing artistic endeavour into all academic subjects. Music, art, drama or public speaking do not detract from academic performance – they enhance it!

To find out more about our co-curricular programme click here.

Our stunning campus, set on 140 acres on the foot of the Dublin mountains and overlooking the city, is a tranquil yet vibrant learning space. Beautiful gardens, architecturally significant buildings, well maintained playing fields, acres of park land and excellent facilities all contribute to an exceptional learning environment.

Explore our campus here using our interactive campus map or view our aerial campus video on the left.

An active body complements an active mind and our extensive sports programme ensures our pupils are balanced in their approach to academic work. At St. Columba’s College there are six days of compulsory sport for all pupils. Rugby, hockey, athletics, cricket, tennis and basketball are the main team sports on offer but pupils also can participate in football, archery, polo-crosse, badminton, volleyball and much more.

Click here for further information on our sports programme at St. Columba’s.

Highly qualified and dedicated teachers ensure the quality of tuition at St. Columba’s College is second to none. Uniquely, the vast majority of our teachers live on campus and make themselves available to their pupils in the evenings and weekends. Most teachers participate in the school’s sporting programme as well as our extensive extra-curricular programme. In addition, our teachers are also involved in the boarding structures of the College, contributing to excellent pupil / teacher relationships.

Explore all the teaching and support staff in the College here.

The pastoral care structures within St. Columba’s College are extensive and provide our pupils with a home away from home. Central to our philosophy is our boarding house structures with each pupil being assigned to a house – even day pupils. Each house has a Housemaster, an Assistant Housemaster and a team of House Tutors, who together provide pupils with the academic and personal support. The house system is complemented by our Matron and her team of nurses, who provide the medical care for pupils, as well as the school counsellor and the Cúram Team (our pastoral care committee).

Click here to find out more about the boarding and pastoral structures in the College.

Over 80% of our pupils board in our traditional yet modern and comfortable boarding houses. There are seven boarding houses (Glen, Gwynn, Stackallan, Tibradden, Hollypark, Iona & Beresford), each with an assigned Housemaster or Housemistress, Assistant Housemaster (or Housemistress) and a team of House Tutors. Every house has a friendly atmosphere but a unique personality and spirit. Day pupils are assigned to a boarding house and are encouraged to take part in inter-house activities.

To find out more about boarding at St. Columba’s click here.