Ireland's Premier Boarding & Day School

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.

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 Senior Prefect I would like to welcome you to St Columba’s College on this special year, the 175th anniversary of the school’s foundation. I feel very privileged to be part of the school and to represent the pupil body at this time.

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The years I have been here have raced by far too quickly and, in only a few weeks, my time will be over but the experiences and memories will stay with me forever.

The House structure and small class sizes make it very easy to get know people and encourages people to support one another. As a school we have fun together and celebrate in each other’s success. The teachers are wonderful in their support and encouragement of us all. Not only in the classroom but the time spent in the Big Schoolroom, the music rooms and the sports fields gives a real sense of community and collaboration.

I would also like the give a shout out to the other staff – the grounds staff, the catering staff and the cleaning staff – who we meet every day and who put in a huge amount of work and make the atmosphere so warm and friendly.

I and the other Prefects are here to help new pupils settle in, find their feet and prosper. This is a marvellous school with so much to offer in so many areas.

Be part of it – you won’t regret it!

Kitty Morris, Senior Prefect 2017-2018, St. Columba’s College

News & Events

Latest News

Trips Week 2018

Last week, while our Leaving & Junior Certificate candidates…
June 14, 2018/by sccdublin

Old Columban Art Exhibition

During the recent 175th Anniversary Weekend a collection of paintings…
June 11, 2018/by sccdublin

175 Weekend

A spectacular weekend's activities concluded last night with…
June 4, 2018/by sccdublin

Weekend Celebrations for the 175th

Old Columbans are currently travelling from all over the world…
June 1, 2018/by sccdublin

Transition Year Awards 2018

Last night in the Big Schoolroom Mr McCarthy wrapped up this…
June 1, 2018/by sccdublin

Transition Year English Evening 2018

The 25th annual TY English Evening was held in the BSR last night…
May 30, 2018/by sccdublin

Sports Day & Sports Dinner 2018

The College was buzzing on Saturday as sport took centre stage…
May 28, 2018/by sccdublin

Voices of Poetry 2018

That excellent annual event, Voices of Poetry, took place last…
May 28, 2018/by sccdublin

Second Form Public Speaking Competition

The annual Second Form public speaking competition was held in…
May 27, 2018/by sccdublin
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Media Gallery

Explore our video series and photo galleries to discover more about life in St. Columba’s College.

A Brief Introduction

Quality BoardingAcademic ExcellenceSporting EndeavourArtistic ExpressionCaring EnvironmentSkilled TeachersWonderful Campus

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.

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 2016 was 474, with a five year average of 460 – among the very best in the country.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

175th Anniversary

We are delighted to announce the launch of a dedicated website for the College’s 175th Anniversary. There are a wide range of events planned to mark this important milestone in our history as well as an ambitious building project – The Social Hub. Click here to find out more.