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 delighted to welcome you to St. Columba’s College- a continuing legacy of excellence. St. Columba’s has been my home for the past five years. In just a few months, it will be time for me to leave home and follow my own path to a future. I am confident knowing that St. Columba’s has nurtured and moulded me into the best version of myself.

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Our small size helps us feel like a family, giving us the chance to make long-lasting relationships with all members of the College, and our diversity strengthens us. Our various interactions helps form these bonds – from working together on class projects to playing together on the rugby team – we learn to enjoy our victories and, more importantly, our losses.

We not only celebrate our academic excellence but our success in music, drama, sports and debating. Our talents are encouraged by our dedicated teachers and the incredible facilities, such as our spectacular chapel, sports pitches, music rooms and our state of the art science laboratories to name a few. The College gives us the chance to find our calling and reach our full potential, making us join passion with success.

We are supported by teachers who are able, willing and ready to help in any way they can. Our school is incomplete without our non-teaching staff, the catering and maintenance staff. They work cheerfully and tirelessly to provide care and kindness for us all throughout the year.

All of the College Prefects, including myself and the second prefect Helen Crampton, are devoted to helping all pupils settle into our community, in the best way possible, and lead them in the right direction. This College, like all schools, is not perfect but strives to provide the best standard of education and a nurturing, caring and stimulating environment for its pupils.

Harry Oke-Osanyintolu, Senior Prefect 2018-2019, St. Columba’s College

News & Events

Latest News

The Barnardo Films

We are delighted to present an extraordinary discovery on film.…
May 16, 2019/by sccdublin

Form Prizes 2018-19

FORM PRIZES: congratulations to the following, who have been…
May 10, 2019/by sccdublin

Warden’s Thoughts: Racism and Diversity

The Warden's latest thoughts, on racism and diversity:

It…
May 10, 2019/by sccdublin

Gala Fashion Show, Dinner & Auction – An Irish Story.

The College will host a Gala Fashion Show, Dinner and Auction…
May 2, 2019/by sccdublin

A Tribute to Terry Dolan

A great man, and great friend both of the English Department…
April 27, 2019/by sccdublin

Open Evening, Thursday May 16th 2019

We are holding our regular summer term Open Evening on Thursday,…
April 25, 2019/by sccdublin

Speakers at researchED

UPDATE, APRIL 30th: the event is now SOLD OUT. There is a waiting…
March 18, 2019/by sccdublin

Hilary Term Sports Update

The end of the Hilary Term generally marks the end of the rugby,…
April 4, 2019/by sccdublin

Art Prize Evening – Pupil Report

Emma Hinde, Form III, reports on her experience of participating…
April 4, 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

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 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.

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.