| Meánscoil Iognáid Rís is a voluntary secondary school under the trusteeship of the Irish Christian brothers. The school, named after the founder of the order, Edmund Ignatius rice, opened its doors in September 1871, a full fifty years before the Irish state was founded. The moat hall as it is now known, was both monastery and school for the brothers until 1903 when the monastery on friary road was built. For over seventy years both the primary and secondary schools were housed in the hall. In 1954 St. Corban's primary school was built and four years later the secondary school moved to its present site. In 1982 a substantial extension was built and further building began in 1994. This latest development includes a spacious sports hall and improved facilities for science, technical graphics and building construction. A request for planning permission to expand the school even further has been put forward. Pupil numbers have increased greatly over the years from 233 (1971) to 414 (1981) to a current enrolment of over 760 pupils. We traditionally welcome pupils from a wide catchment area and this mix of town and country contributes greatly to the good atmosphere which is a celebrated feature of the school. Since its foundation the school was managed by one of the Brothers who held the post of Principal. In 1993 a Board of Management representing, trustees, staff and parents was put in place and the first lay-Principal, Mr Noel Merrick, was appointed. The school remains, of course, a CBS with the staff and management committed to the ethos of the Christian Brothers Schools. |
