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Clongowes Wood College is a prestigious boys-only secondary school in County Kildare, Ireland run by the Society of Jesus (The Jesuits) since 1814, making it one of Ireland's oldest Catholic schools. The school featured prominently in James Joyce's semiautobiographical novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Its current Headmaster is Fr. Leonard Moloney S.J. and Fr. Michael Sheil S.J. is the rector. Clongowes is one of a number of Jesuit schools in Ireland.
In 1886, St Stanislaus College, Tullamore, was amalgamated to Clongowes Wood College. A history of the college was written by Fr. Roland Burke Savage S.J. and published in 1987. It currently has 450 students. 2004 is Clongowes' 191st academic year.
Buildings
The medieval castle, which is the residence of the religious community, was improved by a "chocolate box" type restoration in the 19th century (fashionable at the time); it is situated astride the Ramparts, which are the ditch and wall constructed for the defense of the Pale in the 14th century.
The castle is connected to the modern buildings by an elevated corridor hung with portraits, the Serpentine Gallery referred to by James Joyce. The Serpentine Gallery was completely demolished and rebuilt in 2004 as part of a redevelopment programme for the school buildings.
The Boys' Chapel has an elaborate redos, a large pipe-organ in the gallery, and an interesting sequence of Stations of the Cross painted by Sean Keating.
Aspects of Life at Clongowes
There are six class or year forms, namely Rudiments Grammar, Syntax, Humanities, Poetry and Rhetoric. These are grouped into three Lines - Third, Lower and Higher.
Famous alumni
- James Joyce, author of Ulysses
- John Bruton former Fine Gael TD and Taoiseach
- Richard Bruton TD brother of John Bruton government minister in Fine Gael government and currently deputy leader
- Brian Coffey
- Hugh Coveney, former Fine Gael TD and government minister
- Gordon D'Arcy
- Oliver St John Gogarty poet and writer
- Thomas Francis Meagher, nationalist, revolutionary and Union general during the American Civil War
- Paul McGuinness manager of U2
- Michael O'Dwyer (Indian colonial administrator)
- Kevin O'Higgins
- Michael O'Leary, chief executive of the budget airline Ryanair
- George Noble Plunkett
- John Redmond, leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party
- Michael Smurfit industrialist and businessman
- John Kelly Chief Executive, Irish Chamber Orchestra
- John Taaffe famous Offaly TD
- J.T. Walsh (American Actor)
- David Wheatley (Irish poet)
- John Charles McQuaid, former archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland
- William Wallace (former Buccaneers captain 04-05)
- Kieran Prendiville (writer/ producer of BBC television shows such as Tomorrow's World, Ballykissangel)
- Robert Kearney (Leinster rugby union player)
- Nick Hewer, advisor to Sir Alan Sugar and appears on BBC's The Apprentice
- Charles Mitchel, RTE newsreader and actor
Other famous OC's include:
- Poet and writer Oliver St John Gogarty
- 'The O'Rahilly' Rebel leader in the GPO
- Kevin O'Higgins, Free State Minister assassinated in the 1920's.
- Holland and two other VC's from the Boer War, WW1 and WW2.
- Tom Kettle, War Poet.
- John Redmond, Leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party.
External links
Secondary schools in Kildare | Roman Catholic Church in Ireland | Jesuit secondary schools in Ireland
"Clongowes Wood College"