Rathdown School celebrates over 100 years of education

THIS year Rathdown School is marking the 100th anniversary of education with a series of events that began with a Centenary Gala concert held in the Pavilion theatre Dún Laoghaire in March.

This month, to coincide with the opening of Hillcourt School on May 15, 1919, the school celebrated 'Hillcourt Day'. The day commenced with a service in St Paul’s Church in Glenageary, followed by a celebratory lunch for parents, teachers, alumni, governors and former staff in the school and culminated with sporting festivities for all students. 

Just after the turn of the twentieth century, in 1903, Wilfred Toone founded Castle Park School for boys. Sixteen years later, pressed by many Castle Park parents, he founded Hillcourt School to educate the boys’ sisters.

Hillcourt School opened in May 1919, with an intake of 33 students under the stewardship of two sisters, Gladys and Phyllis Palmer. Following amalgamations with three other schools, Park House and The Hall in 1973 and Glengara Park in 1987, Rathdown School took shape on the site of Hillcourt School.

Head of School, Mr Brian Moore is delighted to mark the special occasion of the 100th anniversary of education on the Rathdown School campus in 2019.

“Rathdown is a small school with a unique history. Due to our relatively small size, we are able to create a nurturing and caring educational space that helps girls flourish in everything they do. Over the past century, thousands of girls have passed through Rathdown School’s doors, each of them leaving with memories and experiences that helped shape the rest of their lives.”

“Rathdown School has accomplished so much in its first century, fuelled by a spirit of innovation and inclusion,” said Ms Patricia Ashe, Chairperson of the Board of Governors at Rathdown School. “This school has proudly challenged, contributed and connected in ways that help define who we are. Yet our successes have not been the product of natural inevitability. They are the result of hard work, safe risk taking and vision. Our centennial, therefore, is a time for us not only to look back and celebrate, but also to look around and ahead to determine what still needs to be done to improve our community, and how we can best achieve that.”

Later this year on the 11th November, the school will launch “The Archive Project” exhibition in the Lexicon Library, Dún Laoghaire. The exhibit will run from the 11th to the 25th of November and will feature a variety of artefacts and photos from the school archives. The finale of the year of celebration will be marked by a Gala Dinner on Saturday 16th of November in the Royal Marine Hotel in Dún Laoghaire. For more information on Rathdown School Centenary events please visit www.rathdownschool.ie/100/.