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THE HISTORIC CISTERCIAN College Roscrea has announced a rescue package which has prevented the closure of the well-known boys’ boarding school at Mount St Joseph Abbey.
The breakthrough comes just one month after it was announced that Cistercian College was to close in June of this year due to a dramatic fall off in student numbers. In the past ten years, there has been a 45% decrease in student enrolments at the college.
However, a group of volunteers made up of parents and past pupils formed the CCR Action Group which pledged to devise a restructuring plan to ensure the future viability of the school.
That group has worked to see enrolments increase sufficiently to keep the school open.
The school’s trustees paid tribute to the wider school community for its “incredible response” which made it possible to reverse last month’s closure announcement.
It said a rescue package, which includes significant financial contributions in the form of personal pledges totalling in excess of €1.5million, could not have been achieved without the efforts of the CCR Action Group.
“This is one of the most joyous days in the history of Cistercian College. We have witnessed a small miracle over the past 4 weeks. The decision to close was an extremely difficult one for the monastic community to make and so we are understandably overjoyed to now be in a position to announce that the college will remain open,” said Dom Richard Purcell, Abbot of Mount St Joseph Abbey.
CCR Action Group Chairman Ronnie Culliton reiterated the Abbot’s sentiments, adding:
We are looking to the future with great enthusiasm now. This is a wonderful place for young men to be educated, play sport, develop musical talents and grow friendships that will last a lifetime. We are delighted that we can now offer this fantastic opportunity to receive an education grounded in the Cistercian ethos to a greater number of families.
The school counts Brian Cowen, Dick Spring, Willie Mullins and Gavin Duffy among past pupils.
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Wonderful response from the supporters.
Cistercian College Roscrea, built in 1905 is one of only two monastic colleges in Ireland.
The school has a national and international reputation for sporting achievement. Sporting facilities include extensive playing fields (rugby, hurling, gaelic football, and soccer)
An all-weather pitch, Heated indoor swimming pool,Basketball court, Tennis courts and .Gymnasium.
Past pupils include Brian Cowen – Former Taoiseach. Willie Mullins – Racehorse trainer and former jockey. Conor Brady – Former editor of The Irish Times.
A great history.
@Emmet O’Keeffe: eh… do you work there or something?
@Emmet O’Keeffe: maybe the congregations could do the same whip around to pay for rest of the catholic church’s abuse bill
@The Throwaway:
What sort of an ignoramus are you?
@mark foley:
My guess…..an atheist ignoramus.
Oh Shut Up Shane Bradley.
People donating money to an institution the love, an institution which probably does more good for future generations than you or I know about, that is good in my book.
@sean o’dhubhghaill: i am not doubting it is a good school but it is elitist.. That’s all I am saying and in our unequal society, the advantage always prioritise their own.
Elitist how?
And so the elite of our land look after themselves!
@Shane Bradley: How do I unlike this gimp?
@Shane Bradley: You , my dear friend, have got a great big ” plank” on your shoulder . Just get on with your own life , and don’t be so narrow minded.
@mark foley: I certainly do not. Why is it you make your comment about me and not about my comment. When you attack your opponent and not counter his/her point, you have already lost the argument. Such an approach is a classic fallacy of logic called ‘argumentum ad hominem’.
I actually had a high standard education and am very grateful but I also recognise many, due to no fault of their own, are not so privileged, as educational resources are unevenly divided.
@Shane Bradley:
Actually educational resources are perfectly equally divided, with the government giving the exact same ‘capitation payment’ to every school in the country, according to the exact same criteria. In fact the inequality lies at the lower end with far more state funding being pumped into ‘DEIS’ schools.
With People Power, anything is possible. Bualadh Bos all round.
It might help then stay open if they stopped paying for people to come in to play rugby.
@Alex Denby: Mr Denby, you just get your facts right . Typical begrudging, small-minded attitude.
The power of the old boys network!
Well holy god!!!!
Am I concerned that a private Catholic secondary school is in financial strife and might
have to close?
Not really.
I had to emigrate without a secondary education because the Catholic Church in the 1950′s-60s controlled and owned all the secondary schools in my county and charged
like a wounded bull.
My options then was Killnacrott or Blacklion and the Brotherhood and I consider myself
very lucky that I did not succumb to either sexual honneypots.Instead I took my Grade 12 after 4 years of night school in Canada.
From my experience , I couldn’t give a rats about Catholic secondary schools being in financial strife; in fact its poetic justice, IMO.
I am sure the past pupils of this boarding school have a lot of wealth alright. I am sure also that they are grateful for the money the state provides to them to run an elitist Catholic school.
Well played Cistercian College Roscrea, well played!
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