Newbridge College


Newbridge College, formally the Dominican College Newbridge, is a co-educational private fee-paying voluntary secondary school in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland, run by the Roman Catholic Dominican Order. The Dominican Friars founded Newbridge College in 1852 as a boarding school for boys. Today, still run by the Dominican Fathers, Newbridge College is a mixed day school with a student population of almost 900 pupils.

History

Foundation

The Dominican College in Newbridge was founded in 1852 by Fr Dominic Walker and Fr Nicholas Freyne, who established the College as a result of the high and increasing demand for secondary Catholic education owing to Catholic emancipation in Ireland at the time. In its first year of establishment, Newbridge College had an enrolment of 50 students. A cap was placed on the number of pupils enrolled. In 1870 the second church on the grounds was built. The restriction was lifted in 1894 and the roll grew to 100 students.
In 1924, Junior House and the Clock Tower were constructed. 1941 saw the Senior Cup Team win the Colleges' first Leinster Schools Rugby Senior Cup, trained by Fr Leahy, OP. In 1950, the Junior Cup Team won the schools first Leinster Schools Junior Cup Final. Building began for Senior House in 1951. In 1952 the College marked its centenary, events to celebrate the milestone were attended by the President of Ireland Seán T. O'Kelly, Taoiseach Éamon de Valera, the Papal Nuncio, the Master of the Dominican Order and the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin.
The Newbridge College Past Pupils Union, which still exists today, was established by Dr JJ Cosgrove in 1937.
In 1956, with completion of Senior House and the refectory, there were almost 300 boys enrolled, 250 of whom were boarders. The third and current church was built in 1966, consecrated by Cardinal Michael Browne, OP. 1970 saw Newbridge win another Senior Cup, against Blackrock College, with a team trained by Fr John Heffernan, OP and captained by future Irish international Mick Quinn. In 1980 the bridge over the River Liffey was constructed, and the sports fields were moved from the quadrangle to the land across the Liffey.

Later developments

In 1984, one of the most significant changes in the schools' history took place – the admission of girls to the school for the first time. Today, approximately 50% of the school's pupils are female.
1992 marked the appointment of the first lay Principal of Newbridge College – Mr. Patrick O'Mahony – who made sweeping academic changes and oversaw big improvements in the facilities at the school until his retirement in 2006. His appointment came after responsibility for the management of the College had been transferred to the Board of Governors, composed of the Dominican Fathers, teachers, parents and past pupils. In 1992 formal classes on a Saturday also ceased, replaced with an extracurricular and academic study programme.
April 1994 saw the opening of the new gym block, science, art and technology suites behind Junior House by the Minister for Education. An all-weather pitch used for girls hockey was also built.
The practice of boarding came to an end in 1998, and the College became a fully coeducational day school. The option for day students to get evening tea and take part in supervised study until 9.30pm started, a practice which still takes places today. 1998 was also the year in which the first female School Captain, Tara Flanagan, was elected, and the first day student.
Newbridge College celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2002.
In April 2008, a new €6 million euro extension to Junior House was completed, with new science laboratories, technical and computer rooms, a new staff room and a new social area.
In 2013, an all-weather floodlit AstroTurf sports facility was commissioned at the cost of €1 million. It is used for rugby, hockey, running and other sports.

Motto

The College coat of arms bears two mottos. Veritas is the motto of the Dominican Order. Cur me persequeris is the motto of the Eustace family, who donated the land upon which the school is built. The reference is to the legend of Saint Eustace, who, while out hunting, encountered a stag with a cross between his antlers ; the stag addressed the saint in the terms of the motto.
St Thomas Aquinas is the patron saint of Newbridge College.

Location

Newbridge College is located north of Newbridge, Co. Kildare, a large urban town with a population of 22,000 people. The school is situated on either side of the banks of the River Liffey, which passes through the school grounds, with a bridge connecting the college to its sports fields. Students come from the surrounding counties, including Wicklow, Dublin, Laois and Offaly.

Academic

Catering for both boys and girls, the school provides the Junior Certificate, Transition Year, Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Applied and Leaving Certificate Vocational Programmes as prescribed by the Department of Education and Skills. The College follows the curricular programmes as set out by the DES in accordance with Sections 9 and 30 of the Education Act 1998.
Newbridge College performs very strongly year-on-year when it comes to academic results, consistently topping the Kildare schools league tables and was recently ranked as the second best academic performer in the Leinster province.
Dr John Monahan, PhD, was the inaugural winner of the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, then a student of Newbridge College in 1965, he went on to establish a NASDAQ-listed biotech company in California.

Admissions

There are a limited number of places available for first years. The 2015/2016 intake was 144. First year is generally three times oversubscribed, and it is not uncommon for there to be 500 or 600 applications. Prospective first years must sit an entrance exam and interview with the Principal before acceptance, and preference is given to those with relatives who have or are currently attending the school. The school awards two academic scholarships annually, on the basis of the results obtained in a scholarship examination. Music and sports scholarships have also been awarded.

Fees

The fee per student for the 2017/2018 academic year is €4,225.

Sports

Newbridge College is a 3 time winner of the Leinster Schools Rugby Senior Cup – in 1941 and 1970 and in 2020 where they are sharing the cup, due to the COVID 19 outbreak. In 2012, Newbridge College were victorious in the Leinster Schools Vinnie Murray Cup, defeating St. Andrew's College, Dublin in the final. Newbridge College triumphed in the Leinster Schools Junior Cup final against Blackrock in 1950 and again in 2020, where they are sharing the Junior Cup with Blackrosk College. The school has also made it to numerous finals, including both the Senior and Junior Cup Finals in 1939.
Rugby is taken very seriously at the school, however other sports are played at the school, including hockey, equestrian sport, athletics, canoeing, soccer, GAA, basketball and golf. The Newbridge College rugby and hockey teams are sponsored by Newbridge Silverware.
In Gaelic Games, Newbridge College won the Leinster Colleges Senior Football Championship in 1923 and were finalists in 1922. In 1926,Newbridge College were finalists in the Leinster Colleges Senior Hurling Championship where they lost to St.Kierans College, Kilkenny
Since April 1944, the Triangular Sword Competition – a format between Newbridge College, Clongowes Wood College and the Cadet School of the Defence Forces Military College – has taken place without fail. It involves six sports; golf, Gaelic football, soccer, swimming, athletics and basketball.
Sports facilities at the school include an indoor gymnasium, a gym equipped with weights, an outdoor running track, tennis courts, numerous playing fields, an all-weather hockey pitch, and two floodlight artificial playing surfaces for all-weather rugby, hockey and athletics.

Rugby honours

Government, military, legal and education