History Version 1 - Knockbeg College

Over 200 Years

Of History

Established in 1793

Knockbeg College traces back its origins back to 1793 when a lay school for boys was established in Carlow College, St. Patrick’s in conjunction with the seminary there. In 1847, it was decided that the young pupils in the school should come out to Knockbeg, which had been a gentry estate on the banks of the river Barrow before being purchased by the diocese of Kildare & Leighlin. The initial school had about 40 pupils but the numbers grew as all the lay pupils from Carlow College, St. Patrick’s transferred out. In 1898, the school became the official junior seminary for the diocese. To this day, our aim is to offer a holistic Catholic education to our pupils. Through the years the boarding numbers in the college built up to around the 160 mark and the number of pupils in the school increased in the 1980’s when day-pupils were taken in. At, present, there are approximately 440 pupils in the school.

Bicentenary

In 1993 we celebrated our bicentenary and much development work took place in conjunction with that event. Since then other development work has taken place and in December 2006 the Department of Education and Science gave its approval for the school to proceed to architectural planning and design. Since that approval, progress was very slow, due to the requirement for a conservation architect to give a decision on whether parts of the building should be retained for heritage reasons or not. The appointment was eventually sanctioned in January 2009 but it took another year for the appointment to be made. Eventually the report was delivered in June 2010 and it designated all parts of the College except the 1960s wing as heritage buildings. These were incorporated into the new building and the Department designated the future educational use of the rooms in the conserved buildings. The obligation of the conservation architech was never expected to postpone the project for such a long period of time, but work did eventually start in early 2017.

Our New School

The extension and restoration of Knockbeg College (2017-2020) has cost in the region of €15 million upon completion, including furnishings and equipment. All the original buildings have been restored to their former glory, with a number of new buildings and alterations to provide school facilities suitable for 21st century education in the beautiful and picturesque surroundings of our school. This includes a new Student Canteen Area, 3 Science Laboratories, 2 Computer Laboratories, a Technology room, Visual Art room, Sports Hall with Fitness Suite, 4 external playing courts, Double ASD unit, all fully equipped with the latest equipment and much more.

Drone Footage
of New
Development
2020

Opening 2021

The official opening of the extension and restoration of Knockbeg College (2017-2020 )was held on the 10^th of September 2021. Bishop Denis Nulty, Bishop of Leighlin and Kildare, blessed the buildings, with Charlie Flanagan, president of the past pupils’ union, cutting the ribbon. Due to Covid restrictions, there were two hundred invited guests in attendance.

The Construction Project

A number of rooms were demolished – beginning with the gym while ‘Frankie Lyons’’ laboratory was also knocked down.

As part of the works, three listed buildings were restored. This includes Knockbeg House at the front of the school which dates all the way back to 1847.

It also includes a wing, known by those who attended the school as ‘Siberia’, which was built in 1963.

While two new three story classroom extensions were built, including a double autism unit which have sensory rooms and gardens.

There is also a new canteen and a music room. As well as that there are four new basketball and tennis courts.

The dormitories are no more and have been turned into classrooms, science labs, a library and a study hall.

The first of the extensions was completed in September 2019 while the entire project was finished soon after.

Succession of Rectors

The first rector of Knockbeg was Fr. James Nolan. A native of Tullow he was a nephew of the saintly Bishop Nolan 1834—37, Educated at Carlow and the Irish College, Paris he was ordained in 1845 and attached to Carlow Lay College. When Knockbeg was opened he was appointed rector………………

From the Archives of Ireland Genealogical Projects.

Learn a bit more here on the Rectors of Knockbeg College in the earlier years.

Source : The Parish of KILLESHIN, Graiguecullen’. by P.MacSuibhne. 1972.

Into the future

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