St. Columba’s College is a seven day a week boarding school set in the hills overlooking the city of Dublin and 30 minutes from the airport. The College’s small size – 320 pupils – provides an intimate environment in which every child is known and nurtured in seven boarding houses. Academic standards are very high (the Irish Leaving Certificate is taken) and leavers go on to a wide range of Irish and international universities, including Oxbridge and Ivy League.
There are six afternoons of sport each week for all and a very full cultural programme, which ensures a well-rounded education in which every pupil’s talents and interests are fostered. There is a strong emphasis on both leadership and service and, while being very much Irish in context and character, we encourage an international outlook on the world.
Every day starts with full school chapel and the College holds the spiritual development of the pupils to be paramount, building a strong set of values which create a close-knit and caring community, where most of the teaching staff live on site. While academic work is important the development of character, integrity and empathy for others is at the heart what the College stands for.
In the Irish context this mixed boarding school is unique in atmosphere and the mixture of tradition and forward-looking education provides a strong foundation and inspiring preparation for the 21st century.