Rathdown School Competitors

Blackrock College was founded in 1860 by Pere Jules Leman CSSp. and his French companions. They had a dual aim to train personnel for missionary service in the Third World and to provide a first class Catholic education for Irish boys. The French tradition of a wide cultural education was developed down the years as the College grew in both numbers and in reputation. New buildings were added over time to meet the increased demand for places and to provide the best possible facilities for students. The Spiritan ethos impels the students to lead their lives with a generosity of spirit that reaches out to those who endure hardship and disadvantage. As a result of this constant striving for excellence which is essential to the Blackrock College ethos, year after year, Blackrock College alumni went on to achieve much and contribute greatly, in very public and in less high-profile ways, to society both in Ireland and abroad. Today, there are over 1000 students both day and boarding (in Williamstown Castle), enjoying excellent facilities located within 56 acres of rolling parkland on the broad sweep of Dublin Bay in South County Dublin. The College motto ‘Fides et Robur’- Faith and Fortitude is very much alive at Blackrock today. The students are educated and very well prepared for the world which awaits them equipping them with ability and skills to emulate the achievements and contributions made by generations of ‘Rockmen’ before them.

Clongowes Wood College, Clane, Co Kildare is Ireland's premier boarding school Clongowes Wood College is a seven-day boarding school located in beautiful surroundings, twenty miles from Dublin in the heart of Co. Kildare. We are a home from home for four hundred and fifty pupils from all four provinces of Ireland and abroad. Clongowes is a Jesuit Catholic school that strives to support students in their growth towards a greater understanding and awareness of their faith and the part that this plays in their lives. Our primary objective is to provide an environment where students not only learn more about spirituality and the Christian faith, but also try to integrate their own spirituality into daily living. For 200 years Clongowes has been producing an open, happy, stimulating, mutually respectful community in which young people are able to develop the full range of their talents and abilities in a balanced, integrated and generous way. A key characteristic of Jesuit Education, ‘cura personalis’ (care of the person), is at the centre of all that we do. In attempting to cater for all students, Clongowes provides a great variety of experiences that support our students in developing their faith by creating an atmosphere of openness, acceptance and a willingness to search.

The College is a Catholic school under the trusteeship of the Society of Jesus. Set in the centre of Dublin city, it continues today a tradition since 1832 in the Jesuit approach to education. The school is fee-paying but provides a bursary scheme, independently funded, out of a desire to be socially just. The family, as the primary educator, through its commitment to the values of the school, shares the responsibility for the students' education. Belvedere has dedicated teachers who are committed to high academic standards. The College provides a rich and diverse curriculum catering for the needs of each individual student. It strives for excellence also in areas of sport and culture, social concern, and spiritual values, wherein students are encouraged and challenged to realise their full potential as human beings. The mission of the Belvedere Community - Jesuits, Board, Staff, Parents, present students and past pupils - is to ensure that graduates of the College by their relationship with Jesus Christ and through living Gospel values, shall be persons for others in leadership and example in the pursuit of a just world.