History

                A report drawn up in Dec. 1932 by Canon Denis Brosnan, President of St. Brendan’s, summed up the aims of the founders and the circumstances of the setting up of the   College:             

                “ St. Brendan’s College was founded in 1860. The purpose of the foundation was:  

                1) To educate boys preparing for the priesthood - particularly for service in the diocese of Kerry.

                2)To provide a suitable secondary education for Catholic boys who aspired to secular pursuits. Non-Catholics were also admitted for Secular instruction.

                The building was begun with the aid of a charitable gift of £1,000 (for purpose of no. 1 above)   from Fr. Naughten,*   P.P. There was also an endowment from the same benefactor - Fr. Naughten - which is now known as the Naughten Trust.”

                                    - College Records.

 The endowment was in the form of   an estate   in Co. Cork which provided rental income to the Seminary. In the late nineteenth century the lands passed into the hands of the occupying tenants.

Founder of St. Brendan’s - Bishop David Moriarty:

                Bishop Moriarty was appointed co-adjutor to the Bishop of Kerry, Dr. Egan in 1854.

He became Bishop of Kerry in 1856 and in addition to founding St. Brendan’s in 1860, he encouraged and supported the building of many churches and schools throughout the diocese.

The Old Killarney Seminary, College Street:

                First located in College Street (shown   as Henn Street OS Town Plan 1842)   behind the present-day Scott’s Hotel and later in New Street,   this seminary had been a classical school and   in 1804 was constituted into a seminary by Dr. Sughrue   who   was consecrated Bishop in 1798. Students were prepared for ordination in this Seminary.   The location of the College is marked in an OS   Manuscript Town Plan of1842, OS 140, in the National Archives, Dublin.

The Land...

Bishop Moriarty/   Lord Castlerosse   Correspondence

                In 1857 Lord Castlerosse’s   consented to the   leasing of four acres of land at a peppercorn rent for the building of the Seminary and a new   Bishop’s Palace (replacing the old New   Street Palace)

                .   Bishop Moriarty and two priests moved into the Bishop’s   ‘ New Palace’, on May 25th. 1861. He soon had about 80 students studying in the lower part of the house,while he and the two priests occupied the upper part.

Funding:   It was believed   that the Naughten endowment plus burses, bequests and the students’ pensions (fees) would   finance the Seminary