History

ST. BRENDAN’S COLLEGE, KILLARNEY       -    HISTORY:

St. Brendan’s is a Catholic Diocesan College, founded in 1860 by Bishop David Moriarty as a boarding and day-school for boys under   the name of   ‘ St. Brendan’s Seminary’.   A   document,   dating from c.1931, in the College records states that St. Brendan’s “...replaced and in part absorbed the old Killarney Seminary (Theo.), the Ardfert Classical School and other relics of pre-Emancipation days.”

In August 1959 Bishop Denis Moynihan, addressing the inaugural meeting of the St. Brendan’s Past-pupils Union, summed up the threefold aims of the College founder:

 “Dr. Moriarty, the then Bishop Of Kerry, founded the Seminary to provide priests for the diocese, to provide priests to follow the Irish emigrants into every country in the world and also to provide men for the learned professions.”  

 At the time when Bishop Moynihan was speaking the College filled the same role as it did a century earlier.

 The modern-day St. Brendan’s, however,   provides secondary education in a wide range of subjects for students of all levels of ability who   find employment in the professions, in   trades, in tourism, in agriculture, and in all aspects of the business world.

            The first principal was   Fr. Michael   Barry, a renowned Professor of Rhetoric at All Hallows College.    Ill- health soon forced Fr. Barry   to return to Dublin and   Fr. Thomas Lalor   replaced him . Fr. Lalor had the   title, ‘Director’.   The first principal to have the title ‘President’ was Fr. Lalor’s successor,  Fr. John Coffey (later Bishop Coffey).             The College began in a large room   on the ground floor of the newly-built   Bishop’s House and boarders were accommodated   in   approved houses in the town.   After the opening of the Presentation Monastery in 1861   some students lodged there.   The land was rented from Lord Kenmare at a ‘peppercorn, ’ rent.

            Gradually new classrooms and dormitories were built: the Tower wing was added to Bishop’s House in   1870, the main buildings took their present form   as a result of extensive rebuilding in the 1890s,   a College Chapel, with professors’ rooms   and dormitory accommodation overhead,   was added to the Tower building in 1914.   Further extensions followed in the 1930s,   ’50s, ’60s and   ’70s.   At the moment of writing (2007)   plans are well in hand for a major extension and modernisation of the Brosnan Building.

             Sport has played an important part in the history of St. Brendan’s and its great contribution to the development of the GAA   is widely recognised. However, the first mention of sport in the College records is a reference to   cricket.   Accounts for the years 1879 to1883   mention subscriptions to “The boys’ cricket clubs”   junior and senior.

             Until the late 1960’s diocesan clergy mainly staffed the College.   A priest acted as President and school-principal.   Gradually the number of lay-teachers increased and at present there is just one priest on the College staff.