St. Mel's College

St. Mel's College is an all-boys secondary school in Longford, Ireland.

St. Mel's College
Coláiste Naomh Mel
Location
Longford, County Longford

Ireland
Information
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic
Established1865
PrincipalMr. Declan Rowley[1]
GenderBoys
TrusteeCatholic Education an Irish Schools Trust School
Websitehttp://www.stmelscollege.ie/

History

The college opened in September 1865 with 48 boarders and 20 dayboys. The architect was Than Ourke with a total cost of 16,000 euro. In the beginning, it was actually a seminary, where students studied to become priests. Fr. James Reynolds was the first president. Previously he had been Superior of St. Mel's Day School in the Market Square. The school shares its name with St. Mel's Cathedral in Longford and it is situated to the rear of the cathedral. The cathedral and the college are named after Saint Mél of Ardagh.

St. Mel's was originally a boarding school since its foundation, later becoming a day school. Due to financial implications and decreasing demand for boarding schools it stopped taking in boarders in the early 2000s.[2]

Sports

St. Mel's won its first All Ireland Senior Final, beating St. Patrick's College, Cavan in Croke Park by 4-7 to 3-3. The college has won the Gaelic football championship Hogan Cup in 1948, 1962, 1963 and 1987. St. Mel's have an all weather pitch provided by PST Sport.[3] In February 2020 it was announced that Longford Athletics Club and the College will build an Indoor facility on the college grounds.[4]

Presidents/Principals
  • Rev. James Reynolds, 1865-1871
  • Rev. Matthew Columb, 1871-1874
  • Rev. Joseph Hoare, 1874-1881
  • Rev. James O’Farrell, 1881-1891
  • Rev. Patrick McGauran, 1891-1893
  • Canon James Fullam, 1893-1908
  • Canon Michael J. Masterson, 1908-1921
  • Rev. Denis O’Kane, 1921-1933
  • Rev. Edward McCormack, 1933-1940
  • Rev. James Reynolds, 1940-1944
  • Rev. Michael Kearney, 1944-1956
  • Rev. James J. Griffin, 1956-1963
  • Rev. John J. Lennon, 1963-1970
  • Rev. James Faughnan, 1970-1978
  • Rev. James Bland, 1978-1983
  • Rev. Peter Brady, 1983-1989
  • Rev. Frank Garvey, 1989-2002
  • Denis Glennon, 2002-2008, first lay principal[5]
  • Damian Cunningham, 2008-2013
  • Declan Rowley, 2013-present

Past pupils
gollark: steamport: *Anavrins* stole it.
gollark: How do you suggest I improve it?
gollark: "Stupid"? Really?
gollark: It *might* be.
gollark: Perhaps we can somehow make Karma install potatOS...

References
  1. Rowley appointed principal Local News, Longford Leader, August 21, 2013.
  2. "Book on St. Mel's published". Irish Times. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  3. St Mels College Longford What our clients say. PST Sport.
  4. Longford AC Indoor Facility Set For St.Mels by David Hooper, Shannonside Radio, February 16, 2020.
  5. Longford Person of the Year 2018 Longford Association Dublin
  6. Joseph Guinan by Maurice Cronin, RIA/Cambridge Dictionary of Irish Biography


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