De La Salle College
De La Salle College was originaly opened as a teacher training college in 1891. Over the years many teachers who were to have a profound influence on thousands of students throughout the length and breadth of Ireland were trained in De La Salle College.
In May 1939 the government decided that one Training College would be adequate to provide training for all the young men in the country. St. Patrick’s, Drumcondra was to remain open and De La Salle College was to close. In November the Minister for Education made one concession. Instead of closing down the College completely, the training of Brothers would be allowed to continue.For the next ten years, De La Salle College, Waterford was used for the teacher –training of young Brothers.
Since 1923 a Secondary School was in operation in St. Stephen’s National School. It operated with commendable success but the accommodation was totally inadequate. A new Secondary School was needed to cater for the boys attending St. Stephen’s and St. Declan’s. This school was temporarily housed in St. Declan’s School. In October 1939 it was transferred to premises purchased from the Newtown Quaker’s School and was known as St. Patrick’s School. As St. Patrick’s was inadequate for the numbers requiring secondary education in the city and surrounding countryside and as De La Salle College was a drain on the Institutes resources a solution was at hand. Brother Lawrence O’Toole decided that it should be turned into a secondary boarding and day school. On the 9th September 1948 the College was officially opened for secondary education.
Over the years the College was becoming better known. In 1954 there were 111 boarders and 150 dayboys. In 1968 there were 230 boarders and 420 dayboys. A classroom block was built in 1955. In 1958 Upton House was purchased to accommodate extra boarders.
Because of the increase in student numbers it was deemed necessary that a new wing be added to the College. New science laboratories and woodwork rooms were provided. The wing was completed in 1974.
Further expansion of De La Salle College was deemed necessary in recent times. A new floor was added to the west wing. A new technology block was built which caters for the multitude of students doing Construction Studies, Technology Wood and Technical Graphics. New Science Laboratories and preparation rooms, a modern Computer Room, an Art Room and a Business Studies Room were some of the specialist rooms that were provided. New Changing Rooms were built and the Gymnasium was completely remodelled and refurbished. The College itself was completely redecorated. In September 2001 the College expansion and refurbishment was complete. A new generation can now make use of a modern College with a rich tradition. For over 120 years the De La Salle Brothers have been at the centre of education in Waterford. Today the Lasallian ethos lives on in the biggest boys school in the country.
Gaelic Games
De La Salle College has a proud association with the Gaelic Athletic Association from its inception in 1884. The College fielded teams in both Hurling and Football from 1887. In fact as a Training College De La Salle captured Senior Hurling Titles in and Senior Football Titles in 1931, 1935, 1936 and 1937.Many famous players and officials were educated in this famous nursery. Seven GAA Presidents trained as teachers in De La Salle College. Between 1932 and 1952 all GAA Presidents were past pupils of the College:
Sean McCarthy 1932-1935
Robert O’Keeffe 1935-1938
Padraig MacNamee 1938-1943
Seamus Gardiner 1943-1946
Dan O’Rourke 1946-1949
Michael Keogh 1949-1952
Seamus O’Riain 1967-1970
Former Wexford player and manager Liam Griffin and current Croke Park ‘Head of Games’ Pat Daly are two other well known former pupils. In recent years, De La Salle College has enjoyed wonderful success in hurling, winning the prestigious Harty Cup (Munster) and Croke Cup (all Ireland) for the first time ever in 2007 and repeating the success in 2008-a truly remarkable achievement. The college has also tasted success in Dean Ryan (Under 16½) and White Cup (Under 15) and the future for hurling in the school looks extremely bright. While hurling may be in the ascendancy at the moment, De La Salle College has an extremely proud history in Gaelic Football, having annexed five Munster senior titles in the 1960’s. More recently, three Under 15 titles have been won in this decade alone. While it is a great honour to represent De La Salle College and wear the school jersey, all students who wish to get involved in sport are catered for. Thus, hurling and football leagues are held within the school with as many students as possible encouraged to participate. Of course this could not happen without the selfless dedication of a huge number of teachers who willingly give their time after school and at weekends, coaching and offering their expertise to the students. Long may it continue so that De La Salle College can look forward to the future on the GAA fields throughout the length and breadth of Ireland.
Links with De La Salle GAA Club:
From its foundation our club has had a very unique and close relationship with the brothers, teachers and staff of De La Salle College. Challenge games between club teams and the trainee teachers, boarders and in recent years school teams formed an integral part our yearly progamme of games. Down through the years many brothers and teaching staff played important roles either as players or selectors with club teams. Brothers Brendan O’Sullivan, Stephen Deignan, Damien Kellegher and Brother Patrick Kelly (RIP) are just afew that come to mind. At present Brother Kilian O’Sullivan is current club president while brother Tom Walsh is actively involved with our football teams. The brothers in the College always made its facilities available to the club and down through the years many teams were trained in either the front field, ‘dump’ field down by the river or in the ‘old’gymn. The St Declan’s section of our nursery uses the front field on Saturday mornings and Wednesday evenings during the summer months while indoor hurling is played in the College Sports Hall from November to March. Long may this association continue.
De La Salle College
Park Road, Waterford City
Telephone: 051 875 294
e-mail: admin@delasallewaterford.ie
Web site: http://www.delasallewaterford.com/