St Patrick's College, Dublin

St Patrick's College (Irish: Coláiste Phádraig), often known as St Pat's,[1] was a third level institution in Ireland, the leading function of which was as the country's largest primary teacher training college, which had at one time up to 2,000 students. Founded in Drumcondra, in the northern suburbs of Dublin, in 1875, with a Roman Catholic ethos, it offered a number of undergraduate courses, primarily in primary education and arts, and in time postgraduate courses too, mostly in education and languages.

St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra
Coláiste Phádraig
St Patrick's College, Drumcondra
Latin: Collegium Sancti Patricii
Other name
St Pat's
MottoIntellectum da mihi, Domine
Motto in English
Give me understanding, Lord
TypeRoman Catholic
Active1875–2016
Religious affiliation
Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians; 1883–1999)
Academic affiliations
National University of Ireland (1975–95)
Dublin City University (1995–2016)
PresidentDaire Keogh
Students2,400 (2016)
Location
Drumcondra
,
Dublin
,
Ireland

53.3704°N 6.2544°W / 53.3704; -6.2544
CampusUrban
Colours    Blue, white, yellow
Websiteweb.archive.org/web/20040412185449/http://www.spd.dcu.ie

On 30 September 2016, St Patrick's was dissolved as an institution and incorporated into Dublin City University, along with Mater Dei Institute of Education, All Hallows College, and the Church of Ireland College of Education. The teacher training elements of those combined institutions currently form DCU's fifth faculty, the DCU Institute of Education. All humanities-based courses at the former St Patrick's were then absorbed by DCU's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. The campus of the former college is now known as DCU St Patrick's Campus.

History

Early years

The college was established at 1–2 Drumcondra Road in 1875, moving to Belvedere House in 1883 after its purchase by the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin from the Christian Brothers, when the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentian) community took over the running of the college. In its first 25 years over 2,000 students graduated from the college. The college trained male students to become primary school teachers; other colleges trained female teachers.

In 1894, a national school (primary) was established on campus and students would practice there.

20th century

The campus was redeveloped using a design by Andrew Devane in the 1960s. This involved the construction of a number of new buildings, which incorporated the historical fabric of the older buildings on the site. A new church and residential blocks were also part of the scheme.[2]

Female students were admitted from 1971.[3]

Linkage with Dublin City University
Library building from front entrance on a grey day.
Cregan Library, St Patrick's College in November 2022

St Patrick's College of Education was a recognised college of the National University of Ireland from 1975 to 1995.[4] In 1993, the college commenced its association with the nearby Dublin City University (DCU) which had been raised to university status in 1989. In 1995 the college of education formally ended its connection with the NUI and became a college of DCU.

The college developed a number of arts and humanities undergraduate and postgraduate courses with DCU.

The Vincentian administration of the college ended in 1999. In 2008 the college, along with other local education colleges, Mater Dei and All Hallows, signed a new linkage agreement with Dublin City University.[5] In May 2012, it was announced that there would be a €40 million investment in facilities at the college to provide for 2,500 students.[6]

Presidents of the College

Daire Keogh, of the history department, was the 14th and last president of the college, from 2012 to 2016, taking over from fellow historian Pauric Travers (1999-2012), in September 2012.[7] Travers had been the first lay president of the college when appointed in 1999. Previous presidents of the college have included Peter Byrne (1883-1919)[8] when the Vincentian order came to the college (earlier the head of the college would have been termed the Superior), Jerome Twomey (1942-1948), Donal Cregan (1957-1976) and Simon (Sam) Clyne (1985-1999). Keogh later became the fourth president of Dublin City University.[9]

Belvedere House
Belvedere House, St Patrick's campus, DCU

Notable buildings on the campus include Belvedere House which was built c. 1660 by Robert Booth, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland.[10][11][12]

Residents of the house included:

The Congregation of Christian Brothers established a novitiate in the house prior to transferring to Coláiste Mhuire, Marino, in 1875, when they sold Belvedere House to Cardinal Cullen for £3,000 for the establishment of the college.

Faculty and departments

The college was divided into two faculties, Education and Humanities. From the time of its affiliation to DCU, the college's offering of humanities programmes increased.

Faculty of Education
  • Education
  • Religious studies and education
  • Special education
  • Bioscience
  • Human development

Faculty of Humanities
  • English
  • Irish (Roinn na Gaeilge)
  • Mathematics
  • French
  • History
  • Geography
  • Music

Student services and students' union

St Pat's provided a variety of student services such as career advice, access support, mature student support, medical and welfare services and an international office.

The college also had a students' union which oversaw clubs such as GAA, rugby, soccer, and other pursuits, and societies for drama, St Vincent De Paul, and a choral society.

St Pat's Students' Union had two sabbatical positions and seven non-sabbatical positions. In 2015, students voted to change the structure of the union.[13]

Erins Hope

St Pat's were invited to enter the Dublin Senior Football Championship under the name Erins Hope. Erins Hope were Dublin football champions on four occasions in 1887, 1932, 1956 and 1978. In 2007 Erins Hope failed to field a team for the Dublin championship and had to withdraw from the tournament.

Alumni

Notable alumni of the college include:

References
  1. "Fathers give way to the dedicated lay". The Irish Times. 26 October 1999. Retrieved 1 June 2022. now beginning as the first lay head of St Pat's
  2. Rowley, Ellen, ed. (2018). More than concrete blocks : Dublin city's twentieth-century buildings and their stories. Natalie De Róiste, Merlo Kelly, Shane O'Toole, Carole Pollard, Paul Tierney. Dublin: Dublin City Council. pp. 347–357. ISBN 978-1-902703-44-2. OCLC 940282100.
  3. O'Connor, Maura (2010). The Development of Infant Education in Ireland, 1838-1948: Epochs and Eras (1st ed.). Bern, Switzerland, etc.: Peter Lang. p. 133. ISBN 9783034301428.
  4. St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, 1875-2000:- A history, edited by James Kelly, Four Courts press
  5. Speech by the Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern, T.D., at the signing of a new linkage agreement and revised linkage agreements between All Hallows College, St. Patrick's College, the Mater Dei Institute and the Governing Authority of Dublin City University on Monday, 4 February 2008 at 3.30pm
  6. Quinn announces €40m upgrade for St Pat’s teacher college www.journal.ie 14 May 2012
  7. St Patrick's names new president Irish Catholic, 12 May 2012.
  8. Biographical Notes - Peter Byrne Colloque Vol 20, Vincentians Ireland.
  9. "New DCU President Daire Keogh takes office today | News at DCU". Dublin City University. 14 July 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  10. "Architectural Heritage | dcuartsandculture". Dublin City University. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  11. "CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, DRUMCONDRA ROAD UPPER, BELVIDERE HOUSE Dictionary of Irish Architects -". www.dia.ie. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  12. "CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, DRUMCONDRA ROAD UPPER, ST PATRICK'S TRAINING COLLEGE (BELVIDERE HOUSE) Dictionary of Irish Architects -". www.dia.ie. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  13. "St. Pat's Student's Union". Archived from the original on 30 May 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
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