St Patrick's College History Launched by An Taoiseach

 

On Monday, 6 November, An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern TD, launched St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra: a History before a large audience in the College dining room. Commending the College for its service to the nation and its commitment to excellence in teaching and research, the Taoiseach welcomed the book as contributing not only to an understanding of the history of the College, but also to the whole Drumcondra area.

As one of the oldest third-level institutions in Ireland, the history of St Patrick's College was, Mr Ahern said, ‘tightly linked with the history of education itself in this country’.   He added that the contribution made by this college to the development of Special Education in this country has been a really significant one.  In each era of its history, ‘the one constant thread that has run through its history has been its faithful endeavour to serve the nation as an educational institution. And from its earliest days, the College played a key role in setting high standards and progressing the cause of education in this land.’   The Taoiseach acknowledged the contribution of the Vincentian community to the College and all those who had helped in its ‘transformation from a traditional teacher training College to the forward-looking institution that it is today’. 

Edited by James Kelly of the History Department, the history is the joint endeavour of staff and students past and present and a number of specialists in the History of Education, the book represents the first attempt to provide a full outline of the history of the College and to locate its in its local as well as national context.  Published by Four Courts Press, this elegant book serves as a fitting tribute to the effort of the eight contributors: Joseph Doyle, Diarmaid Ferriter, Carla King, James Kelly, Ruth MacManus, Eoghan O Suilleabhain, Ciaran Sugrue and John Walsh. As the alma mater of generations of teachers, St Patrick’s College:a History provides a revealing account of the background, origins, development and expansion of the College that will be of particular interest to graduates, staff, students of the history of education, and anyone interested in the past.

ISBN   1-84682-009-X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Updated: Tuesday November 14 2006