St. Mary's Knockbeg College
Encyclopedia
St. Mary's Knockbeg College is a Roman Catholic, all-boys secondary school located on the Laois/Carlow
border in Ireland
, approximately 3 km from both Carlow
town and Graiguecullen
. A former seminary school for the diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, it was founded in 1793. Exclusively a boarding school until the 1980s, it now accommodates only day-pupils; the boarding school having closed down in June 2011. Knockbeg College celebrated its bicentenary in 1993.
Knockbeg won the All-Ireland College's Senior Football Championship
in 2005, under the guidance of former pupil and current teacher, Chris Conway
.
In 2006, Knockbeg were the victors of the Thomas Crosbie Holdings All Ireland Quiz Championship, bringing All-Ireland success to the college twice in two years, and were crowned All-Ireland German Debating Champions in 2008.
border. It traces its origins back to 1793 when a lay school for boys was established in St.Patrick's College, Carlow
in conjunction with the seminary there. In 1847 it was decided that the young pupils in the school should come out to Knockbeg, which had been a gentry estate on the banks of the River Barrow
before being purchased by the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, in 1892 all lay students were moved to Knockbeg. The initial school had about 40 pupils but the numbers grew as all the lay pupils from St Patrick's transferred out. In 1898 the school became the official junior seminary for the diocese. To this day the aim of the college is to offer a holistic Catholic education. Through the years the boarding numbers in the school built up to the around 160 mark and has since increased in the 1980s when Day-Boys were taken in. At present, there are well over 350 pupils attending the school.
. In 2005, Knockbeg claimed the Leinster Senior Football College's title after a gap over 50 years. Following this, they went on to claim the Hogan Cup
for the first time in their history. Knockbeg has produced many quality footballers throughout the years, playing inter-county football for their respective counties.
Knockbeg's hurling and basketball teams have also achieved moderate success over the years.
Its athletics team is growing and developing to be one of the most successful athletic schools in the country in track and field and cross country.
This long history of sport has lead many students to go on to play for the Laois GAA
football team, this includes past students:
Carlow
Carlow is the county town of County Carlow in Ireland. It is situated in the south-east of Ireland, 84 km from Dublin. County Carlow is the second smallest county in Ireland by area, however Carlow Town is the 14th largest urban area in Ireland by population according to the 2006 census. The...
border in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, approximately 3 km from both Carlow
Carlow
Carlow is the county town of County Carlow in Ireland. It is situated in the south-east of Ireland, 84 km from Dublin. County Carlow is the second smallest county in Ireland by area, however Carlow Town is the 14th largest urban area in Ireland by population according to the 2006 census. The...
town and Graiguecullen
Graiguecullen
Graiguecullen GFC is a Gaelic Athletic Association club that plays in County Laois, Ireland.The club were winners of thirteen Carlow Senior Football Championship Titles and twelve Laois Senior Football Championship titles, the last of which was in 1965.The Club won the Laois Intermediate Football...
. A former seminary school for the diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, it was founded in 1793. Exclusively a boarding school until the 1980s, it now accommodates only day-pupils; the boarding school having closed down in June 2011. Knockbeg College celebrated its bicentenary in 1993.
Knockbeg won the All-Ireland College's Senior Football Championship
Hogan Cup
The Hogan Cup 1946-48 & 1957-) is the cup presented to the winners of the colleges All-Ireland "A" senior football championship, the top level Gaelic football championship for secondary schools in Ireland. The competition itself is regularly referred to by reference to the trophy's name.St...
in 2005, under the guidance of former pupil and current teacher, Chris Conway
Chris Conway
Chris Conway is a Gaelic football player from Laois in Ireland.He plays for the Arles-Kilcruise club. He formerly played at centre forward for Laois and in 2003 was part of the Laois team that won the Leinster Senior Football Championship title for the first time since 1946, before departing the...
.
In 2006, Knockbeg were the victors of the Thomas Crosbie Holdings All Ireland Quiz Championship, bringing All-Ireland success to the college twice in two years, and were crowned All-Ireland German Debating Champions in 2008.
History
St Mary's Knockbeg College is one of the oldest secondary schools in Ireland, located on the Laois/CarlowCarlow
Carlow is the county town of County Carlow in Ireland. It is situated in the south-east of Ireland, 84 km from Dublin. County Carlow is the second smallest county in Ireland by area, however Carlow Town is the 14th largest urban area in Ireland by population according to the 2006 census. The...
border. It traces its origins back to 1793 when a lay school for boys was established in St.Patrick's College, Carlow
Carlow
Carlow is the county town of County Carlow in Ireland. It is situated in the south-east of Ireland, 84 km from Dublin. County Carlow is the second smallest county in Ireland by area, however Carlow Town is the 14th largest urban area in Ireland by population according to the 2006 census. The...
in conjunction with the seminary there. In 1847 it was decided that the young pupils in the school should come out to Knockbeg, which had been a gentry estate on the banks of the River Barrow
River Barrow
The Barrow is a river in Ireland. It is one of The Three Sisters; the other two being the River Suir and the River Nore. The Barrow is the longest and most prominent of the three rivers...
before being purchased by the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, in 1892 all lay students were moved to Knockbeg. The initial school had about 40 pupils but the numbers grew as all the lay pupils from St Patrick's transferred out. In 1898 the school became the official junior seminary for the diocese. To this day the aim of the college is to offer a holistic Catholic education. Through the years the boarding numbers in the school built up to the around 160 mark and has since increased in the 1980s when Day-Boys were taken in. At present, there are well over 350 pupils attending the school.
Sports
Knockbeg College has a long sporting tradition, widely recognised throughout IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. In 2005, Knockbeg claimed the Leinster Senior Football College's title after a gap over 50 years. Following this, they went on to claim the Hogan Cup
Hogan Cup
The Hogan Cup 1946-48 & 1957-) is the cup presented to the winners of the colleges All-Ireland "A" senior football championship, the top level Gaelic football championship for secondary schools in Ireland. The competition itself is regularly referred to by reference to the trophy's name.St...
for the first time in their history. Knockbeg has produced many quality footballers throughout the years, playing inter-county football for their respective counties.
Knockbeg's hurling and basketball teams have also achieved moderate success over the years.
Its athletics team is growing and developing to be one of the most successful athletic schools in the country in track and field and cross country.
This long history of sport has lead many students to go on to play for the Laois GAA
Laois GAA
The Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Laois GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Laois and the Laois inter-county teams.-History:...
football team, this includes past students:
- Donie Brennan
- Chris ConwayChris ConwayChris Conway is a Gaelic football player from Laois in Ireland.He plays for the Arles-Kilcruise club. He formerly played at centre forward for Laois and in 2003 was part of the Laois team that won the Leinster Senior Football Championship title for the first time since 1946, before departing the...
- Donal KingstonDonal KingstonDonal "Donie" Kingston is a Gaelic football player from Laois in Ireland.He was educated in Knockbeg College, Co. Carlow and won a sports scholarship to University College Dublin in 2009...
- Brian McDonald
- Ross MunnellyRoss MunnellyRoss Munnelly is a Gaelic football player from Laois in Ireland. He plays for the Arles/Kilcruise club. He usually plays at wing forward for Laois and in 2003 was part of the Laois team that won the Leinster Senior Football Championship title for the first time since 1946.-Club:In 2003 he starred...
- Rory StapletonRory StapletonRory Stapleton is a Gaelic football player from County Laois in Ireland.He usually plays at left corner back for Laois and in 2003 was part of the Laois team that won the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship title for the first time since 1997....
Notable alumni
- Colm BegleyColm BegleyColm Begley is a Gaelic footballer from Ireland. He has also played Australian rules football for the St Kilda Football Club and Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League .-Recruitment:...
, former Australian Rules FootballAustralian rules footballAustralian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er, who played for the Brisbane LionsBrisbane LionsThe Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
and St Kilda Saints. - Charles FlanaganCharles FlanaganCharles "Charlie" Flanagan is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála for the Laois–Offaly constituency....
, Fine GaelFine GaelFine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
TDTeachta DálaA Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
for Laois–Offaly and currently chairman of the Fine GaelFine GaelFine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
Parliamentary Party. - Lt.Col.Myles KeoghMyles KeoghMyles Walter Keogh was an Irishman who fought in Italy during the 1860 Papal War before volunteering for the Union side in the American Civil War . During the war years, he was promoted from the rank of Captain to that of Major, finally being awarded the brevet rank of Lieutenant Colonel...
, Captain of Company I, 7th U.S. Cavalry Regiment and killed at the Battle of the Little BighornBattle of the Little BighornThe Battle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer's Last Stand and, by the Indians involved, as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, was an armed engagement between combined forces of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho people against the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army...
, 1876. - James Fintan LalorJames Fintan LalorJames Fintan Lalor was an Irish revolutionary, journalist, and “one of the most powerful writers of his day.” A leading member of the Irish Confederation , he was to play an active part in both the Rebellion in July 1848 and the attempted Rising in September of that same year...
, Irish revolutionary and writer, leading member of the Young Irelanders. - Paddy Lalor, former Fianna FáilFianna FáilFianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
TDTeachta DálaA Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
for Laois–Offaly, Minister for Industry and Commerce and M.E.P.. - Tommy MurphyTommy Murphy (Gaelic Footballer)Tommy Murphy was a famous Gaelic footballer for County Laois, Ireland.Tommy Murphy was born in Graiguecullen, County Laois in 1921. He was educated in the nearby Knockbeg College in Carlow. Murphy played for the Laois Minors when he was just 15 and came to prominence in 1937 when he played his...
, former LaoisLaois GAAThe Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Laois GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Laois and the Laois inter-county teams.-History:...
footballer who was named in the midfield position in the GAAGaelic Athletic AssociationThe Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
FootballGaelic footballGaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
Team of the Millennium. - Kevin O'HigginsKevin O'HigginsKevin Christopher O'Higgins was an Irish politician who served as Vice-President of the Executive Council and Minister for Justice. He was part of early nationalist Sinn Féin, before going on to become a prominent member of Cumann na nGaedheal. O'Higgins initiated the An Garda Síochána police force...
, Irish Nationalist and Pro-Treaty TDTeachta DálaA Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
for Laois–Offaly, Minister for Home Affairs/Vice-President of the Executive CouncilExecutive Council (Commonwealth countries)An Executive Council in Commonwealth constitutional practice based on the Westminster system is a constitutional organ which exercises executive power and advises the governor or governor-general. Executive Councils often make decisions via Orders in Council.Executive Councillors are informally...
in the first Dáil and founder of An Garda Síochána. - Liam O'Neill, former Leinster Council ChairmanLeinster GAAThe Leinster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Leinster. The Leinster Council has been partnered with the European County Board to help develop Gaelic Games in Europe...
and President-elect of the Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic AssociationThe Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
. - William Hoey Kearney RedmondWilliam Hoey Kearney RedmondWilliam Hoey Kearney Redmond was an Irish nationalist politician. He was a Member of Parliament in the Irish Parliamentary Party for 34 years, a land reform agitator imprisoned three times, a determined advocate of Irish Home Rule, a barrister and a First World War fatality.-Family background:He...
, Irish nationalist and Irish Parliamentary PartyIrish Parliamentary PartyThe Irish Parliamentary Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish nationalist Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons at...
MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for 34 years.