Fifty Years of Co-Education

We all have our favourite sayings of Kevin Kelleher, ‘Mr. St. Conleth’s’ for so many years. Some of those witticisms have been left behind by the tide of political correctness but most have retained the charm and warmth with which they were first said. “Make way for a naval officer!” still echoes through the halls (Mr. KDK engaging in some early meme-humour). And who can forget the special attention paid the female students: ‘Here come the ladies!’ and ‘Ladies to the front!’ as the awkward, grumbling male students stood aside in the queue for the Tuck Shop?

Well, things have changed at St. Conleth’s. We still revere Mr. K. and his legacy but the position of girls and young ladies at St. Conleth’s has been transformed! When you come along to our Fifty Years of Women at St. Conleth’s celebration on May 24th, you will see that St. Conleth’s is no longer a boys’ school… with girls in Fifth and Sixth Year. St. Conleth’s is now just an excellent school… for everyone. There will be some great memories and stories on the night of those first forty years of co-education, when the girls fought for and earned the spotlight and the rostrum amidst a bellowing chorus of deep and sometimes squeaky voices, but you will also hear about the last ten years of that journey, as CEOs Ann Sheppard and Tony Kilcommons spearheaded a development that seamlessly transformed St. Conleth’s into what it is now: a paragon of private, Catholic co-education in Ireland. Scroll through the news on this website and you will see the happy faces of both boys and girls, of all ages, as they compete and create and work together at St. Conleth’s… but, alas, girls no longer get the ‘fast-track’ pass to the front of the queue!

Highlights from our ’40 Years of Girls at St. Conleth’s: Ten Years ago!

by Charles Latvis