Kilkenny College or KCK is a co-educational secondary school located in Kilkenny, in the South-East of Ireland. Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational Institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling known as Secondary education, takes Kilkenny, ( is a city and county town of County Kilkenny in Ireland. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world It is a private (fee-paying) school which caters for both a boarders and day-pupil. It is the largest co-educational boarding school in Ireland. The schools students are mainly protestant (Church of Ireland), although it is open to other denominations. The Church of Ireland (Eaglais na hÉireann is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating across the island of Ireland. [1]
The College motto, Comme je trouve which in French means (as I find), comes from the Butler family crest, an old local aristocratic family and is intended to mean people taking things as they come and trying to make the best of things given to them.
Founded in 1538 A. D to replace the School of the Vicars Choral, which was founded in 1234 A. D. Piers the Butler Earl of Ormond located it in the city centre. It was moved to its current location on the outskirts of Kilkenny city, in 1989. Kilkenny, ( is a city and county town of County Kilkenny in Ireland.
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A college of the Vicars' Choral was established at St. Canice’s Cathedral in the thirteenth century In 1538 Piers Butler, Earl of Ormonde and his wife, Margaret, founded a school known as, Kilkenny Grammar School, to the west of the Cathedral, and sited adjoining the library of St Canice's Cathedral.
It was closed for a period in the 1650's and reopened as Kilkenny College in 1667 on a site overlooking the river Nore in John St. When James, first Duke of Ormonde, established Kikenny College in John Street, c. 1666, he was following the Butler tradition of promoting education in the city. It soon became a famous school and so, in the 1780s, a new College was built on the same site overlooking the river Nore. The Georgian building, with its elegant facade, now houses the offices of the County Council.
At one time the College was termed a university and boasted a compliment of 3 professors. In contrast at the end of the 19th Century, the College was reduced to one pupil. The amalgamation with the nearby Pococke school was its saving. Twenty nine headmasters of Kilkenny College are recorded. In the 20th Century there were four long-serving men: C. G. Shankey 1917 - 1952; Gilbert Colton 1953-1979; Samuel McClure 1979-1996; Robert John Black 1996- 2005 and Philip Gray 2005- Presant.
During Gilbert Colton's time the school was amalgamated with the Collegiate School, Celbridge in 1973 and Kilkenny College became co-educational. During Sam McClure's stewardship, the College moved to its new campus in 1989, relocating to the in of 63 acre (254,952m2) site at Celbridge House on the outskirts of the city. Under Canon Black's principalship, more buildings have been constructed.
There has been a long list of famous past pupils. Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 The best known are undoubtedly Jonathan Swift, the author and satirist who went on to become Dean of St. Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 Patrick's Cathedral, and George Berkeley, the philosopher and Bishop of Cloyne, who gave his name to the University City of Berkeley in California. George Berkeley (ˈbɑrkli (12 March 1685 14 January 1753 also known as Bishop Berkeley, was a Philosopher. Other famous names include William Congreve (a Restoration playwright), John Banim, Thomas Prior (founder of the Royal Dublin Society) and David Beatty (1st Sea Lord at the Battle of Jutland in 1916). William Congreve ( 24 January 1670 &ndash 19 January 1729) was an English Playwright and Poet. John Banim ( April 3, 1798 - August 30, 1842) Irish Novelist, sometimes called the "Scott of Ireland" was born The RDS (also known as the Royal Dublin Society but now rarely expanded or Cumann Ríoga Bhaile Átha Cliath ( CRBÁC) in Irish, was founded David Beatty may refer to David Beatty 1st Earl Beatty (1871-1936 UK admiral in the Royal Navy David Beatty 2nd Earl Beatty fix various bugs per WikipediaHow to fix bunched-up edit links -->
The current campus on the outskirts of the city comprises of a complex of classrooms, dormitories, catering and dining facilities, it is set on a landscaped 50-acre site framed by mature trees. Today Kilkenny College attempts to serve a dual purpose role as the largest co-educational boarding school in Ireland and as the local school for a large number of day pupils from the city and surrounding area.
The current principal is Philip Gray, a Trinity College, Dublin alumnus with a History degree, who previously taught at The King's Hospital, Dublin, he joined the school in 2005, replacing Canon Black as principal. Trinity College Dublin ( TCD; Irish Coláiste na Tríonóide Baile Átha Cliath; Latin: Collegium Sacrosanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae The King's Hospital is a Church of Ireland Co-educational fee-paying boarding and Day school.
It is one of 5 Irish Schools in the country taking part in a pilot project on self-assessment and interchange in conjunction with 100 other European schools. The ethos of the school is one of a family community and a big emphasis is placed on team sport in particular rugby and hockey.