Stair na Scoile | Our Lady of Good Councel

Stair na Scoile / History

In the late 1960’s eleven acres of farmland were purchased for the construction of a church and primary school for the new parish of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Johnstown/Killiney. Two blocks of prefabricated classrooms were provided and the school opened its doors to its first cohort of children in September 1967 located near the present teacher’s car park. Mrs Nell Wallace was the first principal of the school and she also taught a class at this time. By 1968 Bernard O'Looney was appointed principal of the boys’ school and three classrooms were in use. With growing enrolment came the provision of a four acre site and the construction costs at this time were in the order of £19,800, £5000 of which was recoverable by grants.

In 1978, the boys’ school, a 16 classroom unit opened. By this stage, there was now a three stream school requiring 24 classrooms. The original prefabs, although in a poor state of repair, remained in use to accommodate the growing numbers. The Board of Management took the decision to restrict infinite classes thereby phasing out the third stream over a period of years.

In 1995 Mr Bernard O’Looney retired and was succeeded by Mr Neil Cadogan, who retired in 2021. Our current principal is Mrs Michelle Cotterell.

A major extension was undertaken in 2005 which involved the provision of 5 new classrooms and also incorporated a mechanical and electrical upgrade, extensive roof works, the installation of double-glazed windows, the insulation of the building and the part demolition and extension of the school hall. The work began in March 2006 and was completed by September 2006. The completion of this building work cost €3.5 million and the result of which is the current school building occupied today.