The story of St. Brigid's College dates back to 1939. At this time the Principal of St Mary's Convent National School and the Community realised the need for Second Level education for senior girls and so in September 1939 a "Secondary Top" was begun - a senior class attached to the Primary School, staffed at first by Primary School teachers and following the approved Secondary School syllabus. This ran successfully for ten years - one large room in the National school being allocated to it.
In 1949 these Secondary classes were amalgamated with St.Brigid's Missionary School classes, in order to give the aspirants there the opportunity to follow a Secondary School programme and do State exams. Classes were transferred to the school quarters attached to the Missionary School. The School, with 60 pupils, now called St. Brigid's Secondary School, was officially recognised by the Department of Education, Secondary Branch, in September 1949. The School offered a four year cycle and a wide range of subjects was provided. By 1953, with 93 pupils on rolls, specialist rooms for Art, Sewing, Shorthand and Typewriting and a lunch room were provided and St. Mary's Convent National School Cookery Hall was shared by both schools. From the beginning this Secondary School provided an all round education for its pupils, equal emphasis being placed on academic and non-academic subjects. Over the next decade the numbers of pupils rose steadily and this required more facilities. A site was chosen and in may 1959 the foundation stone for a new school was laid .As there were no grants available for Secondary School buildings at this time, the total cost (£40,000 approx.) was provided by the Sisters of Mercy. This School, comprising and assembly hall, three class rooms, a science laboratory and cloakrooms was opened in September 1960. From this small structure the nucleus of what we know today as St. Brigid's College was formed.
By 1969 the building was again inadequate to meet the needs of a growing school and once again the Sisters committed themselves to a major building programme which on this occasion was grant-aided by the Department of Education.The new and old buildings merged to become what is now known as St. Brigid's College. In 1971, with and enrollment of over 300 pupils facilities were again becoming cramped and part of the recently vacated and disused old National School was attached to the main building to provide extra classrooms etc. With numbers continuing to grow, by 1980 it was again necessary to expand and the remainder of the old National School was modernised and added to the main building at a cost of £25,000 or more. In 1990 the McAuley Lecture/Demonstration Theatre was built and additional cloakroom facilities provided to accommodate the now 600 pupil school. Due to the generosity of the Sisters of Mercy, Parents and Friends of St. Brigid's a new Sports Hall was built in 1993 with showers and changing areas added in 1995.
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St. Brigid's College
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