On 1 May 1966, St Colmcille’s Boys’ and Girls’ Schools opened on Chapel Lane. St Colmcille’s BNS (our school) was formed as a result of the amalgamation of the Infant Boys and Senior Boys’ Schools and the boys from St Patrick’s NS, Cloghran. St Colmcille’s GNS was formed as a result of a similar amalgamation of a number of girls’ schools.

North Street School

It appeared the schools on Seatown Road and North Street would be no longer required as schools, but the continued growth of the population of Swords again had an impact, and it became necessary to re-open North Street in 1972 to accommodate the overflow classes from the St Colmcille’s BNS and to provide temporary accommodation for St Cronan’s JNS, the new school which it was intended to open in Brackenstown. As a result, it was necessary for the Board of Governors to continue to function. The endowment was re-activated and the dividend has continued to be paid each year. However, its main purpose is to meet the payments for the maintenance and insurance of the Governors’ properties.

St Colmcille's GNS

St Colmcille’s BNS vacated the school in North Street in 1986 when the new St Colmcille’s GNS was built on the site on Chapel Lane. The premises on North Street were sold to County Dublin Vocational Education Committee, and it has been used as the centre for an early school leavers’ educational project.

Effect of Act of Union

It can be seen from our survey of the schools that the Act of Union is still having an effect on education in Swords, 200 years after it first became law.

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