Coláiste Éinde set to celebrate 90th anniversary

Coláiste Éinde (St Enda’s College) in Salthill is planning a celebration for past pupils, friends and staff this October to mark the 90th anniversary of the school.

Founded in 1928 by the Irish Free State, Coláiste Éinde preparatory college was an all-boys boarding school that recruited primary school students who were firstly fluent in Irish. After four years, students who passed the Leaving Cert were guaranteed places in St Patrick’s College in Drumcondra to train as primary school teachers.

An t-Athair Aindrias Ó Seasnáin, a close friend of Fr Griffin, who was killed by the Black and Tans, was first president of Coláiste Éinde and there were 29 pupils in the first class.

Originally located in Na Forbacha at a temporary building on land owned by the Blake family, Coláiste Éinde move to its current home in Salthill in 1937. It was constructed by J Stewart Ltd at a cost of £85,394.

Threadneedle Road wasn’t always earmarked for St Enda’s, however. According to a history of the school, written by history teacher Tony O’Leary, for its 75th anniversary, the site was originally earmarked for the San Louis Order of nuns, who hoped to use it for a girls’ organisation.

“Dr O’Doherty, Bishop of Galway, did not however favour a new order of nuns having the site,” according to the 75th anniversary book.

The school was under construction in 1929, 1930 and 1931. In 1932 – the year Éamon de Valera came to power with Fianna Fáil – the new class of St Enda’s included Pádraig Ó hAoidhne who later composed the music for our national anthem, Amhrán na bhfiann or The Soldier’s Song.

It was originally intended to be a three-storey building but the school plans were simplified and a two-storey building was completed and opened on Threadneedle Road on October 10, 1937. One of the new pupils of that year, Donnchadh Ó Gallchóir, was later to become Minister for the Gaeltacht in 1978.

A milestone in the history of the St Enda’s came in 1939, during World War Two or ‘The Emergency’ when the pupils were moved to Dublin because the school building was being used as a military hospital.

Mr O’Leary wrote: “In October 1939, the Athenia sank in Galway Bay. For the more than 100 survivors rescued by the Norwegian ship Knut Nielson, the Bishop of Galway offered refuge at St. Enda’s. School holidays were extended while sailors from the ship took over the kitchen and passengers from Europe and America were looked after.

“The Army now occupied the East wing of the school as a military hospital. In 1944 prior to D-Day, de Valera was asked to take injured soldiers from Italy and Germany. For a while, the Department of Defence used the whole building as a hospital. A red cross was painted on the roof. The school was temporarily moved to Dublin.”

In the 1960s and 1970s, as secondary schools were now opening in Gaeltacht areas, St Enda’s, like other preparatory schools, became a ‘normal’ secondary school. It was not feasible to continue as an all-Irish school but an “all subjects through Irish’ stream was available and many boarders continued to come from the Aran Islands as well as the Connemara and Mayo Gaeltachts.

The Irish stream was available up until 1984 and a couple of years after that the boarding tradition ceased in the school.

Coláiste Éinde’s transformation was complete in 1992 when the school became co-education and welcomed its first group of girls into first year.

Students have gone on to make a huge impact in the fields of the arts, politics, education, sporting life and journalism.

The anniversary (1928-2018) provides past pupils and staff an opportunity to meet up and reminisce. It takes place on October 28 (Bank Holiday weekend).

The school will be open for past pupils to visit and there will be an exhibition of photos and memorabilia following light refreshments at 3pm.

Mass will be celebrated in the college chapel at 5pm and it will then move to The Ardilaun Hotel for dinner at 6.30pm.

■ Tickets priced at €50 will be available from the school from August 7. Contact 90thanniversary@colaisteeinde.ie for all enquiries.