Loreto Abbey boarding school in Rathfarnham will close for good when the last 14 pupils finish Leaving Certificate examinations.
One of Ireland's best-known boarding schools, Loreto Abbey Rathfarnham in Dublin is to close. The school founded in 1822 by the Loreto Sisters is the last remaining Abbey boarding school in the country.
While the school fees are £3,800 per term, due to rising costs and a declining number of religious personnel, the Loreto Sisters feel it is time to sell the 12 acre educational complex.
The 14 students sitting the Leaving Certificate at Loreto Abbey Boarding School in Rathfarnham are the last class of the school. It will close for good when pupil Sian Coulihan hands in her Applied Mathematics exam paper on 24 June 1999.
Former pupils revisiting the school have fond memories of boarding at Loreto Abbey. Many friendships made there have stood the test of time. Only child Paddy Foley attended the school in 1919 and regrets its imminent closure,
It gives you a lovely spirit of sharing with people.
Several past pupils have abiding memories of the wake-up bell ringing at 7:30 am summoning them to mass,
I remember the cold, having to wear kind of two jumpers, running down the stairs, being late for mass.
While the demand for boarding has almost disappeared, the final14 pupils believe the independence it has given will stand to them in life.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 25 May 1999. The reporter is Carole Coleman.
