A Message From The Headmaster
Firstly, I want to thank the entire Castleknock College ‘family’: the pupils, staff, parents, Vincentians, Governors and Pastmen, for the warm welcome which I have received since I was appointed Headmaster of this great college. Although I have been working here for only a short time, I feel very much at home. This warmth and openness amongst all the college community is very much in keeping with St Vincent de Paul’s wish that we should live as ‘dear friends’.
My own wish for the future is that our students will be happy while they are at school at Castleknock College, that they work hard and do the best they can, and that they emerge having found their own authentic voice, with a confidence that will help them to find their way in our wonderfully complicated world.
For myself, I am confident of the future, despite all that might be happening around us. At Castleknock College we have a magnificent campus, with bright classrooms, a vast library, Ireland’s largest art room filled with the creations of our talented young men, a beautiful chapel, up to date music rooms, science rooms and state-of-the art computer rooms, all looking over 70 acres of playing fields. But more importantly, we have youthful, enthusiastic and hardworking teachers who dedicate so much of their time to the students – both inside and outside the classroom.
There is another reason for confidence: our students are talented, bright, cheerful, dedicated, diligent, and industrious. They aspire to excellence in all that they do.
As you will see from this website, Castleknock College is a place where all talents are nurtured: we play rugby, soccer, athletics, cross-country, tennis, badminton, table tennis, cricket, fencing and golf. We have debating for all ages – and in four different languages. We have a Chess Club, a Reading Club, a Spanish Club, a French Club, a Maths Club, a Literary Society and a reading programme which encourages our students to develop a life-long love affair with books. This is not a school where you arrive at 8.40 and go home at 3.45!
Underpinning all that we do is our belief in the Vincentian way. Our motto is ‘Nos autem in nomine Domini’ (We put our trust in the name of the Lord). By this, we understand that we should live out the Christian calling to treat others in the same way that we would like them to treat us. We are a caring school. We look after each other. And we aspire to make every student aware of their calling to bring justice and fairness to an unequal world. This is lived out in many ways – but particularly when our students work with our twin college in Ambo, Ethiopia.
I hope you enjoy exploring our website. You might be surprised where it takes you…
Oliver Murphy
Headmaster
