Early Years
The University faced several problems in its opening years due to lack of money, and public and political support - which in turn lead to a low number of students. Dr Daniel Murray, the Archbishop of Dublin established a school at 16-17 Harcourt Street to ensure larger numbers of students for the new university and named the school after Saint Laurence O'Toole, the patron Saint of Dublin. St. Laurence's Academy, founded in 1850, was accompanied by Belvedere College established by the Jesuits on the north side of the city.
The first administrators in the school were mostly young Dublin priests who had studied at the Irish College in Rome. Among them was Dr. James Quinn, who set about enrolling students, and within a year the school had an enrollment of 130 students. The subjects taught were classical rather than practical and included Greek, Latin, French, German, Italian and the Arts. Pope Pius XI eventually chose Quinn as the first Roman Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane, Australia - and he left the school.
Not only had Quinn taken up his appointment in Brisbane, but the reaction to a report by the Royal Commission on Endowed Schools in 1858 was coming to a head in 1859. The report suggested that all intermediate schools be run on a "mixed basis" or as a multi-denominational system, which was opposed by the Catholic Church. The report also suggested that intermediate schools be under the management of the "Board of Endowed Schools". The bishops and synods opposed these recommendations, and the Catholic hierarchy as a whole decided that they would not agree to them.
By 1862, many changes had taken place. Dr. Bartholomew Woodlock took over as rector of the Catholic University, and suggested that the university should ignore the report's recommendations and proceed with the foundation of feeder secondary schools on its own. He decided to set up two new Catholic secondary schools: Catholic University High School, Waterford, and St. Flannan's College in Ennis - the latter of which still exists. Along with St. Laurence's Academy in Dublin, these schools were the Catholic University's primary "feeder schools". Over time, St. Laurence's Academy developed a close relationship with the University. Woodlock was President of the school and professors from the University also taught in the school. The school was given a name reflecting its function: the Catholic University School.
Read more about this topic: Catholic University School, History
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