Waterpark College - History

History

Waterpark College was founded in 1892 by the Christian Brothers as a Christian Brothers College akin to CBC and PBC in Cork and as Waterford's first Classical school. In 1986 Waterpark College received its first lay principal, Maurice O'Connor. This was the first time that an Irish Christian Brothers school had a lay principal. Dr. O'Connor introduced a co-educational sixth year to Waterpark where girls could join the college to repeat Leaving Cert year. The co-educational sixth year was later discontinued due to policy changes. Principal O'Connor also introduced a Transition Year programme to the college which continues to operate. He also established a Transition Year exchange with various schools in Spain which continued to operate until 2007. In 2008 the exchange was replaced with an annual Transition Year trip to Madrid. in 1990 Dr. O'Connor resigned his post as principal in order to work in the oil industry in Saudi Arabia for a period. He later returned to the college to resume his teaching duties as head of sciences until he officially retired in 2008. The current principal Thomas A. Beecher assumed his position in 1990 upon the departure of Dr. O'Connor after having taught Geography and History in Waterpark College. In February 1999 the Foundation stone of the schools extension was laid by then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. Mr Ahern also officially opened the modern extension in 2002. The extension includes nine classrooms, a double length lecture hall, two science labs, a science tutorial room (known as "the demo-room"), a library and a dedicated technology room. The work also involved the housing of a computer room and a language lab in the old building while the classrooms on the ground floor of the old building were converted into a G.P. room. A modern gym was also built at the south end of the rugby pitch. The original school and the new extension are connected by a glass link corridor.