St Colmcille's BNS

The New Borough Schools were set up under the Educational Endowments Act, 1887, and one of the first duties of the Governors was to provide extra accommodation. A new school (now Youth Reach premises) on North Street was opened officially on 1 July 1890, and three teachers’ residences were also built during this period at a cost of £750. The building on Seatown Road became the New Borough Boys’ Schools and the premises on North Street were the New Borough Female Schools.

                             Governors of New Borough Schools

From 1887 until 1966, the Governors of the New Borough Schools administered the endowment fund. Monetary prizes were awarded at Christmas for the best attenders, books and requisites were provided for the pupils, the teachers were paid extra salaries for teaching extra subjects such as handicraft, horticulture, algebra and geometry.

Need for New Accommodation

In 1961, it was obvious that the accommodation in the New Borough Schools was no longer adequate for the growing population of Swords. The governors of the Old Borough Schools made rooms available, and from 1961 to 1966, some of the pupils from the New Borough Schools attended classes in the Old Borough Schools.