Ardscoil Rís, Limerick facts for kids

Ardscoil Rís is a voluntary, all-boys, Roman Catholic secondary school in Limerick, Ireland. Located on the North Circular Road, its catchment area includes neighbourhoods on the northside of Limerick such as Caherdavin, Mayorstone and Clareview though many students commute from other areas of the city as well as surrounding rural areas.

History

Ardscoil Rís was formally opened by the Christian Brothers, in Limerick on the North Circular Road on 1 September 1963, when it welcomed 52 pupils. Classes were held in an old school house until the first purpose-built classrooms were available. This first intake included Pat Cox, then a noted master debater, later a distinguished politician.

From its foundation the school was managed by one of the Christian Brothers. In 1989, a Board of Management, representing trustees, staff and parents, was put in place and a lay Principal was appointed. From small beginnings, the school, augmented by periodic extensions, grew to its present size and now has over 700 students and fifty teachers. The late twentieth century witnessed the contraction of religious orders in Ireland and Ardscoil Rís is now staffed entirely by lay teachers. The Christian Brothers maintain ownership and Trusteeship of the school and are represented on the Board of Management by four lay representatives.

In 2010 the redevelopment of the school went to the construction stage following almost a decade of lobbying and planning. Acting as main contractor for the project, Cordil Construction were responsible for the management of the €5 million plan, which sees the school expand to three times the usable space on completion of all three phases. Construction was temporarily abandoned in 2011 due to the liquidation of Cordil Construction, but continued following a seventeen-month delay. The new school was official opened in March 2014 by Limerick City TD and Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan.

Profile

The School encourage all students to become involved in a variety of activities outside of the curriculum. Life skills are reinforced by participation in such activities as Music, Sports, Work Experience Programmes, Enterprise, Foreign Exchange, Drama, Concerts, Charitable Fund-raising and Gaisce. The School won the RTÉ Television secondary schools quiz programme Blackboard Jungle in 1993.

Alumni

Politics

• Pat Cox (President of the European Parliament 2002–2004)
• Peter Power former (Minister of State (Ireland))(Fianna Fáil TD)

Sports

GAA.

Limerick

• Shane Dowling Limerick GAA Joint Captain of Harty Cup winning side in 2011. Limerick hurler from 2012 to present. Member of the Munster Senior (2013) and U21 (2011) Hurling Championship winning side. Railway cup winner with Munster in 2013. Munster Club Player of the Year 2012.GAA/GPA All Star award 2014.
• Donncha Sheehan Limerick hurler from 2003 to 2009 and All-Ireland Under 21 Hurling Championship winning captain in 2000
• Ollie Moran Limerick GAA Limerick hurler from 1997 to 2009. All Star award 2007, 5 railway cup medals with Munster, Shinty/Hurling International with Ireland. Captained Limerick Senior Hurling team in 2005.
• Kevin Downes
• David Breen
• John Galvin (Limerick footballer from 1998 to present).

Clare

• Darach Honan Clare GAA Clare hurler 2010 to present. Munster and All Ireland U21 Hurling medal winner 2009. All Ireland Senior Hurling medal winner 2013. Named U21 Hurling Player of the Year in 2009.
• Conor Ryan Clare GAA Clare hurler. Munster and All Ireland U21 Hurling medal winner 2012. All Ireland Senior Hurling medal winner 2013. Man of the Match award for his performance in the 2013 All Ireland Hurling Final. GAA/GPA All Star award 2013.

Rugby.

• Paul O'Connell Munster Rugby, Ireland international, and British and Irish Lions rugby captain).
• Sean Cronin Leinster Rugby and Ireland international player.
• Keith Matthews Connacht Rugby and Ireland A rugby player.
• Mike Sherry Munster Rugby and Ireland Wolfhounds rugby player.
• David Kilcoyne (rugby union) Munster Rugby& Ireland international
• Shane O' Driscoll) (rugby union NUIG & Young Munster Under 20's subs bench First Cousin of Irish International Brian Carney, Shane got his lack of speed from the other side of the family
• Sam Lynch, (World Rowing Championships winner with Ireland in Lucerne, 2001 and in Seville, 2002, and medallist in Barcelona, 2003).
• Derek Daly European Power Lifting Champion

Soccer

• Joe 'God' Hanrahan, Vereker Clements, Manchester United , UCD, STar Rovers

Music

• Dave Chambers and Bob McGlynn, founders of The Rubberbandits, a comedy hip-hop group.

Sport

Rugby, hurling and basketball are the main sporting activities of the school. The Munster Schools Senior Cup and Junior Cup (2003 and 2005 Winners) competitions (rugby), the Dr. Harty Cup (Munster 'A' Colleges Hurling) (Winners (5): 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2018), The Dean Ryan Cup (Munster 'A' Colleges Under-16 hurling) (2008 Winners) and The White Cup (Munster 'A' Colleges Under 15 Hurling)(2011 and 2012 Winners) the Limerick Colleges competitions (GAA) and the South West of Ireland League (basketball) are highlights of the sporting calendar. Under the stewardship of hurling encyclopaedia Niall Crowe Ardscoil Rís have become the most successful Limerick hurling school of recent times. On 11 March 2010 Ard Scoil Ris became the first Limerick team since 1993 to win the Harty Cup (Munster schools hurling championship). They defeated the 2009 champions Thurles CBS after a third replay and lost to St. Kieran's College in the All Ireland Final later that year. On the 8th November 2014 Paul O'Connell captained Ireland against South Africa in the Aviva Stadium, Seán Cronin started at hooker and Dave Kilcoyne came on as a replacement in the 73rd minute, this was the first and only time that three past pupils of the school earned Ireland caps on the same day.