Ardscoil Rís, Limerick facts for kids

Ardscoil Rís is a school just for boys in Limerick, Ireland. It's a voluntary school, which means it gets some funding from the government but also relies on other sources. It's located on the North Circular Road. Many students come from nearby areas like Caherdavin and Mayorstone. Students also travel from other parts of Limerick and even from the countryside around the city.

School History

Ardscoil Rís first opened its doors on 1 September 1963. It was started by the Christian Brothers, a religious group. When it first opened, 52 students joined. Classes were held in an old school building at first. Later, new classrooms were built just for the school. One of the first students was Pat Cox, who later became a well-known politician.

The Christian Brothers managed the school for many years. In 1989, a new group called the Board of Management took over. This board includes people representing the school's owners, teachers, and parents. A Principal who was not a Christian Brother was also appointed. The school grew a lot over time. It added more buildings and now has over 700 students and 50 teachers.

By the mid-2000s, the last Christian Brothers had stopped teaching at Ardscoil Rís. Now, all the teachers are not part of a religious order. However, the Christian Brothers still own the school. They also have four people on the Board of Management.

In 2010, the school started a big building project. This project cost about €5 million. The goal was to make the school three times bigger. The construction stopped for a while in 2011 because the building company went out of business. But it started again after 17 months. The new school building officially opened in March 2014. Michael Noonan, a government minister from Limerick, opened it.

School Life and Activities

Ardscoil Rís wants all students to get involved in lots of activities. These activities are outside of their regular school subjects. They help students learn important life skills. Students can join groups for music, sports, and drama. They can also take part in work experience programs and foreign exchange trips. The school also encourages students to do charity fundraising and the Gaisce award. In 1993, the school won the Blackboard Jungle quiz show on RTÉ Television.

Sports Achievements

The main sports at Ardscoil Rís are rugby, hurling, and basketball. The school competes in many important competitions.

• Rugby: They play in the Munster Schools Senior Cup and Junior Cup. They won the Junior Cup in 2003 and 2005.
• Hurling: They are very successful in hurling. They have won the Dr. Harty Cup (Munster 'A' Colleges Hurling) five times (2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2018). They also won The Dean Ryan Cup (Under-16 hurling) in 2009, 2016, and 2023. The White Cup (Under 15 Hurling) was won in 2011, 2012, and 2024. Ardscoil Rís is known as the most successful hurling school in Limerick recently.

In 2010, Ardscoil Rís became the first Limerick team since 1993 to win the Harty Cup. They beat Thurles CBS after three replays. Later that year, they lost in the All Ireland Final to St. Kieran's College.

In 2022, Ardscoil Rís won the Croke Cup. This is the All-Ireland senior hurling schools title. They beat St. Kieran's College. The team had many talented players like Shane O’Brien, David Kennedy, and Sam Sheehy. It was the first time a Limerick school had won the Croke Cup in over 50 years!

On 8 November 2014, three former students of Ardscoil Rís played for the Irish rugby team on the same day. This was the first and only time this has happened. Paul O'Connell was the captain, Seán Cronin started the game, and Dave Kilcoyne came on as a substitute.

Famous Former Students

Politics

• Pat Cox (President of the European Parliament from 2002 to 2004).
• Peter Power (a former government minister and politician for Fianna Fáil).
• Brian Leddin (a politician for the Green Party (Ireland)).
• Cathal Crowe (a politician for Fianna Fáil).

Sports

Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA)

• Limerick players:
  • David Breen
  • Shane Dowling (Limerick hurler, won the All-Ireland in 2018).
  • Kevin Downes
  • John Galvin (Limerick footballer from 1998 to 2014).
  • Declan Hannon (Limerick hurler and captain, won the All-Ireland in 2018).
  • Cian Lynch (Limerick hurler, won the All-Ireland in 2018).
  • Ollie Moran (Limerick hurler, All Star award winner in 2007).
  • Donncha Sheehan (Limerick hurler, captained the All-Ireland Under 21 Hurling winning team in 2000).
• Clare players:
  • Darach Honan (Clare hurler, won All-Ireland Senior Hurling medal in 2013).
  • Conor Ryan (Clare hurler, won All-Ireland Senior Hurling medal in 2013 and was Man of the Match in the final).

Rugby

• Paul O'Connell (Munster, Ireland, and British and Irish Lions rugby captain).
• Dave Kilcoyne (Munster & Ireland international).
• Seán Cronin (Leinster & Ireland international).
• Mike Sherry (Munster & Ireland international).
• Craig Casey (Munster & Ireland international).
• Keith Matthews (Connacht & Ireland Wolfhounds).
• Stephen Fitzgerald (former Munster player, now with Connacht Rugby).
• Conor Fitzgerald (Connacht player).
• Mossy Lawler (former Munster player, now a coach).

Other Sports

• Derek Daly (European Power Lifting Champion).

Rowing

• Sam Lynch (represented Ireland at the Olympics in 1996 and 2004, won gold medals at the World Rowing Championships in 2001 and 2002).

Music

• Blindboy Boatclub and Mr. Chrome (founders of The Rubberbandits, a comedy hip-hop group).
• Keith Lawler and Stephen Ryan (members of the band Giveamanakick).