[5][6] Under the custodianship of the Marist Fathers, the private school has educated Irish politicians, academic and literary figures, and three Olympic gold medalists.

[10] Thus, the Catholic University of Ireland was founded in 1851 – though not fully established until 18 May 1854 with Cardinal John Henry Newman as its first Rector.

To ensure larger numbers of students for the new university, Dr Daniel Murray, the Archbishop of Dublin established a school at 16–17 Harcourt Street and named the school after Saint Laurence O'Toole, the patron Saint of Dublin.

St. Laurence's Academy, founded in 1850, was accompanied by the establishment of Belvedere College by the Jesuits in 1832 on the north side of the city.

[12] 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.

[14] In 1867 both Cardinal Cullen and Bartholomew Woodlock travelled to Dundalk for the consecration of Michael Kiernan as Archbishop of Armagh.

Subsequently, Cardinal Cullen brought the offer to the General Council of the Marist Fathers in Lyons in France.

[19] The preparatory school offers the full primary curriculum as well introducing pupils to Spanish and Mandarin.

[25] Three Olympic Gold Medalists have attended the school; John Pius Boland, Ronnie Delaney, and David Malone.

[7] Past pupil Eoin Morgan captained the England team to victory in the ICC 12th Cricket World Cup in July 2019.

[7] Other guest speakers have included Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell O'Connor,[33] and broadcasters Eamon Dunphy and George Hook.