Loreto Abbey Dalkey opened as a school in 1843; it also has a member house of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM), founded in the 17th century by Mary Ward (1585 - 1645), a pioneer of education for Catholic women, today having establishments on five continents.
[1] The Irish branch of the institute was founded in 1821 by Frances Teresa Ball (1794 - 1861), a native of Dublin.
Along its rocky seashore lay a commons area which Frances Teresa Ball perceived to be an eminently suitable site for her foundation.
[1] Ball was her own architect and her castellated building of Dalkey granite was opened as a boarding and day school on 17 August 1843.
Loreto Abbey Dalkey is a private, fee-paying school.