Between 1862 and 1864, he raised funding for and commissioned the building of the original monastery and school on the Synge Street side of the plot.

[8] The school building was extended four times over the next half century culminating with the purchase and demolition of three cottages at Nos.

[14] Called Coláiste Mhuire, the school in 1933 moved to the Gaelic League headquarters on Parnell Square and ceased to be managed from Synge Street.

The present building replaced a row of houses, used for class-rooms, and was opened by the Minister of Education Donogh O'Malley in January 1967, and blessed by John Charles McQuaid.

[18] It was stated that many staff were not trained to teach other subjects through Irish, and much of the student body has a diverse national or ethnical background, with some sources suggest that many will have to move school as a result.

In 1961, a new primary was opened at Francis Street, replacing an earlier 1846 building, under the patronage of the school's Christian Brothers community.

[26] In 2017 Bunscoil Sancta Maria changed its enrolment policy to accept boys and girls at Junior Infant level to be educated via the medium of Irish.

The other major building on this block is St Kevin's Church, which had very strong links with the school, providing a venue for most school-related religious celebrations.

It later became known that this was only notified to the principal, and then staff, the day before public announcement, the actual decision having been made by the Edmund Rice Schools Trust with the approval of the Minister for Education.

[33] Many staff are not trained to teach other subjects through Irish,[citation needed] and much of the student body has a diverse national or ethnical background, and some sources suggest that many pupils will have to move school as a result.

[37] When St Pauls was built in the 1960s it included a large fully equipped theatre which was used to produce drama productions right from the beginning.

This ground was originally the Dolphin Racing Track and was purchased by the Christian Brothers in 1943, as playing fields for the school, with a total area of 15 acres,[48] but were subsequently sold to the club in the 1990s.

[citation needed] The school has a very strong soccer tradition[49] producing many great players including Ireland internationals Billy Whelan (one of the Busby Babes who died in the Munich air disaster), Tommy Hamilton (the Shamrock Rovers stalwart) and Andy Reid.

In 1934 Sylvestor Muldowney, a past pupil of the school, became one of the few Dublin natives to represent his county in an All-Ireland hurling final.

[16] The first outright winner from the school was 5th-year student Ronan Larkin in 2004, having won a category prize the previous year, which then paved the way into a remarkable decade of success.

As well as Triffo, a group consisting of Gary Carr, Graham McGrath and Darragh Moriarty also claimed a prize in the Chemical, Physical and Mathematical Intermediate category.

[67] The first ever Young Scientist Exhibition was held in the Mansion House, Dublin in 1965: 230 students participated and 5,000 people attended.

[68] As well as Jim Cooke, other notable past teachers of the school include Francis MacManus, three of whose pupils James Plunkett, Pearse Hutchinson and John Jordan, went on to be famous writers.

This includes a long history of having its own fraternity of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul,[173] as well as prayers before each class.

[44] At one point both the President of Ireland and the Taoiseach who served him, Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh and Liam Cosgrave respectively, were both past pupils,[175] as well as the Minister for Finance and Garda Commissioner.

[176] Lemass's Dail colleague, Cosgrave opined, at a Synge Street Past Pupils Union dinner, that "No Christian Brothers' school had a better record than Synge Street, and the numerous past pupils ... who had achieved eminence in different walks of life, was an indication of the high standard of education provided".

[182] Students are encouraged to move on to third-level education by the school, and financial assistance is available from a charitable bequest by a now-deceased former pupil.

[citation needed] Additionally, it helps administer a trust setup by a former past-pupil – Con Creedon – which provides grants to past pupils entering third-level education.

Father Dominic Boland, a Capuchin priest who was a chaplain to the primary school was also convicted of similar offences and was named in chapter 32 of the Dublin diocesan Murphy report.