HISTORY  OF  LORETO  PRIMARY  SCHOOL

As far back as 1630 an English woman ahead of her times, Mary Ward, tried to obtain for girls an education comparable to that offered to boys.  Her words: “I hope in God it will be seen that women in time to come will do much”, give us a glimpse of her vision for the future.

In 1821 this vision was realised in Ireland when Mother Teresa Ball, a member of Mary Ward’s Institute, introduced the congregation to Ireland, naming her first convent, “Loreto”.
In 1840 she decided to build a convent and school in Dalkey, Co. Dublin.  She thought that Dalkey would be a good place for children and delicate nuns!

She succeeded in buying a site on Dalkey commons in 1842.  In 1841 she rented Bulloch Castle and opened a temporary convent there until the house in Dalkey was built.  On June 27th, 1842 the foundation stone of Loreto Dalkey was laid by Archbishop Murray and the house was finished and opened on August 17th, 1843.  A free school was opened immediately and it soon had 200 pupils.  A Sunday School for adults’ instruction in Christian Doctrine was also started and people came from as far away as Dublin City.

In 1840 Dalkey was a small fishing village.  Houses were clustered around the ruin of an old castle. This had been one of the seven castles of Dalkey.  These castles were really fortified warehouses used by merchants to store goods before these were transported to Dublin City.  Dalkey was for years the port of Dublin.

In 1965 a new building with eight classrooms, a staff-room and office was opened.

In 1974 the original Primary School building was demolished and a block with four classrooms and a link building with an all-purpose hall, library and learning support room were added to the school buildings.

Loreto Primary School is a Catholic school under the trusteeship of the Loreto Order.  The Patron is the Archbishop of the Diocese of Dublin.  From 1843 to 1972 the school was managed by Loreto Sisters.  In that year, as in all Primary Schools, a Board of Management was established consisting of four members nominated by the Trustees, two parents elected by the parents, one teacher elected by the teaching staff and the school Principal.  In 1997 the format of the Board was changed somewhat.  Boards now consist of two Trustee nominees, two elected parents, the Principal, one teacher elected by staff and two extra members from the wider community proposed to the Patron by the six members as above.  The present Board was formed in 2003 for a term of four years.