The King's Hospital

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The King's Hospital
Scoil Ospidéal an Rí

Hospitium Regis
School entrance gate at Palmerstown
Entrance to King's Hospital
Location
Map
Palmerstown, County Dublin

Ireland
Coordinates53°21′32″N 6°23′09″W / 53.3588°N 6.3859°W / 53.3588; -6.3859
Information
TypeIndependent day and boarding school
Public School
MottoA School And A Way Of Life
Religious affiliation(s)Church of Ireland
Established1669; 355 years ago (1669)
ChairmanAngus Potterton (chairman of the board Of governors)
PrincipalMark Ronan
YearsForms 1-6 Age 12-18
Gendermale and female
Age12+
Number of students700 (approximately 1/3 are boarders ).
HousesMercer House, Desmond House, Blackhall House, Swift House, Stuart House, Bluecoat House, Ormonde House, Ivory House, Morgan House, Grace House
Colour(s)   Navy blue and Yellow
Websitekingshospital.ie

The Hospital and Free School of King Charles II, Oxmantown, also called The King's Hospital (KH; Irish: Scoil Ospidéal an Rí[1]) is a Church of Ireland co-educational independent day and boarding school situated in Palmerstown, County Dublin, Ireland. It is on an 80-acre campus beside the River Liffey, called Brooklawn, named after the country houses situated on the site and in which the headmaster and his family reside. The school is also a member of the HMC Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and the BSA.[2]

Founded in 1669, it is one of the oldest schools in Ireland and was also known as the Blue Coat School.[3] Although priority is given to those of the main Protestant denominations, as a Christian school, it is attended by students of other Christian denominations and other faiths. The school's colours are navy and gold. The school crest is three burning castles with the date "1669", almost identical to the crest for Dublin city.[4] The current headmaster is Mark Ronan.[5]

History

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Founding

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An illustration of the school from Charles Brooking's map of Dublin (1728). The building was constructed between 1669 and 1673 and was demolished around 1772.
The Blackhall Place building, circa 1890. A new cupola was being added.

The school was founded in 1669 as The Hospital and Free School of King Charles II and was located in Queen Street, Dublin. King's Hospital was a continuation of the old Free School of Dublin.[6] On 5 May 1674, the school opened with 60 pupils, including 3 girls.[7]

During the early seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, it was used as the site of elections to the Irish Parliament's Dublin City constituency. When this was changed to the Tholsel for the 1713 general election, it led to the Dublin election riot.[8]

New building of 1783

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From 1783 to 1971, the school was located in Blackhall Place, Dublin, later the headquarters of the Law Society of Ireland in a building and amongst a street plan that was designed by the architect Thomas Ivory and encompassed much of what was previously the land of Oxmantown Green.[9]

The take-over of Morgan's School (1957) contributed to steadily increasing numbers of students, and by 1970, a need for extra space and facilities led to the move from the city centre to a modern purpose-built school set in its own 100-acre (400,000 m2) site on the banks of the River Liffey in Palmerstown, County Dublin.

Erwin Schrödinger

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A 57-year-old manuscript by the Nobel Prize in Physics winning physicist Erwin Schrödinger resurfaced at the school in 2012.[10] Entitled "Fragment From An Unpublished Dialogue Of Galileo", it was written for the school's 1955 edition of the annual Blue Coat magazine to coincide with Schrödinger leaving Dublin to take up his appointment as Chair of Physics at the University of Vienna.[11] Schrödinger wrote the manuscript for the school's former English teacher and Editor of the Blue Coat magazine, Ronnie Anderson (now deceased), a friend of Schrödinger when he lived in Dublin. It is now in the possession of King's Hospital alumnus Professor Jonathan Coleman in CRANN at Trinity College Dublin.[10]

Structure

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The school is co-educational and caters for some 720 pupils, with 408 day pupils and 292 boarders in 2023/24.[12] The King's Hospital has students from all over Ireland and from overseas. Students from Germany and Spain are the most common international students.[citation needed]

The School is divided into five boarding houses: Bluecoat, Mercer, Grace, Morgan and Ormonde and five-day pupil houses. Each boarding house has its own resident housemaster or housemistress.[citation needed]

Sport

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Rugby being played at King's Hospital

The school has a gymnasium and sports hall with an advanced fitness centre. The school also has access to a swimming pool, astroturf hockey pitches, rugby pitches and tennis courts.[citation needed]

Various sports (with a focus on rugby) are played on campus and training is provided by staff. The school has teams for rugby, hockey, cricket, athletics, cross-country, badminton, soccer, basketball and swimming.[13]

Notable past pupils

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Past pupil Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD

Music and Arts

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Sports

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Olympians

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Republic of Ireland Ireland
Nigeria Nigeria

Notable headmasters

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References

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  1. ^ "Logainmneacha agus Sráidainmneacha Bhaile Átha Cliath Theas" (PDF). South Dublin County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Schools Directory - (Irish Division)". HMC (The Heads' Conference). Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  3. ^ Falkiner, Frederick Richard (1906). The foundation of the Hospital and Free school of King Charles II., Oxmantown Dublin: commonly called the Blue coat school. Palmerstown, Dublin: Sealy, Bryers and Walker.
  4. ^ "Image of KH Crest". kingshospital.ie. Archived from the original on 13 March 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  5. ^ O'Brien, Carl (28 January 2019). "Boarding schools hold new appeal for modern families". The Irish Times. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  6. ^ Falkiner 1906, p. 36.
  7. ^ Falkiner 1906, p. 70.
  8. ^ Simms, J. G. (1986). War and Politics in Ireland, 1649–1730. Hambledon Press. pp. 280–281.
  9. ^ "OXMANTOWN GREEN". www.dia.ie. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  10. ^ a b Ahlstrom, Dick (18 April 2012). "'Quantum humour' beams back after absence". The Irish Times. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  11. ^ "Copy of the 1955 Edition of Blue Coats" (PDF). kingshospital.ie. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  12. ^ https://kingshospital.ie/
  13. ^ "The King's Hospital, Church of Ireland Co-educational Day and Boarding School Dublin Ireland". Kingshospital.ie. 4 October 2012. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  14. ^ "GAA.ie - GAA Match Video and Highlights, Fixtures and Results, Latest News". Gaa.ie. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  15. ^ "Prof Jonathan Coleman". crann.tcd.ie. Archived from the original on 15 May 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  16. ^ O'Connell, Claire (9 September 2013). "Thin materials could widen energy storage". The Irish Times. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  17. ^ "Prof Jonathan Coleman announced 2011 SFI Researcher of Year". crann.tcd.ie. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  18. ^ https://www.dib.ie/biography/du-cros-william-harvey-a2790
  19. ^ "Mr. Robert Dowds". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  20. ^ "Robert Dowds". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  21. ^ Taylor, Charlie (17 April 2019). "Stripe acquires Irish payments start-up Touchtech". The Irish Times. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  22. ^ Grimes, John-Paul (10 June 2024). "First IQM school in Rep of Ireland "sets powerful example" across the country – Minister". IQM Award. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  23. ^ https://www.meathchronicle.ie/2019/12/28/inspire-interview-the-nature-lord-dunsanys-randal-plunkett/
  24. ^ Byrne, Luke (2 December 2016). "Varadkar among past pupils of prestigious €16k-a-year Dublin school". Irish Independent. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  25. ^ Clarke, Liam (7 March 1999). "RUC men's secret war with the IRA". The Sunday Times.
  26. ^ a b c Carr, Hayley (15 August 2024). "Performing Arts Music". Kings Hospital School. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  27. ^ Byrne, Luke (2 December 2016). "Varadkar among past pupils of prestigious €16k-a-year Dublin school". Irish Independent. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  28. ^ "TY Performing Arts Students Learn from Actress and Past Pupil Lara McDonnell Ahead of "Greatest Days" Movie Release". Kings Hospital School. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  29. ^ "Tom Murphy: An Appreciation". Foul Papers by Michael West. 24 November 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  30. ^ "Varadkar among past pupils of prestigious €16k-a-year Dublin school". Irish Independent. 2 December 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  31. ^ "News | Cricket Ireland". cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  32. ^ "Noel C Mahony". Irish Independent. 14 January 2007. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  33. ^ https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/pick-irelands-schools-team-of-1975-2005-and-win-2000/26000060.html
  34. ^ Maher-Jio, Síle (16 May 2023). "Olympic Dreams". Kings Hospital School. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  35. ^ "Olympian Natalya Coyle: 'Toyko was devastating — it was so, so sad — but I'm proud of who I was in that moment'". Irish Independent. 9 October 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  36. ^ "Fitzpatrick lords it as King's hit High note". Irish Independent. 19 January 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  37. ^ "Heike Holstein". Sweep Stud. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  38. ^ Maher-Jio, Síle (16 May 2023). "Olympic Dreams". Kings Hospital School. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  39. ^ "Fitzpatrick lords it as King's hit High note". Irish Independent. 19 January 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  40. ^ "KH Road To Rio - Judy Reynolds in profile". khppu.com. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  41. ^ Naughton, Lindie (29 April 2010). "King's ace Seye in the fast lane". Irish Independent. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
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