Our Lady's Grove Primary School

Founded by Religious of Jesus & Mary in 1963.

1955 Permission was granted by the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr McQuaid to open the first house in Dublin. It opened on the 16th September at 134 Sandford Road Ranelagh and its purpose was to provide accommodation for Jesus & Mary sisters from both Ireland and India.

1958 The sisters purchased a larger house at St James’s in Milltown. They requested permission to open a secondary school but were refused permission by the Diocesan Chapter.

1959 Mother General del Rosario and Mother Fidelis (a native of Cork) visited Dublin and this time they were granted permission.

1963 A suitable site with extensive grounds was located at Roebuck Grove Goatstown Road. The school opened on the 3rd September 1963 in the existing house on the grounds.

On the first day there were 33 pupils of which 15 were ready for first year of secondary school, this was the magic number required for recognition as a secondary school and this was granted in February 1964. The remaining 18 pupils were the first pupils of the Junior School.

Archbishop McQuaid officiated at the opening mass and blessing of the house. He presented Mother del Rosario with a gold chalice and named the school ”Our Lady’s Grove”. The name was formed particularly because part of the Chantry known as the “Chantry of St Mary’s”, was attached to one of the pre-Reformation churches of Dublin.

1964 The new secondary building was finished. The number of pupils and teachers increased in both Secondary and Junior Schools. It became necessary at this time to build a seperate school for the Juniors. In 1964 a section containing 4 classrooms was built (the present Junior and Senior Infant classrooms) and later more classrooms (pre-fabs) were added.

1971 The Private Junior School which was fee paying changed to a public National School. The Secondary School, at the request of parents, entered the Free Education Scheme of the Dept of Education.

At this time the school was still using rooms in the old convent and also rooms in the new convent (opened in 1971) as classrooms .

The brown brick building of the Primary School was built and the use of rooms in the convent was no longer required.

1989 The Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Primary and Secondary schools of Our Lady’s Grove took place.

1998 Applications were made for a new school building.

2003 The first lay person became Chairperson of the Board of Management.
In this year the school also became co-ed.

2004 Mrs. Colette Hussey was given the task of keeping the Jesus & Mary flag flying when she became the first lay principal, she had been Acting Principal from 2001 to September 2003 and also from January to August 2004.

2006 The news was received that plans for a new 16 classroom primary school were at Stage 3 of the planning process. The new school is expected to be built circa 2008/9.

2008 Planning permission granted in May and immediately stopped due to the recession.

2009 The Jesus and Mary sisters moved to their beautiful new home, Errew House, on Goatstown Road.

2011 Construction for the new entrance in preparation for the new school did commence on Monday 24th January 2011.

2012 Pupils and staff moved in to the new 16 mainstream class building on 29th August 2012. Under one roof at last!

2014 The School Community – pupils, parents, teachers, the Board of Management and the Jesus & Mary Order - celebrate 50 years as a Junior School.