Inspired by reports from here by Rooks and irishmanlost, we decided to take a trip down and take a look over the christmas/new year slump. It's still very much the labyrinth to navigate with some the doors inside nailed shut. Overall it doesn't look like much has changed inside since the last reports except for a bit more writing on the boards and walls. Kids seem to like leaving daft messages in chalk like 'he's still here...' and 'death room' fairly harmless really. It's sad to see all the smashed sinks up on the dorm floors though, the place has been pretty much stripped of copper 
Here's some history:
The building was opened by the state in 1940 as a prep school for teacher training. In 1960 it was bought over by brothers of the de la salle order and was run as a secondary level boarding school up until 1989. The brothers sold it to private investors in 1989 and the building has lain idle ever since. In 1999, it was acquired by the department for developing irish language and around €600,000 has been spent developing plans to convert the site into an education centre of some sort. Since the bottom fell out of the economy, it is unlikely that redevelopment will get underway any time soon. Most folks will be familiar with the college as the location for St Jude's reformatory school in the 2003 film 'song for a raggy boy'. Filming mostly took place on the ground floor which had to be redecorated to get the look of a much older building.
Here're some pics from the day
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view from the stage
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the chapel
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love a nice belfry
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probably painted for the film
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endless student dorms
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light in staff bedroom
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you can just see the concrete handball courts in the background
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half teaching lab half woodwork shop, really like the baby fume cupboard beside the black board it's a shame the glass sash is broken
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peace, out
thanks for looking
we had a great day out, even checked out St Gobnait's holy well while we were there, i'll spare you the pics - (not that it isn't a nice well), and the pub does a really good cheese and ham toastie 
Here's some history:
The building was opened by the state in 1940 as a prep school for teacher training. In 1960 it was bought over by brothers of the de la salle order and was run as a secondary level boarding school up until 1989. The brothers sold it to private investors in 1989 and the building has lain idle ever since. In 1999, it was acquired by the department for developing irish language and around €600,000 has been spent developing plans to convert the site into an education centre of some sort. Since the bottom fell out of the economy, it is unlikely that redevelopment will get underway any time soon. Most folks will be familiar with the college as the location for St Jude's reformatory school in the 2003 film 'song for a raggy boy'. Filming mostly took place on the ground floor which had to be redecorated to get the look of a much older building.
Here're some pics from the day
View attachment 279245
view from the stage
View attachment 279246
the chapel
View attachment 279247
love a nice belfry
View attachment 279248
View attachment 279249
probably painted for the film
View attachment 279250
View attachment 279251
endless student dorms
View attachment 279252
View attachment 279253
light in staff bedroom
View attachment 279254
View attachment 279255
View attachment 279256
you can just see the concrete handball courts in the background
View attachment 279257
half teaching lab half woodwork shop, really like the baby fume cupboard beside the black board it's a shame the glass sash is broken
View attachment 279258
peace, out
thanks for looking
we had a great day out, even checked out St Gobnait's holy well while we were there, i'll spare you the pics - (not that it isn't a nice well), and the pub does a really good cheese and ham toastie