Loreto College Foxrock
School Details
Location
About
Loreto College Foxrock is a voluntary Catholic, all‑girls, fee‑paying day school situated on spacious, landscaped grounds in Foxrock, South County Dublin. Rooted in the Loreto tradition founded by Mary Ward, the college offers a holistic education across the Junior Cycle, Transition Year and Senior Cycle, emphasising academic rigour alongside personal well‑being. The school’s ethos is built on the values of justice, freedom, truth, sincerity and joy, fostering a caring, enabling community where pupils are encouraged to develop critical reflection, independence of mind and a lifelong love of learning. The campus combines historic and modern facilities. Original buildings from the 1940s house the secondary classrooms and the former chapel, now a staff room. Subsequent extensions include a concert hall and science laboratory (mid‑1950s), the St Michael’s block (early 1980s), a sports hall (late 1980s) and a fully equipped gymnasium (2004). These spaces support a broad curriculum that integrates the creative arts, sport, drama and music, allowing students to explore and excel in their individual gifts while nurturing spiritual and moral development.
History
Loreto College Foxrock opened on 8 September 1941 at the request of Archbishop John Charles McQuaid. Initially a small junior and secondary school with only a handful of pupils, it quickly grew to 28 students by spring and 50 by May 1943. The school’s chapel (now the staff room) was constructed in early 1942, and the institution received official secondary school recognition in September 1942. Over the following decades the college expanded its facilities, adding a concert hall and science room (1953‑54), a sports hall (late 1980s) and a gymnasium (2004). The Loreto tradition traces back to Mary Ward’s founding of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1609 and Frances Teresa Ball’s introduction of the order to Ireland in 1821, underpinning the college’s enduring commitment to Catholic education and the empowerment of young women.