De La Salle College
School Details
About
De La Salle College, Dundalk is a co‑educational secondary school that positions itself as a close‑knit community of students, parents, management and staff working together for the common good. Its stated mission is to provide a human and Christian education, with particular attention to pupils who are disadvantaged, fostering an environment of respect, compassion and personal growth. The college offers a full range of programmes from the Junior Cycle through Transition Year to the Senior Cycle, including the Leaving Certificate Applied. Academic provision is complemented by a strong emphasis on cultural and sporting excellence; pupils are encouraged to develop their talents in drama, music and a variety of sports, enabling them to realise their full potential in a balanced curriculum. Facilities on the Castleblayney Road campus support this holistic approach. The site includes a dedicated sports field and a full‑size gymnasium, a modern technology suite, four science laboratories, and a recent expansion providing additional classrooms, offices and specialist rooms. These resources, together with a supportive learning community, aim to deliver a well‑rounded education for over 700 students.
History
The De La Salle Brothers arrived in Dundalk in 1899, taking charge of the Castletown Boys’ National School; a primary school was built in 1914 and the monastery in 1902. De La Salle College itself was founded in 1938 as a “secondary top” and achieved full secondary status in 1970. A new site was purchased from the St Louis Sisters, construction began in 1977 and the college moved to its present Castleblayney Road location in November 1978. Subsequent developments added a sports field (1982), a full‑size gymnasium (1984), a fourteen‑room extension opened in 1999, and a technology suite with additional science labs and classrooms completed in 2014. The first lay principal was appointed in 2003; staff numbers have grown to around fifty teachers, and enrolment has risen from 171 pupils in 1970 to over 700 today. In September 2009 the De La Salle Brothers transferred trusteeship to the Le Chéile Trust, a Catholic schools organisation.