Cross And Passion College
School Details
Location
About
Cross and Passion College is a co‑educational, voluntary secondary school in Kilcullen, County Kildare, founded in 1887 by the Sisters of the Cross and Passion and now operating under the trusteeship of the Le Chéile Schools Trust. The college’s mission places caring relationships at the centre of a safe learning environment, encouraging every student to develop dignity, respect and a love of learning. The curriculum follows the Irish Junior Cycle, Transition Year and Senior Cycle, offering the Leaving Certificate Established, Applied and Vocational programmes, with additional link modules for LCVP students. Emphasis is placed on key skills, wellbeing and inclusive community values, reflecting the school’s commitment to gospel‑inspired education. The campus combines historic and modern facilities. A purpose‑built concert/assembly hall (1937) serves cultural and sporting events, while extensive playing fields support a broad range of athletics. Dedicated spaces for home economics, sewing, and a refectory cater to practical subjects, and recent developments have expanded classroom capacity to accommodate the growing enrolment. The school also provides a digital app for parents and students, reinforcing communication and community engagement.
History
The Sisters of the Cross and Passion arrived in Kilcullen in September 1878, initially teaching in the local national school and establishing a convent that also functioned as a novitiate. Cross and Passion College opened in 1887 with three boarders, offering a curriculum that included languages, mathematics, and practical subjects such as cooking and elocution. By 1922 the roll had reached 68 pupils, and in 1924 the school was officially recognised as a secondary institution, becoming one of the first in Ireland to use Irish as the medium of instruction (later switching to English in 1942/43). Over the decades the college expanded its facilities—including a concert hall, playing fields, and specialised rooms for home economics and sewing—while adapting to national reforms such as the Free Education Scheme (1967) and the introduction of co‑education in 1986. The first lay principal was appointed in 1996, and in 2009 the school joined the Le Chéile Schools Trust, reinforcing its Catholic educational ethos.