Marino College
School Details
Location
About
Marino College is a second‑level institution situated in Fairview, Dublin, offering a comprehensive range of programmes from the Junior Cycle through to the Senior Cycle, including Transition Year, the traditional Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Applied and a range of post‑leaving‑certificate courses through its Further Education provision. The school’s ethos centres on “Enabling, Enhancing, Educating”, with a strong emphasis on technical and digital learning. Students benefit from a modern iPad programme, a dedicated P‑TECH pathway, and a newly‑opened Digital Maker Space (2020) that supports hands‑on innovation in IT, engineering and media. The campus is well‑equipped with specialised facilities: a science laboratory, woodwork and metalwork workshops, a home economics suite, music and art rooms, a fully‑stocked library, and a large PE hall. Partnerships with local businesses and technology partners such as Google, Virgin Media and Smartbox enrich the curriculum and provide real‑world experience. A vibrant extracurricular programme includes sports, clubs, cultural festivals and a strong choral tradition, fostering a well‑rounded education for all pupils.
History
Founded in 1936 as Marino Vocational School, the college was the first regional technical school built by the City of Dublin Vocational Educational Committee, purpose‑designed to serve the new urban housing scheme at Marino Mart. Constructed from Wicklow granite, the original building featured teak‑floored Home Economics rooms, metalwork and woodwork workshops, and a public library. Martin Gleeson, a graduate of University College Dublin, became the first headmaster and later chief executive of the city’s vocational education committee. Between 1936 and 1956 the school accommodated 240 pupils (96 boys, 144 girls) who were taught separately and followed a two‑year programme covering both academic and practical subjects. The school quickly gained a reputation for its choral excellence, regularly competing in Dublin’s Feis Ceoil from the 1940s onward.