''(Edmund Rice College)'' was a Christian Brothers secondary school for boys located in

Callan, County Kilkenny Callan () is a town and Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish in County Kilkenny in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated 16 km (10 mi) south of Kilkenny on the N76 road to Clonmel, it is near the border with County Tipperary. It is ...

, in Ireland. The college was built in the hometown of Edmund Ignatius Rice, the founder of the

Irish Christian Brothers The Congregation of Christian Brothers (; abbreviated CFC) is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Edmund Ignatius Rice, Edmund Rice. Their first school opened in Waterford, Ireland in 1802. At the time of its ...

, the

Presentation Brothers The Congregation of Presentation Brothers (; English: "Brothers of the Presentation of Mary"; abbreviated F.P.M.) is an international Catholic congregation of laymen founded in 1802 in Waterford, Ireland, by a local Irish businessman, Edmund Ig ...

and the Edmund Rice Family. The motto of the school appears on the school

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

, incorporating the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

(To Do and To Teach). Also, just below on a scroll, appears the motto of the Christian Brothers, (Nothing Is Impossible). The Community of the Christian Brothers was established in Callan on 12 September 1868, however, the present school was not founded until 115 years later, in 1983. In September 2022, Coláiste Éamann Rís and St Brigid’s College amalgamated to become Coláiste Abhainn Rí, a co-educational Catholic secondary school.

Edmund Rice Schools Trust

Coláiste Éamann Rís in partnership with the ERST is the trust body that owns the former Christian Brother Schools in the Republic of Ireland.

Academics

The school's rural status lead to enrolment at the horticultural and agricultural college, Kildalton College (

Piltown Piltown (), historically known as Ballyfoyle, is a village in County Kilkenny, Ireland. 5 km east of Carrick-on-Suir, it is on the R698 road and near the N24 national primary road. Approaching Piltown from Carrick-on-Suir in the west is ...

). During the school year, the school also offered a supervised study programme. Students had access to internet and office studies on computers in the school library.

Curricular studies

Boys at Coláiste Éamann Rís sat the Junior Certificate syllabus for their first three years at the school, and the Leaving Certificate syllabus for their final two. In between the first three years and the final two there was an optional extra, Transition Year, affording students the opportunity to study subjects and topics not present on the immediate exam syllabi - self-defence and cookery, for example. Subjects studied included a number of options in both the Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate cycles. The

Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) is a two-year optional Education Programme of the Irish Department of Education. LCVP was introduced in 1989. According to the Department of Education, the programme is ''designed to give a st ...

was a voluntary programme offered in the college.

Co-curricular studies

The college's many co-curricular facilities included the school's sports clubs, Debating Club and music classes, and the school has a long tradition of competing in school quizzes and various enterprise competitions across Ireland.

Transition Year Programme

The

Transition Year Transition Year (TY) () is an optional one-year school programme that can be taken in the year after the Junior Cycle in Ireland. However, depending on school population and funding it may not be available, and in other schools it is compulsory. ...

Programme is a voluntary outlet for students attending the college. During this school period, students studied

self-defense Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of Force (law), ...

, took individual

cooking Cooking, also known as cookery or professionally as the culinary arts, is the art, science and craft of using heat to make food more palatable, digestible, nutritious, or Food safety, safe. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely, from ...

lessons, played a

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby union: 15 players per side *** American flag rugby *** Beach rugby *** Mini rugby *** Rugby sevens, 7 players per side *** Rugby tens, 10 players per side *** Snow rugby *** Tou ...

league, took a work experience placement and engaged in various other activities. Students were recommended to partake in the Gaisce - The President's Award programme. Boys represented the college in a local 'Build A Bank' competition, partook in a

Peer education Peer education is an approach to health promotion, in which community members are supported to promote health-enhancing change among their peers. Peer education is the teaching or sharing of health information, values and behavior in educating oth ...

programme and joined a motor safety course. Often, the transition year group traveled abroad. At the end of the year, selected students were given awards for their Transition Year performances, including a Student of the Year award, Endeavour award, Maturity award and individual activity awards such as Cookery and Rugby.

Sports

The college had 11 acres of playing fields located in the school grounds, including two grass pitches and the basketball and "tennis court" located adjacent to the main complex. The school placed an emphasis on rugby union and hurling, but also encouraged other sports including athletics, golf, handball, and equestrian sports. The college's many teams and clubs included the hurling team, the rugby team, an equestrian club, golf club, basketball team, and football team.

Activism

The college was recognised by Irish international charity,

Bóthar Bóthar is a charity operating in Ireland and the United Kingdom specialising in assisting farmers in developing countries to become self-sufficient by giving them livestock. The charity began in 1989 and sent its first animals in 1991. It is an a ...

, for its annual contribution to the organisation, usually connected with the work committed by students during the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme, which is a highly emphasised and encouraged outlet in the college., ''cbscallan.ie''. Retrieved: 2010-10-18. The school has had numerous visits from local politicians as part of its Civic, Social and Political Education

Oireachtas The Oireachtas ( ; ), sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the Bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of the president of Ireland and the two houses of the Oireachtas (): a house ...

Education Programme. John McGuinness, TD,

Phil Hogan Philip Hogan (born 4 July 1960) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as European Commissioner for Trade between 2019 and 2020, and previously European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development between 2014 and 2019. He p ...

, TD,

Mary White (Green Party politician) Mary White (born 24 November 1948) is an Irish former Green Party politician who served as a Minister of State from 2010 to 2011 and Deputy leader of the Green Party from 2001 to 2011. She served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Carlow–Kilke ...

, TD, Bobby Aylward, TD and Senator

John Paul Phelan John Paul Phelan (born 27 September 1978) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency from 2011 to 2024. He previously served as Minister of State for Local Government and E ...

engaged in discussion and debate with the students on political and citizenship issues.
''cbscallan.ie''. Retrieved: 2010-10-18. An

Adult Education Adult education, distinct from child education, is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained educating activities in order to gain new knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Merriam, Sharan B. & Brockett, Ralph G. ''The Pr ...

programme is held in the school building.

Facilities

The extension and rebuilding of three classrooms was completed in early May 2011. The present art room was refurbished during the 2006-2007 school year and this room was dedicated to past pupil and famous Irish artist, Tony O'Malley.

Notable alumni

Bill Britton William Timothy Britton (born November 13, 1955) is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour for fifteen years during the 1980s and 1990s. Early life and amateur career Britton was born and raised on Staten Island, New York, ...

, hammer thrower * Noel Hickey, Kilkenny senior hurler * Canice Hickey, brother of Noel, also senior hurler for Kilkenny * Larry McCarthy, 40th GAA president * Tony O'Malley, artist.

References

External links

Coláiste Éamann Rís
- Official Website * {{DEFAULTSORT:Colaiste Eamann Ris Congregation of Christian Brothers secondary schools in the Republic of Ireland Secondary schools in County Kilkenny 1868 establishments in Ireland Educational institutions established in 1868 Callan, County Kilkenny