Our History

Canon James Langan of Kilcullen invited the Sisters of the Cross and Passion under the Leadership of Elizabeth Prout (Mother General Margaret Mary) to open a convent and schools in his parish in the early 1880s.

A Mr Quinn in the area donated land, first for a large house situated on extensive grounds and 10 years later gave more than enough land for a new convent, with an interest-free loan for building, if needed for education.

The Sisters arrived to Kilcullen on 14th September 1878 and the Sisters began teaching in the local National School. The Convent also served as the Novitiate for the Cross and Passion Sisters.

The Curriculum in those days comprised Religion, Irish, English, French, German, Italian and Mathematics. Lessons were also offered in cooking, singing, dancing, decorum, etiquette and elocution.

The College grew in numbers to 68 students in 1922 (48 boarders and 20 day pupils) when the Irish Free State came into existence. Application was made to the Department of Education and in 1924 Cross and Passion College was officially recognised as a secondary school. The College was among the first in the country to make Irish the common language in instruction. The College’s medium of Instruction changed to English in 1942/1943

An Army hut was bought for £25 in 1926. It served as the Concert Hall and Drill Hall. On the 15^th February 1929 electric light from a private generator was turned on, before official electrification came in 1937.  Our current Concert / Assembly Hall was built in 1937.

The Convent and school were visited by army officers at the outbreak of WW2, to assess its capacity in case they needed it to be taken over as a military unit, with the Sisters given orders to be ready ‘for immediate departure in the case of need’!

Sister Celia Mary was appointed Headmistress in the 1940’s and the Novices were transferred to Dublin in 1953. Extra dormitories and a Home Economics and Sewing Rooms were added. The playing fields were extended.

The 1960’s saw the development of the new convent kitchen and a boarders’ refectory.

1967 brought the Free Education Scheme and increased numbers of students. Prefabricated classrooms were added in 1971 to provide adequate classroom space. The College moved to a ‘five day week’ at that point with the consequential challenge in the provision of extra-curricular activities.

Sr. Joan was appointed Principal in 1977 and the first lay Vice-Principal, Mr John Kinane was also appointed at that time. Negotiations began about the school becoming a Co-educational Voluntary Secondary School and these culminated in 1986 when Cross and Passion College welcomed its first boys in September of that year, with consequential growth in the student population. This welcome growth also brought developments in the College curriculum and a necessary permanent extension to the school building.

The beginning of a Parents’ Committee commenced and it was formed during the 1981-1982 school year.

The first Lay Principal, Mr. Paul Tyrrell was appointed in 1996.

Later, in 2004, Sr. Máire O’Sullivan, the last teaching Sister in the College, left the school to pursue further study and later to be appointed Provincial Leader of the Cross and Passion Congregation.

Sr. Carmel Miley continued to serve on the administrative staff of the College, before joining the public service in 2002. We were delighted that Sr. Carmel rejoined the staff in 2012, and to this day is a most treasured resource as Chaplain and the  ‘invisible presence’ of the Cross and Passion Sisters among us.

Mr. Kinane our first lay Deputy Principal retired in 2005 and was succeeded by Mr Noel Clare.

2009 saw the formation of the ‘The Le Chéile Schools Trust’, bringing together schools of a similar tradition committed to serving and supporting Catholic Post Primary Education.

The Le Chéile Schools Trust is composed of 14 Religious Congregations. Its remit is to promote Catholic Education as an option within the Irish Education System and to develop the schools of the Congregations in the service of their local communities, the State and the Church.

The Mission of the Le Chéile Schools Trust complements that of the The Cross and Passion schools which is that:

Our school communities aspire to create a positive environment in the belief that through caring relationships students:

• Learn respect for self, others and the natural world
• Develop a love of learning and appreciation of their talents
• Share their gifts and resources in a spirit of compassion for the building of a more just world.
• Learn the meaning of inclusive community which celebrates difference and acknowledges mutual interdependence.

It is our hope that the students will become creative, independent adults who can take their place in society and whose lives reflect gospel values.

In 2011, Sr Anne Harnett was the last of the Cross and Passion Sisters to be involved as Chairperson of the Board of Management. She was succeeded by Mr. John Dredge who served as Chairperson until October 2017.

Ms. Catherine Moynihan was appointed Principal of Cross and Passion College in 2012 on the retirement of Mr Tyrrell who had served the College for the previous 16 years. The College celebrated its 125^th Anniversary in the same year.

Mr Clare retired from Cross and Passion College in August 2016, having taught in the College since 1976. He was succeeded by Ms. Katriona Harney, who assumed office as Deputy Principal on the 1^st September 2016.

Cross and Passion College has grown significantly in recent years, from a student population of 583 in 2005 to that of 793 students in September 2017.

As a result of a Department of Education and Skills initiative, all schools of over 700 students are granted permission to appoint an additional Deputy Principal. Cross and Passion College were fortunate to be among those schools and we welcomed Mr. Joe Leonard as our new Deputy Principal in September 2017.

In 2019 Ms. Catherine Moynihan retired and was succeeded by Mr. Joe Leonard who was replaced as Deputy Principal by Ms. Fiona Lennon.

Kilcullen as a town continues to grow and in 2020 student numbers exceeded 830.

In January 2021 Ms. Aisling Reigh was appointed as deputy principal to the college after the relocation of Ms. Fiona Lennon.

We are delighted that the Department of Education and Skills has committed to a total refurbishment of our current school building and to provide additional purpose-built accommodation and sporting facilities to meet the educational needs of our growing student population.

We look forward to this exciting initiative and to the development of our Campus and our Grounds which will secure the continued growth of CPC; in student numbers, in spirit and in size.