Dublin’s private Notre Dame girls’ school to close

A private girls’ school in south Co Dublin with 230 pupils is to close due to ongoing financial difficulties.

Notre Dame, a junior and secondary school which has been based in Churchtown for more than 60 years, has told parents it will commence an "orderly wind-down" over the coming three years.

The junior school is due to close in June next year, while the secondary school will continue operating until June 2019 to allowed Junior and Leaving Cert students to complete their studies uninterrupted.

The Department of Education has acquired the Notre Dame campus and it will be used for school purposes in the future.

The school was threatened with closure just over a decade ago when the Notre Dame des Missions sisters withdrew from education.

A charitable trust which took over running of the school told parents on Wednesday that it decided to close as insufficient income was being generated to meet the cost of loans, increased operating costs and the need for significant investment in infrastructure.

"Despite so much dedication and effort on everyone's part the situation facing the schools was insurmountable," the Notre Dame Schools Trust Ltd, said in a statement.

Fine Gael senator Neale Richmond said he was saddened at the news and had asked the Minister for Education to work cosely with parents to ensure pupils are assisted in enrolling in other schools in the area.

He also said he had asked the Minister to assist in the 40 or so teachers and staff of the school to help find new roles in other local schools.

“Notre Dame’s primary and secondary schools are very well known locally and the school itself was an integral part of the community,” he said.

“The decision taken by the charitable trust that operates the school to close will be a shock and a disappointment to many in the area.

“On a positive note, I am glad to hear that the buildings and site will be retained for educational use and that new schools will take over the facilities in due course,” he said.

The Notre Dame Schools Trust says it will work with the parents association and will be available to answer parents’ queries over the coming days and weeks.