WESLEY COLLEGE DUBLIN

In October 2020, Wesley College, Dublin celebrated 175 years at the forefront of education in Ireland.

Founded on 1^st October 1845 with three boarders and nine day pupils, the College moved from its original premises on St Stephen’s Green to the new campus in Ballinteer in 1969 with 550 pupils. 

Wesley is now home to over 900 pupils in a vibrant, modern facility.

As we mark 175 years of service, celebrations have taken place to mark this key achievement in 2020 and 2021 with several initiatives in and around the Campus.  

175 Events

• The Governors of the College have published a set of Guiding Principles for the College in this 175 year.  This is produced following consultation with teaching staff, the PTA and Student Council and sets out a vision for Wesley for the years ahead.

  Guiding Principles

• Photo Memories from 1995 to 2020 has been published and is available to purchase for €15 from janice.walsh@staff.wesleycollege.ie  It is a treasure-trove of images of events and people from the last 25 years. 

• Capturing footage of everyday life in the College, a short website film has been released as part of an upgraded College website. This video was filmed in 2019.

• In a time of climate change, we left a longer-term record of the importance of this anniversary as we planted 175 trees on our campus.

 All photos of the tree planting are available here.

• As part of a living history project, we were entertained by Wesley Time Travelers who attended the College over the anniversary period dressed in various uniforms from the past.  The Irish Times featured our Time Travelers and you can read it at this link: Irish Times Article. 

Time Travelers Photos

• Legends from earlier Wesley days were interviewed as part of an audio-visual project for all to enjoy. They recalled stories from St Stephen's Green to Ballinteer and gave us a real insight into what life was like in Wesley College over the years.

• A Wesley College Archives display was unveiled in the Concourse of the Administration Building.  There were several items that were loaned to us for this special year as we created a living archive in the College.  Large banners were display and allowed students and teachers to read about past pupils and what life was like in Wesley in the past.

The 175 Banners can be viewed here

• Past students have already embarked upon the Making a Difference opportunity.  Our students have volunteered in Morocco, India and the Seychelles.  The purpose of these 175 initiatives is to support volunteers who seek to make a difference when they leave the College.  

• A Wesley International Hockey Patrons support scheme has been launched in this 175^th year, to particularly support those of our pupils who are selected to play for a junior age international hockey squad.

• On Founder's Day we heard for the first time a new arrangement of the College hymn. Past pupil Anna Rice arranged this stunning version of our hymn and it was performed by the Senior Choir under the guidance of Mr. Dungan.

• And finally, every pupil present in October 2020 received a specially produced 175 pin and 175 face mask to mark their status as part of the Wesley community.  

Thousands of pupils have passed through Wesley College, contributing in many ways. Our 175th year is an opportunity for current pupils, alumni, parents, teachers and friends of the College to celebrate.

Christopher Woods | Principal