When I was a teenager in the 1980s, boarding school was a relatively popular choice for parents, particularly those who lived rurally or in small country towns. I grew up in the latter and consequently both my brother and I went to boarding school until after our Inter Cert, as the Junior Cert was then known.
For me, it was mostly a happy experience – full of mischief, midnight feasts and plenty of other Malory Towers-type scenarios and of course, a stellar education under the watchful eye of the Salesian sisters. My brother, on the other hand, would tell a different story, as the religious order that ran his school favoured a strict, austere approach that was far from the ideal environment for impressionable (and most likely lonely) young boys to flourish.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons why its popularity waned over the past few decades, along with factors such as better transport, improved access to post-primary education, greater awareness of child protection, and abuse scandals in day and boarding schools run by religious orders.
However, while numbers are lower than they once were, boarding remains a significant part of the education sector.
According to the Department of Education, almost 3,500 boarding students are enrolled in schools in the State, on fees that in the range of €14,000-€30,000 a year across 26 schools.
A key reason why numbers have been holding up – and growing in some schools – is increased interest from abroad: an estimated 25 per cent of the current intake is made up of international students.
Jill Storey, head of school at Villiers School in Limerick, which offers the international baccalaureate (IB) as well as the Leaving Cert, says the countries of origin tend to fluctuate each year.
“The biggest interest at the moment is from Spain, Germany, Ukraine, China and Taiwan, and we also have a large cohort of students from Switzerland,” she says.
“We have 52 countries represented within the school community this year and this cultural diversity enriches the student experience, both in the classroom and in the boarding house, encouraging international-mindedness, which is a key element in IB education.”
Many of its international students, she says, want to achieve their secondary-school qualifications in an English-speaking country within the EU. Some of those who might have gone to the UK are looking to Ireland since Brexit and new rules under the new Labour government that independent schools in the UK must charge VAT.
It is, she says, “reasonably priced, when compared to the UK and the US,” with boarding costs of about €11,600-€20,000 annually.
Some principals, privately, warn of a tipping point in overseas students which might drive away their existing Irish clientele. One, for example, says their school recently changed admission rules to limit non-EU student numbers.
Storey, meanwhile, says most who choose a boarding school for their children do so as an investment in their future, as modern boarding schools focus not just on academics but also on nurturing independence, resilience, leadership and global-mindedness.
“Many of our alumni speak about the friendships they made in boarding school, and enrolment does tend to span generations,” she says.
But, she says, boarding school is not the right choice for everyone.
“For this reason, the decision has to be carefully considered. It is important that children have agency over their academic choices, but also that this choice is aligned with their parent and guardian, and with the advice and perspective of the school.”
This is something that Marisa Mackle can attest to. Her 15-year-old son Gary has been attending Glenstal Abbey school in Limerick since September 2022.
The decision for the Dublin-based family was “last minute”, but one that neither of them regret.
“During Covid I felt it was hard for Gary being at home without the company of other kids and thought he would benefit from living with boys of his own age,” she says.
“In first year, there were a few tears from me when I dropped him back after Sunday lunch, and it was a little hard to get used to. But he (an only child) has many brothers now – they are like family and even spend most of the holidays in each other’s homes.
“Of course he misses his Dublin pals, but gets home once a month for a long weekend and makes the most of it. Boarding school is very different these days. The children have a lot of freedom, and I can see him regularly and chat to him every day. Mind you, he doesn’t want to do that as he is ‘busy’, which I take as a good sign.
“Initially he was unsure about the idea of boarding school. But I assured him he could leave at the end of the year if he didn’t like it – now he really seems to love it and wouldn’t want to change.”
Gary agrees. “I really enjoy boarding school because it allows you to live with your friends,” he says. “Also, the classes in Glenstal are small so the teachers know everyone and the summer term is great because you get to spend so much time outside.”
We’ve always known that young people gravitate towards their peers and seek more independence from parents – and boarding allows them to do that
— Audrey O’Byrne, principal of Rockwell College in Tipperary
Marius Carney is headmaster at Glenstal, which is home to 200 boys, 25 monks and costs €13,933-€22,464 per year. He says most of the students come from Ireland, but there are also many from Europe, the Americas and Asia, who are “drawn to Ireland because of their own personal connections to the country, or by the extremely high quality education on offer here”.
“The breadth of the Leaving Certificate qualification and the accessibility it provides to global colleges are both very appealing,” he says.
“Ireland’s position as an English-speaking country within the EU seems to have increased its popularity in recent years as an education destination, both in terms of accessibility and the opportunity to develop language skills.
“Boarding today is a very different experience, and the student’s connection to home is seamless. Also students can board on a more flexible basis, enjoying a good balance between a rich and busy school and time at home.”
Audrey O’Byrne is principal of Rockwell College in Tipperary, which was established in 1864 as a boys boarding school and became co-ed for day pupils in 1988 and for boarders in 2023.
Around 20 per cent of the 500 pupils are residential boarders, while the other 80 per cent are day boarders, staying on site for meals, sports and study. Annual fees are €15,400-€16,600. She says boarding schools in Ireland are here to stay.
She reports a rise in demand for boarding, especially in the past two years.
“I think the narrative around boarding has changed, too, and parents see that the consistency and routine suits young people in what has become an increasingly busy world,” she says. “We’ve always known that young people gravitate towards their peers and seek more independence from parents – and boarding allows them to do that,” she says.
“Teenagers can forge their own path and develop their independence in a safe and inclusive community, while parents can see the benefits of the wider education model of boarding in helping their child to develop and grow. They say it takes a village to raise a child – and the community of the college is that village.”
For parents who are unsure about sending their child to boarding school, she says it is “natural to have concerns about loneliness or settling in” but most parents know that it is “a unique opportunity”.
“Boarding life is about community, structure and opportunity,” she says. “Of course it can take time for some to settle, as all children are different, but we have really robust supports in place through the residence staff and student support team.
“Gone are the days of students waiting for letters to arrive in the post. Parents can be phoned daily after the school day ends and the strong social media presence of the college means that parents are up to date with the events which are part of their child’s school life.”
