Our History

St. Pius X Primary schools were founded in 1965. We had our humble beginnings in six pre-fabricated classrooms erected on grounds leased from St. Mary’s rugby club which then adjoined the church of St. Pius X on College Drive. On 15th February 1965 the schools opened their doors to 176 children. As was the tradition at the time there were separate schools for boys and girls on the same campus.

Our first Christmas (1965) in our temporary home

The boys were very much in the majority numbering 117 while the number of girls totaled 59. The area around the school was beginning to grow and these pupil numbers started to quickly follow suit.

An aerial view of Templeville Road in 1972

On 19th January 1971 the new Primary schools of St. Pius X were officially opened and blessed by the Most Rev. Dr. J. C. McQuaid. The permanent home of St. Pius X BNS is located on Fortfield Park. The new schools had 16 classrooms each and on that memorable day in 1971 there were 28 teachers catering for 1130 children. The community of St. Pius X BNS has continued to flourish since its foundation in 1965. From 1975, the school has been governed by a Board of Management, made up of staff, patron and parent nominees. The school has been incredibly fortunate with its Boards down through the years, in particular with our former Chairperson Fr. Gay Colleran who served school and parish from 1985 – 2006.

Classroom Number One being built in 1970

Presidential Visit

On 30th September 2005, St. Pius X Schools celebrated their 40 year anniversary with a Gala night in the Burlington hotel which was attended by past pupils, parents, friends, associates, staff and former staff members. A wonderful night was enjoyed by all. This wonderful 40th year was rounded off by a visit from President Mary McAleese to the school in December 2005 where she unveiled a plaque to commemorate the occasion.

Chairperson of the Board of Management, Fr. Gay Colleran and Principal, Mr. Dermot Lynch greet President McAleese (2005)

Jubilee Year

The school celebrated its 50^th anniversary in 2015. A Jubilee Committee formed by staff of both schools and our Parents’ Association planned an impressive number of events to mark this important milestone in the life of our community. The year began with a special mass and reception for current and former staff and friends of the school. The committee also produced an impressive Jubilee Commemorative Book to serve as a record of this memorable year. 2015 was also when the school received its tricolour from the Defence Forces as part of the upcoming 1916 Centenary year

Up to present day

Since its foundation in prefabricated buildings beside our parish church, the school has developed into a modern and progressive centre of education for the Templeogue community. The school has grown beyond the footprint of its original building. In 2006, 2008 and more recently in 2019, the school has expanded its classrooms and support rooms to accommodate a population of 32 full time teachers, 11 Special Needs Assistants, secretary and caretaker.

Sporting life in St. Pius X BNS

St. Pius has a rich history of participation and success in a wide variety of sports. Whilst there is a ‘leaning’ towards GAA sports, the boys also take part in swimming, soccer, tennis, golf and athletics. As recently as 2019, the school were winners of the Cumann na mBunscoil Corn na nGealtrach Cup in gaelic football.

Always ahead of the curve, St. Pius X BNS has had a dedicated PE teacher since 1990. The current teacher, Ms. Goddard has continued to set the standard for physical education teaching across all 20 classes in our school. Her work has been assisted over the years by huge numbers of staff members who give freely of their time to coach and train pupils outside of the regular school day.

Music heritage

St. Pius takes pride in its rich musical heritage. The school choir has participated in many competitions and recitals, both national and international. It has won a plethora of prizes and plaudits over the years. Among its many engagements in the school year are its performances at the school confirmation and first communion ceremonies. More recently in its history, St Pius X BNS have put on large scale musicals. Seussical (2016) was a sell out success and was performed in front of over a 1,000 people. It later garnered a Bord Gáis Award nomination in the category of Best Musical at Primary Level. More recently (2020) our planned Lion King production reached the final stages of dress rehearsal before falling victim to Covid-19 related lockdown.