Bailieborough Community School

Education in Bailieborough can be traced back to the middle of the 19th century, during the tenure of Sir John Young, who later became Lord Lisgar.

Bailieborough Central Model School was built in 1848. Young people who intended to follow the teaching profession came from a wide area to train. It became a very famous centre of education and continued until 1875 when the training colleges were established in Dublin.

Bailieborough has a relatively short history in post-primary education, never having had the traditional Convent or College which some other towns had.

Following the passing of the Vocational Education Act in 1930, Vocational Education was established in the town. Like other Vocational Schools this offered a two year post-primary course which remained so until the coming of 'free' education in the sixties, when Vocational Schools opted for the Inter and Leaving Certificates.

Meanwhile, the Presentation Sisters started Lourdesville Secondary School for girls in 1965, and boys were also admitted the following year.

Both schools now served the same catchment area, but they rapidly became overcrowded due to an increase in the young population, and also the higher participation rate in second-level education caused by the free education. As a result, in the early 1970's, it was proposed to build one school to replace the two existing schools.

The Department of Education acquired the site of the Lourdesville Secondary School and built the Community School there. It opened in September 1981.