Boarding School Life at Loreto Abbey, Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin. Ireland 1983

Life at Loreto Abbey boarding school in Rathfarnham, County Dublin.
In 1921 the Loreto Sisters came to Rathfarnham in South Dublin. The following year they established Loreto Abbey in the Georgian building known as Rathfarnham House. The school is entirely residential and is one of two boarding schools for girls left in Dublin.
Tanya, a pupil at Loreto Abbey, describes life as boarder. The day begins at 8 am and students have 20 minutes to get up, washed and dressed. After breakfast everybody clears up and prepares for the school day ahead. Lessons begin at 9:20 am.
People have an idea that boarding school is like something in a book by English children’s author Enid Blyton, but it is very different.
It can be very hard to leave family and friends, but everyone in boarding school is in the same boat so there is a strong support system among the students. Long life friendships are formed by all Loreto Abbey boarders.
The friends you make in boarding school are really the friends you have for life.
Boarding school is excellent for self development.
Your parents aren’t there so you have to kind of stand on your own two feet.
When the day ends at 4 pm for most day school students, at Loreto Abbey after class activities such as debating take place. As well as the traditional subjects on the curriculum, Loreto Abbey students have access to a wide variety of activities. They can play in the school orchestra, sing in the choir and play basketball, hockey and tennis. In the evenings students can watch a film together. Some of the girls prefer to play records or read.
Detention sees privileges removed. Those in detention might miss out on watching the music television programme ‘Top of the Pops’. Sixth years might miss out on watching ’The Late Late Show’. Detention for junior students means they lose extra recreation.
Generally boarding school is fun but,
It really makes you appreciate home when you are away.
While it is hard to go back to boarding school after the three months summer holiday, time flies by for the students at Loreto Abbey.
In 1996 Loreto Abbey began to phase out boarders, finally closing in 1999. In 2014 the school reopened as Gaelcholáiste an Phiarsaigh an all Irish multi-denominational, co-educational school.
This episode of ‘Anything Goes’ was broadcast on 15 October 1983.