St Andrew’s College is a leading co-educational international school located in Booterstown, Dublin. Founded in 1894 by the Presbyterian community, the college has evolved into one of Ireland’s most diverse and academically ambitious independent schools. The school spans Junior and Senior divisions from ages 4 to 19, with more than 1,200 students and over 200 staff.
Originally based at St Stephen’s Green, the school expanded rapidly before relocating to Wellington Place in 1937 and then to its current Booterstown campus in 1973. The college became co-educational that same year, marking a major shift in its identity and growth. Today St Andrew’s is known for balancing Irish educational traditions with a strong international outlook.
Academically, the school offers both the Irish Leaving Certificate and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme — a distinction held by only a handful of schools in the country. St Andrew’s is also the only school in Ireland fully accredited by both the European Council of International Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Internationalism is embedded into student life through SAIMUN, one of Europe’s longest-running and most reputable Model United Nations conferences.
Sport is a major pillar of the school, with facilities including two hockey pitches, a rugby pitch, tennis courts, an indoor hall and a fitness centre. Hockey has been the standout sport, with St Andrew’s winning the All-Ireland Schoolboys Championship seven times, including a strong run of modern-era success. Rugby is part of the school’s heritage: St Andrew’s won the Leinster Schools Senior Cup three times (1906, 1911, 1921–22), and continues to field competitive teams across age groups.
The college has produced an extensive list of notable alumni across culture, politics, sport and academia. Rugby internationals such as Ronnie Dawson (Lions captain in 1959), Felix Jones, Jordan Larmour, Andrew Porter, Jammie Clinch, Dick Collopy and Peter Bracken all attended the school. Beyond rugby, the college claims Olympians, test cricketers, acclaimed writers, prominent actors (including Eve Hewson), leading mathematicians, national hockey stars, political leaders and musicians.
St Andrew’s College remains one of Dublin’s most internationally recognised schools — academically rigorous, culturally active, and with a sporting tradition that blends historic rugby pedigree with dominant modern hockey success, all under its long-standing motto: Ardens Sed Virens — Burning Yet Flourishing.