OUR SCHOOL
Christian Brothers Secondary School Wexford is a Catholic Voluntary school under the trusteeship of The Christian Brothers. The school follows the religious and educational philosophy of The Christian Brothers. Our school community comprises all pupils, parents/guardians staff and trustees. In June 2008 a new trust will take over the trusteeship of the school. This trust is ERST. The Edmund Rice School Trust
The vision of ERST is: 'Promoting full personal and social development in caring Christian communities of learning and teaching'.
The mission is : 'To provide Catholic education in the Edmund Rice tradition'.
Our founder, Blessed Edmund Rice, founded the order in 1802. The first school in Wexford was opened on May 2 nd 1849. The schools were then relocated to the present site in 1874. This was achieved due to the generosity of local businessman Richard Devereux.
Christian Brothers Secondary School Wexford Mission Statement
"Our school community exists primarily to develop responsible individuals who will participate fully in a changing society and to carry out this task in a Christian environment."
Board of Management:
Each school is run by the school Board of Management. The Board of management has the overall responsibility for the running of the school with the day to day management delegated to the Principal. The first Board of Management was set up in 1987 and there are eight members on the Board. Four are representatives of the trustees, two represent teachers and two members represent the parents. A new Board is appointed every three years.
Parents Council:
There is a very active parent's council in the school and they are involved in drafting policies for the school. They are also involved in the end of year graduation ceremony, careers nights, mock interviews and in health promotion week.
Staff:
Colaiste Eamon Ris Wexford is extremely lucky to have a young experienced and dedicated staff. There are currently 35 teachers and two Special needs assistants in the school. There is good gender balance and a caring hardworking atmosphere is very evident.
Curriculum:
The school provides Junior Certificate, Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and Transition year. There is a wide range of subjects available to all students. The school also has a long tradition of involvement in sport, music and drama and a wide range of extracurricular activities are provided. There is a large number of staff that gives very generously of their free time to provide these services.
HISTORY
The Christian Brothers first arrived in Wexford on May 2 nd 1849. With the help of a local merchant, Richard Devereux, They started a school in the Faythe which is now the school of the Sisters of St. John of God. Soon the classrooms were full so they moved to George's Street in 1853. When it opened there were 192 boys in attendance and 80 turned away.
In 1874 Richard Devereux again helped the brothers and built a monastery for them at the Boker where they reside to this day. Mr Devereux then built a school nearby to where the boys from the Faythe transferred. Primary and Secondary schooling was provided there until 1939. In 1939 a new school was opened to cater for 600 pupils. This was achieved with the help of the Revd. Dr. Staunton and the people of the town.
During the 1950's the old secondary school began to deteriorate and the building was renovated and extended in 1970 and again in 1986 and 1999. A further extension and modernisation has been approved and this is expected to begin in the next couple of years.
The following information and pictures were taken from the Nicholas Furlong and John Hayes book County Wexford In The Rare Oul' Times Vol.3.
THE BOKER. The word is the Irish language suvivor through Viking, Norman, Flemish and English centuries. It is from An bothar, the road. It is situated on the main road from the south eastern baronies to the market place of Loch Garman (Wexford) at the Corn Market and Bullring. The building is of course the former and early extent of the Christian Brothers Schools in Wexford, both primary and secondary. It was built in 1874
This is (we think) the Leaving Cert class of 1967 in Wexfoprd C.B.S. The array of varied talents at that time about to explode upon the world is today manifested in the identities. All have matured we insist, some to fame unimaginable at the time but all are a credit to the Boker.
Seated: teachers William Sweetman, J. Cullen, Brother Spellecy, Brother Murphy, Martin Murphy and Sean Byrne.
Second row: Charlie Roche, Sean O'Leary, Eddie Fowler, Philip Quirke, Philip Kirwin, Pat Hearne, Eoin Murphy, Michael Browne, Tom Bent, Billy Roche, Tommy Meshill, Michael O'Keeffe, Sean Kielty and Robert Restick.
Third row: Neol Morris, Ray Martin, Antoin Murphy, Raymond Donoghue, James Murphy, Micheal Furlong, Tom Hendrick, Nick Sinnott, Peter Lambert, a face we cannot at the moment name, and Mylie Wickham.
Fourth row: Eddie McDonald, Nick Cowman, Edwad Hickey, Liam Bent, Patrick Terry, Dick Corish, Maurice Barrett, Brian Nolan, Derek Crosbie, Ger Cullen, Gerry Kielty, and another face we are not 100%certain of.
Back row: Tony Kelly, Donal Kavanagh, Fintan Farrell, Philip Molloy, Seamas Keheo, Gerry Cowman, Micheal Quinlivan, Joe Caufield, Micheal O'Brien and Jim Roice.
Three of the most famous C.B.S. Boker teachers are captured in this snap shot, very likely connected with the opening of new national schools in 1939. They are still remembered with affection by thousands. Thomas Cullimore, Myles Redmond and Martin Murphy. Tommy Cullimore became embroiled voluntarily Republican movement deemed subversive in wartime and neutral Ireland to the extent thet he was interned in the Curragh during theSecond World War. He later joined the staff of the Wexford Corporation. Myles Redmond and Martin Murphy continued teaching for several more decades.