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Glenstal Abbey School
Welcome
Thank you for considering Glenstal Abbey School for your
son. Life here is filled with many blessings. Our school is
a wonderful place to live and learn, a place of outstanding
natural beauty, steeped in history.
As a Benedictine school we challenge every student to
use his God-given talents to the full, enabling him to find
and become his true self. We strive to cultivate a vibrant,
nurturing community where each student is encouraged to
grow – a place where boys become ‘men of soul’.
Our alumni leave as well qualified, rounded young men, well
prepared for the future.
I invite you to visit us, to explore the opportunities that await
your son at Glenstal.
Marius Carney
Headmaster
Glenstal Abbey School is a small
Benedictine boarding and day
school for boys aged 12-18 in
Co. Limerick, Ireland.
Where boys become
Men of Soul
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Glenstal Abbey School
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Glenstal Abbey School
Our curriculum is a carefully woven
tapestry, providing an incredibly rich
sequence of formal and informal
experiences, across a huge spectrum
of disciplines. Academic rigour is
supported by a commitment to teach
students how to learn, and we offer
extensive support and guidance at all
points of transition. The very wide range
of Leaving Certificate options offers
a breadth of opportunity which aligns
closely with our Benedictine ethos.
Leadership and individual development
opportunities underpin the curriculum,
as we seek to support our students to
develop into compassionate, resilient
and responsible young people.
Our Leaving Certificate results are
excellent across a wide ability range
- over half of students achieve 500+
points. The overwhelming majority of
our students go on to study at university.
Trinity College Dublin and University
College Dublin are the top destinations
for our students continuing their studies
in Ireland, whilst others choose to study
at universities across the UK, Europe
and beyond.
Experience an Education that
Maximises Academic
Potential
We connect with each student personally,
to understand his strengths, guide his
learning choices, and to build a collaborative
relationship with him that enables his unique
talents to flourish.
Attending Glenstal is not simply about
attending a school but about embracing
a way of life. Te excellence in
academic education is surpassed only
by the unparalleled enthusiasm of the
entire Glenstal community supporting
our boys to become men of soul.
Parent
© Emanuele Scorcelletti
500+ points
Over half of students achieve 500+ points
Tat the strong may
have something to
strive for and the
weak not fall back
in dismay
Rule of St. Benedict
During their time at Glenstal, students
are cared for through the daily
collaboration of a dedicated staff, who
support boys through the highs and
lows of their academic, social and
emotional development in the move
from primary school, and during their
teenage years.
This network of support includes
the Teachers, Housemasters, Nurses,
Chaplains, Guidance Counsellors,
Learning Support staff, Administration,
Sports Coaches, Housekeeping and
Catering staff, with the Deputy Head
and Deputy Principal, working alongside
parents and guardians.
Our Guidance Counsellors offer caring,
confidential support on issues from
relationships and study skills to family
challenges and career advice, working
closely with the wider staff, parents,
guardians and external professionals.
The expert team in Learning Support
is dedicated to helping students
unlock their full potential. Recognising
that the talents and intelligence of
students are harnessed in different
ways, their goal is to aid students
to develop their individual skills and
strategies to improve their learning
capacity. As a result, students make
significant progress.
Beneft from Our Individual
Care & Atention
In our small school, everyone gets to know
each other, staff, students and parents alike.
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Glenstal Abbey School
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Glenstal Abbey School
At Glenstal, I’ve been given the support
and encouragement to step outside my
comfort zone. Whether it’s through
rugby or debating, or the guidance
from teachers, I’ve learned to believe in
my own abilities and have developed a
confdence I never had before.
School Vice Captain
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Glenstal Abbey School
Glenstal Abbey School
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Alongside academic endeavours, there
is a richness of opportunity to grow in
compassion, courage and courteous
self-confidence.
Each student is part of the diverse
Glenstal community and the community
shapes him: spiritually, socially, morally
and culturally. He in turn plays his part
in building and leading that community.
Sport is a daily feature of school
life - highly valued for its health and
wellbeing benefits, as well as the
opportunity to build discipline, take
responsibility and be a team player.
A plethora of unique possibilities
present themselves throughout each
boy’s schooling, including international
exchange programmes with schools
in the USA, Australia and several
European countries, programmes
in conjunction with third level
institutions and employers, academic
competitions, philanthropic activities,
sustainability projects, international
school tours and more.
Become a
Confident, Kind
& Resilient Leader
We strive to provide an environment where
each student has the opportunity to develop,
in balance, his whole human self.
Te school excels in identifying and promoting
the strengths of each personality. With three day
boarding boys in the school, we have seen them
grow and mature in diferent ways. No matter their
ability on or of the rugby pitch, they feel part of a
very special community.
Parent
Let them patiently bear each other’s weaknesses,
whether in character or in body.
Rule of St. Benedict
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Glenstal Abbey School
Students live together in one of three
Houses (Junior, Inter, Senior) under
the age-appropriate care of our
Houseparents. Each House has shared
bedroom dormitories, bathroom with
shower cubicles, a common room
social space and a kitchen pantry. This
shared living environment develops
independence, tolerance, cooperation,
and compromise.
Students are kept busy throughout
the week, with class time, sports,
music, clubs, societies and daily
supervised study. At weekends, there
are both onsite and offsite House
activities including sporting, social,
cultural and adventure excursions.
A varied, home-cooked menu is served
with breakfast, a three-course hot
lunch, afternoon snack, and supper,
all freshly prepared daily. Tailored for
growing boys, the meals are designed
by the Chef to provide the nutrition and
energy they need for the day.
Our Health Centre runs two daily clinics,
with the nursing team providing first
line medical care, as well as general
health and wellbeing advice.
In addition to school holidays, the
House closes for regular weekend
breaks from Friday lunchtime to
Monday evening. There is complete
flexibility for our Boarders to make
additional visits home outside of
timetabled class times.
Settle in to a
Comfortable and Friendly
Home from Home
Community is profoundly
important to us. We want our students
to feel part of a Glenstal community, an
extended family where lifelong friendships
are fostered and treasured.
Glenstal is a second
home for me and has
shaped me into the
person I am today.
School Captain
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Glenstal Abbey School
We encourage students to engage
in the musical, artistic and cultural
opportunities on offer to foster their
creativity, wellbeing and critical thinking.
Glenstal affords our students the
opportunity to realise their full musical
potential in terms of musicianship,
enjoyment, performance and
appreciation. The school choir
performs at Mass each Sunday and
at several events at school, around
Ireland and internationally through
the year. Our musical soloists, jazz
band, string ensemble and trad group
perform at Saturday assemblies,
Sunday lunches, and St. Patrick’s Day
and Parents’ Day concerts.
The variety of clubs/societies on offer
allows students to further develop
their existing skills and explore new
interests, from competitive debating
and public speaking, to visual art and
photography. There are also unique
opportunities for intellectual pursuit
that arise from the professorial and
academic work of members of the
monastic community and the wider
teaching staff.
Our annual Advent Arts Festival is a
celebration of our students’ creativity
across music, poetry, visual art,
graphics, debating, public speaking
and more. The festival culminates in
our Advent Carol Service.
Be Immersed in a Heritage of
Music, Creativity
& the Arts
The school enjoys a vibrant cultural and
academic life that enriches our entire
school community.
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Glenstal Abbey School
Glenstal Abbey School
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Glenstal Abbey School
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Glenstal Abbey School
The word ‘Glenstal’ means ‘The Glen of
the Stallion’, and is an English rendering
of the Irish Gleann Stail. The glen itself
is a very impressive geological feature,
consisting of a mile-long valley, formed
during the last ice-age.
Our school is uniquely situated in an
historic estate of 500 acres of parkland,
lakes, woodlands and waterfalls. The
campus comprises a monastery,
school, guesthouse and dairy farm.
Our duty of care for the Glenstal
ecosystem is exemplified by the several
conservation and sustainability projects
led by the monks, including rare species
preservation, woodland regeneration
and the hosting of environmental
conferences. Students work alongside
monks and community representatives
on our award winning Sustainable
Energy Community Committee. These
endeavours provide special academic
enrichment opportunities for our
students studying the sciences.
Take In Tis Historic
Place Nestled in a
Fascinating Ecosystem
Glenstal is a beautiful place. We are lucky
to benefit from living in this peaceful oasis,
that is stunning in its natural beauty.
We welcome students from our
local area, from all over Ireland
and many countries around
the world. The school is well-
located, at just twenty minutes
by car from Limerick City and
the M7 motorway.
Shannon International Airport
is 30 minutes away and offers
a regular schedule of flights to
London and the USA. We are two
hours from Dublin International
Airport, which provides excellent
global flight connections and
is easily accessible via regular
direct coach services to/from
Limerick.
Glenstal is secluded
yet very accessible
Let no one seek his own interest,
but rather those of his neighbour.
Rule of St. Benedict
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Glenstal Abbey School
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Glenstal Abbey School
The Benedictine ethos sees each activity
of the day as valuable and significant in
its own right - the balanced education
on offer at Glenstal seeks to develop
harmony in mind, body and spirit.
On Sunday mornings the school
community joins the monks for Mass.
Students actively participate in the
Eucharist as choir members, readers,
servers, and ushers. Parents join us for
coffee and cake afterwards.
Our alumni speak warmly of enduring
relationships with their classmates,
and the school’s chaplaincy, teaching
and pastoral staff. Past students stay
connected and many continue to return
to Glenstal throughout their lives, to
attend Mass, to stay in the guesthouse,
or simply to enjoy the rejuvenating
surroundings.
Discover the
Spirit of Glenstal
and a Lasting Connection
Confident of our Catholic and Benedictine
tradition, we encourage our students to
explore and deepen their own faith, whatever
that may be, while also learning about other
traditions, world religions and philosophies.
PAX
© Emanuele Scorcelletti
Whatever good work you begin, pray
to God to bring it to completion.
Rule of St. Benedict
Glenstal Abbey School
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Glenstal Abbey School
The Irish secondary school curriculum is structured into three elements, Junior Cycle (First to
Third Year), Transition Year (Fourth) and Senior Cycle (Fifth and Sixth Year), culminating in state
examinations and the award of a Leaving Certificate qualification, for entry to Irish, UK, European
and global universities.
Curriculum
Compulsory:
• Maths
• English
• Irish
• Geography
• History
• Physical Education
• Religious Education
• Science
A Modern European
Language
• French
• German
Two Electives
• Business
• Classics
• Graphics
• Music
• Visual Art
Plus:
• Civic, Social and
Political Education
• Physical Education
• Social, Personal and
Health Education
Junior Cycle students are making the transition from primary to secondary school learning and
discovering new subjects. At Glenstal, First Year students have the opportunity to sample all
compulsory and elective Junior Cycle subjects. From Second Year, students will generally study
ten examinable subjects, with assessment through both classroom-based projects, and finally
state examinations at the end of Third Year, which lead to the formal award of the Junior Cycle
Profile of Achievement.
JUNIOR CYCLE
The Transition Year programme is an invaluable opportunity to develop maturity and confidence,
and benefit from a wide variety of formative experiences before a student begins his Leaving
Certificate studies and planning for third level education.
The academic timetable, which includes sampling of all Leaving Certificate subjects, is
complemented by a programme focused on personal growth, civic and community engagement
and career readiness, including:
Transition Year is compulsory for all Glenstal students, and may also be accessed by international
students as a one year programme.
TRANSITION YEAR
• Work experience
• Language and cultural exchanges
• Day courses throughout the year, including, for example, first aid, sports’ coaching, self defence, video
production, poetry writing and climate action
• Guest speakers from industry, charity organisations and academia
Subjects offered each year may vary based on demand and other factors.
Applications for entry to the school for Senior Cycle are accepted up to two years in advance.
• Accounting
• Agricultural Science
• Applied Mathematics
• Art
• Biology
• Business
• Chemistry
• Classical Studies
• Construction Studies
• Design & Communication Graphics
• Economics
• French
• Geography
• German
• History
• Irish
• Mathematics
• Music
• Physics
• Religious Education
• Spanish
Akin to the UK’s Sixth Form, the German Abitur, or the International Baccalaureate, the Leaving
Certificate is a globally recognised qualification that provides a pathway to university in Ireland, the
UK and beyond. Our Guidance Counsellors are experienced in making applications to international
colleges and will support students accordingly.
Accessing University Outside Ireland With The Leaving Certificate
At Leaving Certificate Glenstal students will usually study 7/8 subjects, comprising English, Maths,
Irish (unless exempt), a language and a further 3/4 elective subjects. During Transition Year,
students are supported in discerning their elective subjects by the Guidance Counsellors.
Glenstal provides an extensive subject offer:
SENIOR CYCLE