Brief History of St Joseph’s

In December, 1845, a meeting was held by 5 laymen and 3 clergy to consider the possibility of founding schools for deaf children.

On January 5th, 1846, this committee agreed to ask the Dominican Nuns and the Irish Christian Brothers for assistance. This committee became the Catholic Institute for the Deaf.

In 1856, the C.I.D. completed a new building in Cabra and it was opened in 1857. The Irish Christian Brothers agreed to take charge of the school and in 1869 the school was enlarged, when a new wing was added, and, with later additions, formed St. Joseph’s.

In 1929, St. Joseph’s was recognised by the Dept of Education as a National School and in 1952, it was recognised as a Special National School. These changes resulted in direct government grants both for education and residential care and towards capital expenditure. These grants made it possible to completely modernist the facilities for teaching and residential accommodation undertaken in recent years.

The old St. Joseph’s was itself replaced by the new complex of schools and residential houses, completed in 1987. There are nine separate buildings in the complex, including six houses in the residential blocks, assembly hall, gymnasium and offices, thus forming one of the most modern schools for deaf boys in Europe.

In 1999, the Irish Christian Brothers ceased to be in charge of St Joseph’s and the school got ots first lay principal.