St. Cronan's Boys' National School, Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland

Our school has a long history in Bray.....

1820: These cottages on Seapoint Road are believed to be the site of the first Bray Male and Female Parochial Schools. They opened on the 20th July 1820 and the boys stayed in these premises until 1880.

1880: An increase in pupil numbers lead to the school moving to new premises besides Holy Redeemer Church in October 1880. The name changed to Bray Boys' School and the building is now known as The Little Flower Hall.

1932: Bray Male School moved again. This time, the school found a new home in a fine building on the Vevay Hill. The school also changed it's name to "St. Cronan's Boys National School".

1999: The construction of a new school building within the existing grounds started in 1998 and St. Cronan's moved into the new building on the 2nd November 1999. The official opening of the school took place on 18th June 2001. After this move to the new school building in Vevay Crescent, Gaelscoil Uí Chéadaigh took up residence in the schoolhouse on the Vevay Hill.

With the new school building came a revamped school crest. Below you can see the old and the new.
St. Cronan's also changed its school uniform from a red/brown colour,
to a bright new blue uniform in the 1990s.

Our Most Famous Past Pupil

The 5th President of Ireland, Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh, is the most famous of our past pupils. Born on February 12th 1911, he lived at Number 85 Main Street, Bray (which is now the Jasmine House). He was the second son of Richard Daly, a poulterer and fish monger.

Shortly after he began school in St. Cronan’s his family moved to Number 3, Oldcourt Terrace on the Vevay Road. They remained there until he was 13 years old, when they left Bray upon the death of his father.

Cearbhall was always interested in the Irish language and he attributed this interest to the influence of his teachers in St. Cronan’s, in particular, Mr. McDonald (also known as Paddy Mac), Mr. Honan and Mr. Daly (grandfather of Joe Behan T.D., Principal of St. Fergal’s Senior School)

Courtesy of "Bray - Did You Know ?"
braydidyouknow@gmail.com