Salesian College
Kildare
Key facts
- Boys
- Pupils enrolled
- 880 larger than the median Irish post-primary school (585 pupils)
- Ethos
- Catholic
- Teaching through Irish
- No subjects taught through Irish
- Roll number
- 61661P the Department of Education reference for this school
School details
Location
About
On the Maynooth Road in Celbridge, Co Kildare, Salesian College is a Catholic secondary school for boys with an enrolment of 880. Trusteeship rests with the Salesians of Don Bosco, and the board of management, made up of parent, teacher and trustee representatives, serves a 3 year term. Teaching runs across Junior Cycle, Transition Year and Senior Cycle, with Leaving Certificate subjects including English, Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, French, History, Geography, Chemistry, Physics, Art, Construction Studies and Engineering. Physical education is compulsory for every year group from first to sixth, timetabled as a double period. The grounds hold a large sports hall, an 8 lane running track, a long jump pit, 2 outdoor basketball courts and a full size pitch for soccer and Gaelic games. School teams compete in Gaelic football, hurling, soccer, rugby, athletics, badminton and table tennis, and an annual road race in October and a sports day in May are fixed points in the sporting year. Form classes carry the names of Salesian figures and Irish saints, and each class meets its form teacher at the start of the day for roll call and announcements. Student supports take in pastoral care, guidance and counselling, learning support and after-school study. Sixth years work with first years through the Ceangail programme, and Cinnirí is a prefect system.
History
Teaching began on 15 September 1981 in a disused primary school building in Celbridge, a building later used as a Church of Ireland primary school. The college opened with 55 students and 4 staff. In the summer of 1984 students and teachers moved into purpose-built premises on the present 15 acre site, where the extra room and larger sports grounds allowed a broader choice of subjects and more extracurricular activity. Two substantial extensions followed on that site as numbers grew.
Applying to Salesian College
For a September 2027 place, a school's formal admissions process cannot begin before 1 October 2026. The school sets its own opening and closing dates in its annual admission notice.
National term dates 2026/27
Irish schools follow a standardised school year, so these nationwide post-primary school dates apply broadly to Salesian College. Individual schools set their own discretionary closure days, confirm exact dates with the school.
- October Mid-Term Break: Mon 26 Oct – Fri 30 Oct 2026
- Christmas Holidays: Wed 23 Dec 2026 – Tue 5 Jan 2027
- February Mid-Term Break: Mon 15 Feb – Fri 19 Feb 2027 (primary schools: Thu 18 Feb – Fri 19 Feb 2027)
- Easter Holidays: Mon 22 Mar – Sun 4 Apr 2027
Primary schools close for the last two days of the February mid-term week and may use discretionary days to take the full week, so their break can be shorter than post-primary schools'.
Frequently asked questions about Salesian College
How many pupils attend Salesian College?
Salesian College has 880 pupils enrolled. That makes it larger than the median Irish post-primary school, which has 585 pupils.
Is Salesian College a DEIS school?
No. Salesian College is not part of DEIS, the Department of Education programme of additional supports for schools serving communities at risk of educational disadvantage. Not holding DEIS status says nothing about how good a school is, only about the profile of the community it serves.
What is the ethos of Salesian College?
Salesian College has a Catholic ethos. It is a boys' post-primary school.