Our History
Campas Íosagáin is proud of the rich history that preceded it.
Coláiste Íosagáin was an important pillar of the community of Baile Bhuirne and like it’s predecessor, Campas Íosagáin will too bring new life to the area.
Coláiste Íosagáin
Coláiste Íosagáin was originally built in two phases. The first phase commenced in 1933 and the second phase was completed in 1939. The Coláiste was purpose-built as a boys boarding school by the Office of Public Works (OPW) and officially opened in 1940, accepting the first students on the 3rd of September under the supervision of the Christian brothers.
The college was a preparatory college, attended by the top students in the country who were expected to become the next generation of school teachers. Students received a top-quality education and had the privilege of partaking in extracurricular activities, most notably GAA, drama, athletics and basketball. Students also enjoyed free time to venture down to the local village and beyond between their studies and religious practices.
Some well-known Irish personalities attended the college such as GAA commentary legend, Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh who attended for three years and former Kerry GAA manager, “Mickey Ned” O’Sullivan who went on to become a teacher in Coláiste Íosagáin after his student days.
Unfortunately, much to the disappointment of past pupils and the local community, Coláiste Íosagáin was closed in 1989 before being purchased by Údarás na Gaeltachta in 1998. The building lay idle until 2023 when works began on transforming the once iconic establishment into a new digital hub to rejuvenate the local area and drive inward investment not only into Baile Bhuirne, but to Ireland as a whole.
This is not the end of Coláiste Íosagáin, but the beginning of Campas Íosagáin.