Sancta Maria College, Rathfarnham

Sancta Maria College is a girls' Catholic voluntary secondary school in Ballyroan, Rathfarnham, County Dublin, Ireland. The school is governed by a board of management. There are approximately 525 students and 34 permanent teachers. It is run by the Sisters of Mercy.

In 1932 the building that now houses the Sisters of Mercy was given as a gift to the order by the owners, the McCabe sisters. The order's Mercy Community in Carysfort near Blackrock were gratified but had no plans for this big building. They decided to make it a holiday home for girls called St. Mary's Convent and it was blessed and opened on 26 July 1932.

In 1942 Archbishop McQuaid approached the Superior of the Sisters of Mary believing that the convent would be a good place to treat children in the early stages of tuberculosis. The Red Cross Society was looking for a place to treat these children. For 16 years the house served as a Preventorium.

In the 1960s, tuberculosis was under control and the Preventorium was no longer needed. The population of Ballyroan was increasing and a school was needed. On 8 September 1960, Sancta Maria College was opened.

Around the year 1963 the assembly hall was built.

In the 1960's, The junior school was taught by a staff of three, Sr. Marian Agnes, Sr. Regina Assumpta and Sr. Dolores. Boys and girls normally started at three years of age. If a child wet themselves they were verbally abused, hit on the hand with a ruler and forced to sit naked from the waist down at their desk. All three nuns were vicious and should have never been teaching young children. Sister Delores was the worst of the three. When the children reached 1st class, taught by Mrs Gibney, the only lay teacher, they were finally treated properly. Please don't delete this because it is true. I was a child there from 1963 to 1966. No more church cover ups.

The school offers students three Leaving Certificate courses: Leaving Certificate, LCVP and LCA.

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