The Religious Sisters of Charity (History and Tradition)

The Religious Sisters of Charity are a congregation of religious women, founded by Mary Aikenhead in 1815, in Dublin. Their fourth vow is “service of the poor” and the sisters have traditionally worked towards improving education, healthcare and human rights.

Today, they have convents in eight countries, on four continents.

Religious Sisters of Charity schools are centres of learning which are open to all and which strive for excellence in the areas of religious, moral, social, cultural and intellectual development reflecting the vision of our Foundress, Mary Aikenhead.

If you would like to learn more about the Religious Sisters of Charity you can click here to visit their website.

Assumption Secondary School

In the mid 50’s the sisters acquired a parcel of land in Walkinstown and opened the Primary Schools in 1958.

Assumption Secondary School opened on the 12th of September 1962 with a staff of 9 Teachers and a student enrolment of 94. At that time Walkinstown was a relatively new suburb of Dublin, and a number of farms existed near the school with Norton’s Pig Farm directly opposite until around 1985. Over the years the school has flourished and during the 2012-2013 academic years celebrated its Golden Jubilee.

The founding Principal was Katherine Bailey Butler, known in religion as Sr. Alphonsus. She was an English scholar and was well known for her contribution to interfaith dialogue and ecumenism. Her aim was to create educated, independent young ladies. An aim still echoed in the Mission Statement of the School today. Sr. Alphonsus died in the year 2000.

Down the years, each Principal, Deputy Principal, teacher & staff member has brought their unique gifts to their work, enabling the school to develop into the vibrant school community that is today.

Our staff support the school ethos and participate in the varied aspects of school life. They are committed to high standards of education and place their expertise at the service of students, treating them with care, compassion and recognising and developing their individual talents.

School Principals

Sr. Alphonsus (Sr. Katherine Bailey Butler) 1962, Sister Benin and later as Sr. Catherine Hamilton 1964-1985, Sr. Teresa McAllister, Sr. Miriam Hennesey, Mr. John Costello, Ms. Colette Dunne, Ms. Justine Hughes & Ms. Siobháin Hoey

School Deputy Principals

Ms. Margaret Mc Loughlin, Mr. John Costello, Mr. Denis Sexton, Ms. Colette Dunne, Ms. Helen Taylor, Ms. Siobháin Hoey, & Ms. Ciara Cummins

The first Board of Management was established in October 1989, with Sr. Magdalen Butler RSC appointed as the first Chairperson of the Board. An active BOM continues to be an integral part of school life.

Our School