Principal's Welcome
Welcome and thank you for taking the time to visit our website. Coláiste Chiaráin is a Catholic Voluntary Secondary School located in Athlone in the centre of Ireland. Our school is under the trusteeship of the Diocese of Elphin & Achonry and we welcome students from every background and faith community. We were created in 2017 from the amalgamation of St Joseph’s College and St Aloysius College.
We are inclusive in our intake and offer a wide range of subjects at Junior and Senior Cycle. We are aiming to create a broad and balanced curriculum which endeavours to meet the needs of our diverse cohort of students. The school currently offers the Junior Certificate, Transition Year (TY) programme, the Leaving Certificate, and the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP).
We have a superb, dedicated, enthusiastic teaching team where the focus is always on the holistic development of every student to reach to their potential. Our staff aim to provide a supportive and nurturing environment where every student is encouraged to achieve their potential. Regular reports, careful monitoring and an awards system are all part of the culture that encourages each student to achieve their personal best. In addition, students participate in a wide variety of co-curricular and extracurricular activities.
Enjoy browsing our website and if you need further information on any aspect of the school, please feel free to contact us.
Mr Brendan Waldron
Principal, Coláiste Chiaráin
A Message from the Bishop of Elphin
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Coláiste Chiaráin, a school rooted in the rich spiritual and educational tradition of Clonmacnoise and inspired by the values of faith, hope and community.
At Coláiste Chiaráin, students are encouraged to grow personally, academically, spiritually and socially in a caring and supportive environment. Through the dedication of staff, parents and the wider school community, the College continues to provide a place where young people can discover their talents, build confidence and reach their full potential.
As a Catholic school under the trusteeship of the Diocese of Elphin & Achonry, Coláiste Chiaráin strives to nurture respect, responsibility and compassion, while welcoming and supporting students of all faith traditions and backgrounds.
Christians are called to be people of Hope. The motto of the Diocese of Elphin & Achonry is Dominus Spes Mea (My hope is in the Lord). Hope is not just wishful thinking; it is a Christian virtue. It is rooted in our conviction that God always walks with us, especially in times of challenge and difficulty, and that his love is never taken back. Alongside all the many practical things that our students learn in the course of their years in Coláiste Chiaráin, it is an integral part of the mission of the College that young people would be helped to develop that virtue of Christian Hope which will sustain them through life and give them confidence to bring the love of God into every situation in which they live, work and relax.
I wish every student and family every blessing as they begin and continue their journey with the Coláiste Chiaráin community.
With every blessing
Kevin Doran, Bishop of Elphin & Achonry
Mission Statement
Coláiste Chiaráin provides an educational setting in which the person is encouraged to grow at every level – personally, academically, spiritually, socially and culturally. Coláiste Chiaráin is a Voluntary Catholic Secondary School under the trusteeship of the Diocese of Elphin & Achonry.
In partnership with parents, the College strives to educate their children in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ and his Church. It aims to foster students’ spiritual, moral, intellectual, physical and creative development and thereby develop their full potential.
Coláiste Chiaráin, Athlone will endeavor to:
- Provide students with a Catholic education that has a sound spiritual, faith, academic and practical content.
- Nourish the building up of a personal relationship with God according to Catholic wisdom as lived out in the community of the church.
- Respect and facilitate the spiritual/human development of students from all religious traditions or faith stances.
- Assist students to reach their full potential by encouraging the talents and gifts unique to each one.
- Develop a sense of self-respect and responsibility among students for themselves and for those whom they can serve, and to foster a sense of community within the school.
- Foster an environment which enables staff and students to promote quality teaching and learning in an atmosphere which is enriching for everybody.
- Inspire students to respect and love their cultural and religious heritage and develop as responsible citizens.
Encourage students to be creative in their use of leisure through the extra-curricular activities offered.
