St Augustine's and Good Counsel College, New Ross

Infobox Secondary school
name = St. Augustine's College New Ross
logo =
motto =
established =
type =
affiliations = Roman Catholic, Augustinians
founder =
principal = Fr. John Hennebry
chaplain =
free_label_1 = Captain
free_1 =
chairman =
enrolment =
grades =
colours =
campus =
city = New Ross
County = Wexford
country = Ireland
website =

St Augustine's and Good Counsel College New Ross, known exclusively as "Good Counsel College" or 'The Counsel' by its students and residents of the local area, is an all-boys secondary school in Ireland which caters for over 750 students. It was founded and is now conducted by the Irish Augustinians. It is the largest school in New Ross.

Patron Saint

The College is named in honour of the 4th century saint, St. Augustine of Hippo. Augustine was a key figure in the doctrinal development of Western Christianity and is often referred to as a "Doctor of the Church" by Roman Catholics. Two of his surviving works, namely "The Confessions" (his autobiography) and "The City of God", are regarded as Western Classics and are still read by Christians around the world. Augustine is often considered to be one of the theological fountainheads of Reformation, because of his teaching on salvation and grace; Martin Luther himself also having been an Augustinian friar. Augustine was not a Biblical fundamentalist.

History

In 1889 Good Counsel College opened for the first time at the High Hill, next to the Augustinian Friary church in the centre of New Ross town. [Butler, "Near Restful Waters", p. 113.] However, in 1984 the school re-located to a greenfield site on the periphery of the town at Bosheen. A new state of the art campus was built, which is still in use today. In 1994, a modern sports centre was built to facilitate the strong tradition of sports in the school.

Former students

Former significant students include popular Reading FC striker Kevin Doyle, who scored thirteen goals in his debut season in the English top flight, and business man Dermot Desmond, the 746th richest person in the world, who donated money to the school to build the current sports centre.

Other English speaking Augustinian Schools with the same patron include a school in Richland, New Jersey and San Diego, California - both in the United States; Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod, Colegio San Agustin, Biñan and Colegio San Agustin, Makati in the Philippines; a school in Malta, another Irish one in Dungarvan, and one in Sydney, Australia.

References & footnotes

ources

*Thomas C. Butler, O.S.A., "Near Restful Waters - The Augustinians in New Ross and Clonmines". (Dublin & Kildare, 1975).

External links

* [http://www.osanet.org/ International Order of St. Augustine]
* [http://www.geocities.com/Athens/1534/ruleaug.html Text of the Rule of St. Augustine]
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07281a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia entry for the "Hermits of St Augustine"]
* [http://www.augustinian.org Order of the Hermit Friars of St. Augustine (O.S.A.)]
* [http://www.goodcounselcollege.ie/ Official Good Counsel website]