The announcement by the trustees of Glenstal Abbey last Friday that the boarding school on the grounds of the Co Limerick Benedictine monastery will close in the next two years has sent shock waves across the Irish boarding school sector.

With less than 25 such schools still operating in Ireland from a high of approximately 125 in the 1960s, there is a real sense that many Irish boarding schools are struggling to keep their numbers up to meet the high cost of looking after students in five-day or seven-day boarding.

“Seven-day boarding for the domestic Irish market is not required by families of students in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th years. That’s the big change,” says Colm Maloney, president of Cistercian College in Roscrea, Co Offaly.

[ Parents and former pupils of Glenstal Abbey in bid to prevent closureOpens in new window ]

“But there is a lot of interest in five-day boarding and day-boarding with its access to study and on-site sports facilities and training for families with two working parents,” he adds. Seven-day boarding is still a draw for students in 5th and 6th year.

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The Cistercian College in Roscrea (CCR) faced a similar situation to Glenstal in 2017 when the monks at the adjacent Mount St Joseph Abbey wanted to close down the school. At that time, a group of parents, former students and friends pledged almost €5 million in a few weeks to pay off debts and do........

© The Irish Times