History

The Dominicans

St. Dominic was born at Calaruega in Spain in 1170 A.D.

As a young man he studied at the University of Palencia, and later became a priest. Seeing the great need to combat the chief heresy of his day, the Albigensian Heresy, by means of preaching, he gathered round him a group of companions to live a life of poverty and preach the Gospel of Christ to the people. Dominic died in 1221 A.D. but the order he founded, The Order of Preachers, The Dominicans, has spread through the world, and his joyful spirit and powerful defence of truth continues to inspire his followers today.

Dominican College, Taylor's Hill, Galway

In 1644, the first Irish Dominican Nuns formed a community in Galway. Throughout their chequered history, they survived Cromwell's soldiers (1652), exile in Spain (1652-1686), the Penal Laws in the 18th Century and the Great Famine (1845-1848). First they lived in New Tower Street (now St. Augustine Street) and then Kirwan's Lane in a house called "the Slate Nunnery".

Finally on the 4th June, 1845 they moved to a small house called "Seaview" on Taylor's Hill. In 1858, a Day School for Young Ladies was established, classes being held in the parlour of the convent. In 1859, the Boarding School, Mount St. Joseph's, opened with two pupils. Enrolments increased and new buildings were added to accommodate more boarders and day-pupils. The building of Rosary School was completed in 1958. St. Dominic's, which was the boarding school until 1975, was opened in 1901 and was replaced in 2007 by a new building with state of the art facilities.