Royal Hibernian Military School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Contents |
[edit] General
The buildings housing the Royal Hibernian Military School, Dublin were erected in Phoenix Park, overlooking the village of Chapelizod in the Liffey valley (in full view of Wicklow mountains) in Ireland first taking in 90 boys and 50 girls as pupils (in the charge of an Inspector and Inspectress, assisted by the Chaplain and an assistant mistress) in March 1770. The site originally occupied three acres but by 1922 its boundary walls enclosed thirty three acres.
The foundation of the School came about in 1769 when King George III granted a Charter of Incorporation on 15th July, the School Governors holding their inaugural meeting on 6th November in Dublin Castle. [1]
By 1808 the system and organisation of the school followed closely that of its sister school, the Duke of York's Royal Military School (then at Chelsea, London, England).
In 1853 the school's first "stand of colours" were presented by the then Prince of Wales and, in the same year, the girls at the school left to join their own separate establishment, the Drummond School, which was founded for them at Chapelizod.
[edit] Closure
In 1922 the Royal Hibernian Military School moved to Shorncliffe, in Folkestone, Kent and in 1924 it was merged with the Duke of York's Royal Military School which last, by then, was in its current location atop 'Lone Tree Hill' above Dover Castle.
To this day, the boy soldier pictured saluting in the stained glass window glinting above the 'minstrel gallery' type balcony of the Duke of York's School Chapel in Dover forever commemorates that incorporation.
[edit] See also
The book "SONS OF THE BRAVE" - The Story of Boy Soldiers by A.W. Cockerill (c) 1984. ISBN 0-436-10294-3
The book "PLAY UP DUKIES" compiled by George Shorter and published by The Duke of York's Royal Military School, Old Boys Association in 1987.
