Waterpark College is a secondary school in the city of Waterford, Ireland. The school was established in 1892 on the banks of the River Suir as Waterford's first Classical school, and provides a secondary education to boys and girls from Waterford City and County and the surrounding area.
History
Waterpark College, Waterford's first Classical school, was founded in 1892 by the Christian Brothers. In 1986 it had its first lay principal, Maurice O'Connor, the first time that an Irish Christian Brothers school had a lay principal. Thomas A. Beecher became principal in 1990. The Irish 2008-2010 United World Colleges scholarship was awarded to a Waterpark student.[1]
Sports
College rugby is tied to the local junior club Waterpark RFC[further explanation needed] since the club's foundation in 1925 in nearby Ballinakill, Waterford.
The primary sport at Waterpark College is rugby; however, the college also competes in badminton and track and field athletics. The college hosts an annual Junior Tag Rugby tournament, where teams from schools in the city are invited to participate. The college also field teams in GAA and Association football.
Location
The college is at the junction of Park Road and Newtown Road between the Nineteenth Century Peoples Park and the banks of the river Suir.
Waterpark National School is the official feeder school for Waterpark College. It formerly existed as Waterpark Junior School, a private, fee-paying, primary school which was originally sited in the main grounds of the college before relocating on the Dunmore road in 1969. The school was once again relocated in the 1980s to the building which was formerly used as a monastery by the Christian Brothers on the grounds of Waterpark College. When Waterpark Junior School closed in May 2001 a new National School was established on the same site. Waterpark National School, under the patronage of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, first opened its doors in September 2001. The school caters for boys and girls and has an enrollment of over 230 pupils. The Waterpark site has now been officially split into two sites, one for the college and the other for the National School. Waterpark National School is situated at the north end of the college rugby grounds.
