Glenstal Abbey boarding school to close within two years

Glenstal Abbey, a well-known private school in Murroe, Co Limerick, is to shut down within the next two years.

The boarding school opened its doors in September of 1932.

Annual fees at the school range from €14,950 for day pupils up to €24,000 for full boarding, according to the school's website.

In a statement this evening, the trustees of Glenstal Abbey said the school will close no later than August 2028 and that the decision to do so was "not made suddenly, nor has it been made lightly".

The trustees said that the abbey has "wrestled with the future of the school for many years" and that the demand for boarding education "has declined over time, while the cost of operating a small boarding school and providing the quality of education, care and facilities expected of Glenstal has continued to rise".

They said that a detailed external assessment of the school stated "the kind of school we have here at Glenstal is not sustainable into the future".

"We are particularly saddened that this decision will come as a considerable shock to many families," they said.

"We are deeply conscious of the trust these families have placed in Glenstal Abbey School and of the impact that this announcement will have on students, parents, staff, alumni and the wider Glenstal community."

All students will continue their education at the school as normal throughout the current academic year, while trustees hope to maintain "the quality of educational, boarding, pastoral and extracurricular provision throughout this period".

For the academic year 2027/2028, they hope to allow current second and fifth year students to complete their Junior and Senior Cycle of education.

"We are deeply saddened by this unavoidable decision to close a school where we met such wonderful people and where we witnessed the work of continually dedicated staff, parents and students."