1748 – Royal Charter School, Clontarf, Co. Dublin

In 1733 King George III granted a charter that provided protestant education for the poor. The chartered school system attempted to educate children in the scriptures as well as teaching them about industry, husbandry and loyalty to the crown. The Clontarf Charter School was built in 1748 and opened the following year accommodating 100 boys. Probably designed by Arthur Jones Neville who was Surveyor general at the time, though it has also been attributed to Richard Cassels. The Rev. Samuel Nicholls who, preaching at St. Mary le Bow in London on 4th April 1749, told the congregation it was expected the building would be finished “this summer” namely 1749. He said “A school is undertaken to be erected at this place at 1600 by the surveyor general to contain 100 boys.”

The school closed in the early 19th century, the 1830s, and was turned into a bathing house and became known as Kingscourt House or Royal Kingscourt Baths. Later demolished, but sited close to the Fairview railway viaduct. Image published in History of the City of Dublin, 1818.