Updated 2026

Welcome to the CBS Westland
Row Past Pupils Union Web Site

CBS Westland Row – where your child is known and valued – School Website

Annual Dinner Date: Saturday, October 17th, 2026

For current news, visit our Blog

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Presidents Message

Dear Past Pupils,

Thank you for visiting the Westland Row PPU website, and I hope this message finds you all well.

It is a great honour for me to take up the role as President of the Row PPU. During the 1960’s and 1970’s six of my brothers went to Westland Row School. The school gave us all a quality education which stood to us all over the years.

I also recognise and wish to acknowledge my good fortune that, since completing my Leaving Certificate in 1973, I have held on to my very good school friends.

I suggest that it is a time for all of us to acknowledge our good fortune and to give a little something back to the education system and to the current pupils of Westland Row. I recognise the huge efforts already put in by the Row PPU in facilitating contact between past pupils and in supporting the school financially and otherwise and I wish to thank them all for this. I respectfully wish to express the thought and hope that more ex-row pupils should join the PPU team. This is not a close organisation and all are welcome to join.

For many years Westland Row has had many female students and they are now an important part of the school. There is a need and an opportunity to encourage some of the many hundreds of female PPU past pupils to become members of the Row PPU and this is something the Committee is working on.

As President of the PPU I wish to express gratitude to the School Principal, Assistant Principal and to all the staff for their support to the PPU. During my term as President I hope we together can further develop this relationship.

Pat Neill

President

Current Committee Past Presidents Recent News

About
CBS Westland Row

“The school is very proud of our PPU and very appreciative of their ongoing support. We would encourage recent school leavers to join the PPU as a way of keeping in touch with the school and contributing to the excellent work the school does”

The Christan Brothers initially established a school in East Hannover Street in 1812, The school then transferred in 1864 to a site in Westland Row, adjacent to St Andrews Church, where it remains to this day, centrally located on major bus and train routes. Initially set up as an all-boys school the school now has a mix of boys and girls students. The School is a member of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust, a community of schools which are managed in accordance with the principles of the Edmund Rice Schools Charter.

The School provides a wide range of subjects for students studying the Junior Certificate and the Leaving Certificate courses, including both the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) and Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme.

School Principal, Kate Byrne, addressed the Annual Dinner and advised that the school is doing well and has about two hundred students, from a wide range of nationalities. She said that many of the students come to the school in very difficult circumstances but they find a caring atmosphere where they can study and realise their potential.

On the academic front, the trend of the past few years continued with 70% of the Leaving Cert class of 2024 going on to third level. Students are attending TU Dublin and DCU for science, Trinity for dentistry and TU Dublin for aviation technology and biotechnology. A number of students have also opted for PVC courses with a view to pursuing degrees in the future.

The school’s success has been recognized in a number of ways including a prestigious community award as evidenced by the banner, pictured below, which flies proudly outside the building. The award is in recognition of the contribution of the school to the local community.

The students and teachers, as well as representatives of the PPU, gathered in St Marks on Wednesday May 22nd for the annual prize presentation ceremony. The PPU was absent from this ceremony during the Covid years but was pleased to reconnect with it this year and to present the Students of the Year awards. John Cullen and Brian Duncan represented the PPU for what was a very enjoyable occasion.

There were three awards for each class – Best Pupil, Most Improved Pupil and, most notably, the Pupil who best demonstrated the values of Blessed Edmund Rice. All the award winners and the teachers were acknowledged by the audience with enthusiastic applause.

As is noted on the school website, the school provides a wide range of extra-curricular and sports activities, and pupils who participated in these activities were presented with individual certificates to acknowledge their achievements.

After a period during which, because of low pupil numbers, there was little sporting activity, participation in inter schools’ sports is back, even if it is in sports, which were known in the “old days” as “foreign games”. The girls junior tag rugby team won a junior inter schools team award. Coaching is provided by Rugby Ireland and the current coach is Maz Reilly who has played on the Irish international team. The boys also had success, winning an inter schools shield and reaching another final. John Cullen was disappointed that there was not a hurley to be seen! Other sports activities include chess and pool. Hopefully, we will have another Ken Doherty in the future.

The ceremony concluded with the awarding of the Leaving Certificate Student of the Year awards. These awards are sponsored by the Past Pupils Union and presented by Brian Duncan and John Cullen The award for the Leaving Certificate Student of the Year went to Keira Joy Cabamungan and the award for the Leaving Certificate Applied went to Saoirse Sheridan.

Photos from the Award Ceremony can be found on our Blog

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About
Westland Row PPU

The Past Pupils Union (PPU) was set up in 1954. The primary purpose of the PPU is to support the teachers to achieve the best possible learning outcomes for the students in the school, to keep past pupils advised of developments within the school and the past pupils community, and to encourage past pupils to keep in touch. Membership of the Union is available to all past pupils and the annual subscription and other fund-raising events, after expenses, are used to support the work for the school.

To support the school, we help with career guidance and in preparing pupils for the world outside the school. We support other learning opportunities from time to time, including homework clubs and Gaeltacht scholarships. We sponsor the annual Student of the Year awards and help in other fund-raising activities for purchase of new equipment from time to time.

For past pupils we provide updates on developments of interest, both within the school and within the wider past pupil community. A number of Leaving Cert. Classes have also set up their own Whats App Group. Further details are available from the Secretary. We also organize an annual dinner at which the Row Person of the Year is commemorated and arrange that deceased past pupils are remembered in the annual St Andrews Day Mass.

Join the PPU

ROW PPU Annual Dinner: Saturday 17th October 2026, (3rd Saturday in October).

Venue: Westbury Hotel, Balfe street, Dublin 2. D02CH66 (off Grafton Street)

Suffolk and Dawson Suite.

Bar opens at 6.00.pm until 12.30 am.

Call to Dinner 7.10 pm.

All Seated 7.30 pm.

Dinner Cost: €75.00. Three Course Meal.

The Row PPU Committee looks forward to meeting all our dear friends and associates.

Please add the date to your diary. We encourage and will accept bookings from Mid. September.

The Row Person of the Year 2027, Dr Pierce Kavanagh BA (Mod.), PhD, Leaving Cert Class of 1985 will receive the PV Doyle PPU Trophy on the night.

The Row PPU Committee recognises the importance of supporting all those who are coming after us and currently going through the School system. During the academic year 2026 the Row PPU supported the School and Students to the sum of €2,200.00.

The Row PPU wishes to thank all our supporters for their kindness and support over the years. Special recognition and thanks are made to the PV Doyle family for their continued kind support.

Annual Mass for Deceased Past Pupils 2025

The annual Mass for deceased past pupils was celebrated by His Excellency Dermot Farrell, Archbishop of Dublin on Sunday, November 30th, at St. Andrews Westland Row.

Prayers were offered for the repose of the souls of past pupils Aeneas Leahy, Podge Toomey, Peter O’Connor and Martin O’Malley who passed away during the last twelve months.

A number of past pupils attended and joined in the celebration with the local community as well as representatives of the Chinese and Lithuanian communities who make their homes in the area.

The PPU was represented on the altar by our Chaplain, Fr. Eugene McCarthy.

PPU President, Pat Neill and committee, are delighted to announce that Vivian Guerin (class of 1974) has been selected as ROW Person of the Year for 2026. Vivian will be presented with the PV Doyle Trophy at the PPU annual dinner in the Westbury on Saturday November 1st. 2025.

Born (1957) and raised in Windy Arbour, Dublin. Eldest in a family of six children. Having attended Holy Cross National School, Dundrum, went on to secondary school at Westland Row CBS starting in 1969, completing the Leaving Certificate in 1974. Joined the Department of Social Welfare as a Clerical Officer in early 1975, before leaving to complete a Bachelor in Social Science degree (UCD – 1979 to 1982). Subsequently worked as a social worker with Dublin County Council, before joining the Irish Probation Service as a probation officer in 1987.

Worked in the Probation Service, in various roles and levels, for almost thirty-three years. Completed research master’s degree (MLitt) in social policy (TCD) in 1996, a Masters in Social Work (UCD) in 1997, and Diploma in Leadership and Management (ILM – 2010). Appointed national Director of the Probation Service in 2012, a position held for seven years, up to retirement at the end of 2019. While Probation Service Director, built organisational effectiveness, which saw proven reductions in rates of reoffending by people under probation supervision in Ireland and the Probation Service received a number of Public Service awards. (The Probation Service engages with and supervises around 15,000 people who have offended and been sanctioned by the criminal courts each year, managing community-based sanctions [including probation, community service and restorative justice] imposed by the Courts and helping the individuals involved towards reduced reoffending, rehabilitation and reintegration).

Since retiring from the Probation Service in 2019, appointed in 2020 to position of Adjunct Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work and Social Policy, TCD. Teaches modules on the two TCD social work programmes. Also guest lectures each year in UCC, Maynooth University and the Law Society. Commissioned by then Minister for Justice Helen McEntee TD in 2020 to complete a review and report on drugs, crime and community safety and wellbeing in Drogheda, following the brutal murder of seventeen year old Keane Mulready-Woods there earlier that year. The report – Drogheda: Creating a Bridge to a Better Future – and its set of 73 recommendations for action was submitted to the Minister in January 2021, and the Drogheda Implementation Board was established to implement the recommendations of the report.

Was Chair of the Irish Association of Social Workers (IASW) from 2021 to 2025. Currently Chair of the Ana Liffey Drug Project; member of the Judicial Council’s Sentencing Guidelines and Information Committee; Board member of CUAN, the Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Agency; and Fellow of the (London based) Probation Institute. One of Ireland’s three representatives on the International Penal and Penitentiary Foundation (IPPF). Former member (up to end of 2023) and past-President (2016-2018) of the Council of Europe’s Council for Penological Cooperation (PC-CP), which develops European practice standards for prisons and probation services in Member States.

Undertakes consultancy projects for various criminal justice bodies, and specifically on behalf of the Academy of European Law (ERA), the Council of Europe and the United Nations Office of Crime and Drugs, including work on two international handbooks on implementation and delivery of probation programmes. Has had numerous articles published in academic journals and presented at various national and international social work and criminal justice conferences. In 2022, co-authored with Dr Shane McCarthy a book – Probation and Parole in Ireland: Law and Practice, which won the Irish Law Book of the Year award at the Irish Law Awards, 2022.

Married to Paula (Fitzpatrick) – from Stepaside – since 1983. Two children; son Karl, who lives in Kildare, and daughter Nicole who lives in Frankfurt, Germany, with her partner, Tim. One granddaughter – Lauren, 14 years – Karl’s daughter. Nicole is expecting a baby (Vivian and Paula’s second grandchild) at the end of 2025.

Interests: Community development, Spanish language and culture, travel, walking, reading, football, basketball, cycling, table tennis, theatre. Over the past couple of years, it has been great to reconnect with many former Row classmates in our class WhatsApp group and to meet up a couple of times a year.

Past Row Persons of the Year

Cuimhneachan

1864 To 2014 (School And Local History)

The original school was established by the Christian Brothers in 1812 and moved to its present location in 1864. The PPU together with the school arranged a programme of events to mark the 150 year Anniversary in 2014. We were honored by the presence of Enda Kenny, TD, Taoiseach, in the school on 20 November 2014 to launch the programme. The Taoiseach spent a lengthy period meeting the pupils and all others present, and soaking up the atmosphere in the school. In his remarks, the Taoiseach was generous in his praise for the contribution that the school and its past pupils have made to building our country. The contribution was also recognized in the choice of the school to launch the 1916 to 2016 Schools Commemoration Programme.

As part of the celebrations the PPU organized, printed and distributed Cuimhneachan, a history of the school and the surrounding area over the period from 1864 to 2014. In particular it includes details of past pupils who we were involved in the 1916 Easter Rising. The most famous of these were the Pearse brothers Padraig and Willie but there were many other who took part. Cuimhneachan also included a section dealing with past pupils and others from the area who fought in the Great War. Cuimhneachan was and still is a must read for anyone interested to learn about the history of the school and the local area.

There are, unfortunately, not too many hard copies of the actual publication available, but we have included a PDF version on this Website. This version has been updated to include more past pupils who fought in 1916, and whose names emerged after Cuimhneachán was first published.

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School History Project

Another project as part of the 150 anniversary celebrations was the School History Project. This involved the digitalization of the pupils’ records and the provision of a searchable facility which now covers the period from October 1864 when the school opened, to 1928. Cuimhneachán includes details from the records of the addresses of pupils and their parents’ occupations. This is interesting in terms of the changing demographics of the area . One interesting aspect of the work was the discovery that that Eamon De Valera sent his sons to the school in the period, describing his occupation as President of Ireland. We also discovered that the grandfather of a prominent British Politician attended the school – his parents gave their address as the local Army Barracks. The link below gives detailed instructions on how to access the records.

Learn More Access School Project Records