We are a Catholic Curriculum, meaning that all subjects are taught and understood within the Catholic tradition. We study Sacred Tradition and the Holy Bible as we learn about the beliefs and practices of the Holy Catholic Church. The study of the Catholic Religion is a core element of our educational plan, from Junior Infants through the Leaving Certificate years. Additionally, we study the Language of the Universal Church—Latin—beginning at the primary level, as well as an introduction to Sacred Chant beginning in Fifth Class. We expand and develop our understanding of God and His Church over time, as we hope to help create the next generation of Irish Saints.

We are an Irish Curriculum, meaning that our subjects have a special focus on Ireland’s saints & history, geography, flora & fauna, and authors & artists. We teach Gaeilge beginning in Junior Infants, and strive to ensure a mastery of the language. We read quality literature both as Gaeilge and by Irish authors writing in English, and we teach traditional music and tin whistle beginning in the primary levels. Finally, we do all that we can to establish an Irish culture in our homes, and to make our children truly thankful for their Irish heritage.

We are a Classical Curriculum, meaning that we provide for the broad study of the Liberal Arts and Sciences, all within a Great Books context (see below). We study the classical Trivium—the lower three Liberal Arts of Grammar, Logic and Rhetoric—just like the Irish monks of old would have studied and taught in their monasteries and their monastic schools.

Great Books

We are a Great Books Curriculum. We utilise only the best of the best literature to allow our children to become familiar with the most important works of Western Civilisation. To begin, we look at the most popular nursery rhymes and fairy & folk tales—those that have shaped our common culture. In the younger years, we then progress to classic children’s chapter books. Beginning in First Class, we start reading the so-called Good Books, those that prepare the student to read the primary sources and the classics of our culture. Our study of the Good Books culminates in the last years of secondary school, where our students will study the Great Books of Plato, Homer, Virgil, Dante, Shakespeare, Joyce and more.  

Historical & Chronological

We are a Historical, Chronological Curriculum. We successively study the (1) ancient history and mythology of Ireland, Greece and Rome, (2) then the coming of Christ, (3) Ireland’s role in Christendom throughout the Middle Ages and finally (4) the modern world and Ireland’s place therein.

We repeat this four-year cycle of History [(1) Ancients, (2) Christendom, (3) Reformations & Revolutions, and (4) Modern Times] three times throughout your child’s education, building each time on lessons previously learned, and reading more and more literature about the time period and written by authors who actually lived during the time period. At the Rhetoric stage, for example, instead of reading about Padraic Pearse and the Easter Rising, we read books by Pearse and his comrades, both as Gaeilge and in English.

Practical

We are a Practical Curriculum. Our curriculum was specifically created for busy, home educating families, often with multiple children and many other constraints on their time. Beginning in First Class, we allow each family to all study the same time period, at the same time, together. This means that families may combine their similarly-aged children and each age group will study the same material, but at their own pace and level (Grammar, Logic or Rhetoric). This approach leads to some interesting conversations where everyone learns from each other and the entire family benefits! Where subjects are not able to be combined (ex., maths), the older children are able to complete their work independently or with minimal oversight. Furthermore, we are a 4-day a week curriculum throughout primary and much of secondary school. Families are free to use the extra day off to review or catch up, pursue other educational interests, clean the house, do the shopping or whatever they need! We want our curriculum to work for you, while providing you with the tools you need to give your child a world-class education.

Cost-effective

We are a Cost-effective Curriculum. We understand the financial difficulties felt by many budget-strapped home educating families, especially those with a number of children and a single income. Since we utilise so many Good and Great Books, most of our books and other resources (ex., for music and art) are widely available for free online, or in the Irish library system. Where we do require books to be purchased, we have selected texts that can be used over a number of years wherever possible. Additionally, we have ensured that these texts are available on websites that are either located in Ireland or ship to Ireland with no additional VAT or customs issues, or that simply provide an immediate digital download. We have committed to never requiring our customers to import books from the United States; we understand the costs and hassle involved. A good education does not have to be expensive!

Your Curriculum

Finally, we want to be Your Curriculum. Beginning in First Class, we offer customisation (for a small additional fee)—meaning that we help you assess what level your child is at in select subjects, and, if necessary, will custom create a plan just for you and your child. For example, if your child is currently at a 4^th Class level in Irish, but at a 1^st Class level in Maths and a 2^nd Class level in Reading, we will create a curriculum custom-tailored for your child’s unique abilities and needs.