Martin Wallace

Martin arrived in Clongowes in 1979 for a few years teaching having just qualified - he thought. In 2013 the Board of Management appointed him Assistant Headmaster of Clongowes succeeding Martin Nugent.He joined the academic staff originally in 1979 and became a stalwart of the English and Latin departments ever since.

He has contributed to many other areas of school life including drama, soccer and chess and also served as Academic Year Head in the Higher Line. In more recent years he was very instrumental in the success of the Alberto Hurtado Programme

While Clongowes is known as a fee-paying private school, 10 per cent of the student cohort are part of the Alberto Hurtado Bursary programme, named in honour of a Chilean Jesuit Saint who himself received a scholarship in a Jesuit school.

“This is not about charity - this is about changing the school and making it better by having a more diverse community and a socio economically diverse community. Their presence benefits everyone in the school because otherwise you end up with a ghetto of affluence and that’s not a good educational environment either,” he says.Courtesy Irish Times