Kingswood Community College Principal Deborah Dunne who is retiring with students at the surprise farewell on Wednesday
Fastest 10 years of my life
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A decade on from Kingswood Community College’s opening, the school’s first Principal Deborah Dunne was surprised by students on Wednesday before her retirement.
Mrs Dunne took on the role of Principal in 2016 as the school opened its doors to 52 students in September 2016 and the student base has grown to more than 1,000 in the time since.
The school has yet to choose a successor and the incumbent will remain in her role through the summer to ensure a smooth transition.
Deborah was reared in St Maelruan’s Park in Old Bawn and felt that it was an honour to take on a leading role in the early development of a new school in Tallaght.
She had previously served as Principal of Greenhills College after she moved into teaching at the turn of the century.
With students from the college
The principal spoke of her Kingswood experience: “It’s been the fastest 10 years of my life, to be honest with you.
“It has been so busy, and every day is completely different, particularly from starting up the school, and that in itself is a fantastic privilege.
“How many people in their lives get the chance to start a school and have a vision for a school and be able to put that vision into action?”
The development of the school in its 10 years of existence has seen the student base grow to 1,009 in 2026, taking in 180 students a year.
Deborah noted her thankfulness towards parents for their trust that they placed in her and the school to deliver an education beneficial to their children.
Kingswood Community College Principal Deborah Dunne with her mam and dad Tom and Margaret along with Ailbhe, Michael and Callan on Wednesday
She stated that the staff at Kingswood CC put extra effort into ensuring that the students are comfortable and enjoying their time, while also getting the most out of their education.
“I didn’t have the most positive of experiences in secondary school, and I really wanted to make sure that our school was everything my experience wasn’t, that everybody felt they had a voice and that everybody felt involved in the school.
“One of the things we have here, and we work really, really, really hard on is building the relationship and building the rapport.
“Because, if you can get that relationship and that rapport going with a child, that child will want to come into school and they’re going to be happy in school.
“Now, you still have to hit the oul’ books, and you can’t be jumping around the garden with happiness all day, every day.
“But I’d like to think that within school, with the relationships they have with their teachers, and with the different programs and initiatives, and cross-curricular initiatives, and extracurricular initiatives – that there’s something for everybody.”
