our history
Lanesboro is located on the River Shannon, a small town in south Longford that borders with Ballyleague, Roscommon.
Lanesboro Community College offers the full range of subjects to Higher Level, at both Junior & Leaving Certificate cycles. We are part of the Longford Westmeath Education & Training Board.
We are a well-equipped, modern school with an experienced and welcoming staff that provide a range of subjects and activities to cater for individual students’ needs. Our enrolment for the 2019-2020 school year is 195 students, allowing ample time and attention for every student.
The school began as a Vocational school in 1961, and was founded as a Community College by an amalgamation of Lanesboro Vocational School and the Convent of Mercy school in 1989. We celebrated our fiftieth anniversary in 2011.
On completion of their Leaving Certificate our students attend Universities, Institutes of Technology, Colleges of Further Education, take up apprenticeships, or enter the workforce directly.
Our Mission Statement
Lanesboro Community College is committed to providing superior services and academic programs that challenge the mind and body, instilling the joy of lifelong learning and responsible citizenship.
We recognise every member of our school community as a unique individual, each with the potential to grow academically, emotionally, spiritually and socially and it is our aim to provide an environment conducive to this development at all times.
Looking Back
In 1960 the College began as a small Vocational School, one of many springing up around the country as the transition from agriculture to industry started. Emphasis was on the practical subjects such as Rural Science and Mechanical Group Certificates for the girls. These Certificate courses were completed in two years.
Night Courses were a much a bigger feature of the school then with classes available in many subjects, depending on local demand. Also Bord na Mona apprentices now did block release in the school. This lasted until 1983 when the State Agency AnCo took over their education.
In January 1968 the school amalgamated with St. Mary’s Secondary School, Ballyleague. The Inter Certificate (now The Junior Certificate) and Leaving Certificate were introduced and subjects such as the Sciences, French, History and Geography were added to the curriculum. These were three to five year courses so the school population rose rapidly over the following years.
In 1989 the school amalgamated with the Convent of Mercy to become Lanesboro Community College. After years of commuting between schools we finally opened our new building in 2000. This highlighted the need for a complete refurbishment of the old building, now forty years old, which was duly completed in October 2007.
Áras na Gaelige was officially opened in 2015 by the CE of LWETB, Dr Duffy who stated; “Is mór an onóir dúinn Áras na Gaeilge a oscailt go hoifigiúil inniu. Cuireann sé béim ar roinn na Gaeilge sa scoil agus tugann sé stádus tábhachtach don teanga”.
The new Science block is completed in 2018 and offers state of the art facilities for teaching Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Maths.