Published: Wednesday, 7th July, 2010 5:00pm

Reunion of Bloomfield pupils planned

Until the 1970s, there was a second level school in the premises that is now the Bloomfield House Hotel - and this year, the hotel is planning a reunion for past pupils of the Bloomfield Convent School.

Bloomfield House has a very colourful history having been originally used as a romantic dower house to celebrate the marriage of Dora Bloomfield to George Rochfort, 2nd Earl of Belvedere.

In 1932, the Bloomfield property was donated to the Missionary Franciscan Nuns. The sisters accepted this gracious donation and set up a convent and school at Bloomfield, which they held until 1979.

The school was known as Our Lady of the Angels Secondary School and the sisters governed it themselves for 30 years, until in 1962 they adapted it to the regulations of the Department of Education and Sr. Patrick Heneghan became the principal of what became a secondary boarding school with about 60 boarders.

Pupil numbers reached a maximum of 150 by the early 1970's.

By 1973 however, there were very few novices entering the order and a feasibility study undertaken by the Sisters seemed to indicate that the school would not grow much more in the coming years, hence its sale to a local consortium who opened a new hotel on the premises in 1979.

A Bloomfield Convent School past pupils and teachers reunion is planned for 4th September 2010, and the hotel would love to hear from past pupils. To date the interest in the reunion shows pupils being reunited with their school pals, some of whom have not seen each other for over 40 years !

For more information please email info@bloomfieldhouse.com or phone 044 9340894.

Further details can be found on line at www.bloomfieldhouse.com or log on to Bloomfield House Hotel's facebook page for updates.