Saint Laurence O'Toole School

Detached three-bay three-storey rendered national school building, built 1936-8 and dated 1936 to designs of Robinson and Keefe. Flat-roofed behind rendered parapet, cast-iron downpipes to north elevation. Rendered walling, continuous lintel and sill courses, red brick plinth course laid down in stretcher bond. Cement school crest to front (west) elevation, date plaque below. Square-headed window openings with rendered reveals, continuous sills and lintel courses, replacement uPVC windows, with steel shutter boxes at ground floor. Vertical strip windows to side elevation (north and south). Square-headed door recess to front elevation under recent metal canopy supported on metal columns. Side (north) elevation having projecting external staircase. Set back from street in own grounds with exercise area to rear south side. Bounded by rendered walls having low rendered plinth surmounted by wrought-iron railings, gate piers on round plan having crucifix motif, with rounded caps holding pair of wrought-iron vehicular gates.

This modernist style school was designed by the architectural practice of Robinson and Keefe who were renowned for their modernist designs. An exciting new style in the 1930s, its choice for a national school building was expressive of an intended new era in education in the decades following the establishment of the new republic. This school building employs many of the characteristic features of the style – the flat roofs, strong horizontal lines, curved external staircase and ample use of white render. Although the original steel windows have been replaced, the modern replacements echo the original. On the whole it is a very well maintained composition and makes a valuable contribution to the architectural variety of the area and of the city.