As it is well known today, the demographic in Ireland has changed dramatically in the last 30 years. However, in Westland Row, historic roll books also reflect change in demographic  on a far smaller scale, but a change nonetheless at the turn of the century. Although CBS Westland Row is a Roman Catholic school, keeping within the Edmund Rice philosophy,  the Brothers welcomed into its school a group of 8-10 Jewish pupils who were sons of Jewish parents forced to leave Russia in the late 1890s. There was another influx of Russian pupils at a later period also between 1916 and 1928 [15]. This gives a slight insight as to how ‘The Row’ slowly developed and opened it’s doors to a wider demographic which is echoed in later years.

With the introduction of free education in secondary schools in September 1966, Ireland rejoiced. Westland Row’s numbers, however, declined as schools were being built in the suburbs and rural areas. The need to travel to the city for education was long gone by the 1970s and 1980s. The Brothers began to draw their attention back to the locals. The first step was to remove the primary level pupils and amalgamate them with the Mercy Sisters on Baggot Street. As mentioned in my introduction, the school opened its doors to second level female students in 1988 and is now a well-established co-educational Community School based in South Inner City Dublin. Over the years there was an increasing decline in the Brothers presence in the classroom. By 1994 there were no remaining Brothers in the classroom.

Today, CBS Westland Row opens it’s doors to locals as well as students from further afield. The ever changing demographic within today’s society is reflected within the school. The Principal has manged to retain the Christian Brothers vision by welcoming students from many different backgrounds while also fostering their focus on the local community. This adds to the vibrant, diverse and relaxed environment that comes with being a pupil in CBS Westland Row.