John Baptist de La Salle (30 April 1651 – 7 April 1719)
John Baptist was a French priest, educational reformer, and founder of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, who later became known as the De La Salle Brothers.
Had not the Rathangan brothers Joseph and Patrick Flood joined the De La Salle Brothers in 1879, it is quite possible that Scoil na Mainistreach De La Salle may never had existed. The local P.P. met the two brothers who were home on holiday in 1883, he was so impressed by them that he invited the De La Salle order to staff his school rather than any other order.
Br. Michael Devoy was the first director and together, with Br. Ignatius Flood, began teaching on July 1st 1884. In less than three weeks the school population rose from 30 to 107 boys.
The “old school” was destroyed by fire in 1917 and the present “old building” replaced it shortly afterwards. This, combined with St. Conleth’s Hall (the present Day Care Centre) and some prefabs, housed pupils and teachers until further extensions were added in 1972 and 1979. The De La Salle Campus(as it is now known) has changed little since then.