Independent second-level school in Dublin, Ireland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stratford College is an independentco-educational multi-denominational day school on the junction of Zion Road and Orwell Road, Dublin, Ireland predominantly for people of the Jewish faith. One of the main founders was Elaine Feldman.[1][2] The school is located adjacent to Herzog Park.
The school evolved from the opening of Stratford National School in September 1952 on Terenure Road East with a small group of children from the Jewish national school on Bloomfield Avenue in Portobello.[3] The school takes its name from a house by the name of Stratford on Terenure Road East which was designed by the architect Thomas Drew in 1877.[4][5]
The school building on Zion Road was originally a house built in 1873.[6] It was badly damaged in a fire caused by vandals in 1979 but reopened in 1983 with only the facade being retained.[7] The building was originally designed by the architect Alfred Edwin Jones.
As of 2023, the school is officially multi-denominational.
School fees for the 2022–23 academic year were €4,400.[8]
Sport
Football
Herzog Park astro pitch in Rathgar used by Stratford College football teams for training and matches.
Stratford College fields a boys' football squad that competes in both Junior and Minor competitions organized by the Metropolitan Boys League. Home fixtures and training sessions take place on the school playing field located behind the main campus as well as at Herzog Park in Rathgar.[9][10]
The team was reformed before the 2023–24 season when Thomas O’Reilly, formerly of Shamrock Rovers, became coach.[11] Under his guidance, using Stratford's signature defensive football technique colloquially known as "haramball", the team gradually improved from early heavy defeats.
2023–24 season
In the 2023–24 season, Stratford participated in the Metropolitan Boys League:
Junior League Division Three, Group C – finished 4th.[12]
Minor League Division Three, Group F – finished 4th.[12]
In the Boys Junior B Cup, Stratford was knocked out in the first round against Greenhill, losing 6–1.[12] In the Minor B Cup, Stratford was also eliminated in their first game, losing 10–0 to Greenhill.[12]
2024–25 season
In the 2024–25 season, Stratford competed in:
Metropolitan Boys Junior League Division Three South, Group A – finished 3rd.[12]
Metropolitan Boys Minor League Division Three South, Group D – finished 3rd.[12]
Boys Minor B Cup – knocked out in the first round by Presentation College.[12]
In the newly formed Shield competition for teams eliminated early, Stratford recorded its **first-ever win since the team was reformed**, defeating John Scotus S.S. Rathmichael 2–1 in the quarter-final after extra time, despite having two red cards by half-time.[12] The team reached the semi-final, drawing 1–1 in normal time against Rathdown School, but eventually lost 4–1 after extra time, with only ten players available.
2025–26 season
In the 2025–26 season, Stratford competed in:
Metropolitan Boys Junior League Division Three South, Group C – finished 3rd.[12]
Metropolitan Boys Minor League Division Three South, Group C – finished 2nd in the group, recording **historic wins**:
- 1–0 against Goatstown ETSS, the team’s first win of the season.[13]
- 2–1 against James’ Street CBS, which secured qualification to the knockout stage for the first time in the team’s history.[14]
In the quarter-final, Stratford lost 2–1 to St. Killian’s. In the Boys Minor B Cup, Stratford was eliminated in the first round against Cabra Colaiste Mhuire, losing 4–1.[12]
On 24 March 2026, in their first match following elimination from the cup, Stratford recorded a 9–7 victory over Greenhills, the highest-scoring match involving the team to date.[12]
The team received a new kit sponsored by Mehek Indian Restaurant, Rathgar.[15] The team’s progress and development have been guided by coach Thomas O’Reilly and assistant Jim-Bob, an adult member of staff.[11]
