On February 15th 1965 St. Pius X Girls’ and Boys’ National Schools began in a humble fashion in six pre-fabricated classrooms erected on ground leased from St. Mary’s Rugby Club, College Drive. On that opening day there were six teachers and 192 pupils, boys and girls. The teachers and children had not the accommodation and amenities of a modern school but a small beginning yielded fruit a hundred fold. As the enrolments increased extra pre-fabricated classrooms were erected in the church grounds and later classes were also held in the church sacristy and in St. Mary’s room in the church.
At the time, a Parish Priest had not been assigned to the parish but three outstanding curates Fr. Daniel Murray, Fr. Macartan Brady and Fr. Gerard Diffney worked tirelessly to acquire a suitable site for a permanent building. Eventually Fr. Murray secured a site known locally as ‘The Jungle’ in Fortfield Park. The late Rev. Msgr. John Fitzpatrick D.D. was then appointed as Parish Priest and he had an abiding interest in St. Pius X Schools. While the teachers and children toiled happily in the temporary accommodation the new school buildings were taking shape. The change-over was gradual and over the following six years classes were moved from the pre-fabs as classrooms were completed.
On January 19th 1971 the new Primary Schools were officially opened by Mr. Padraig Breathnach, Principal Officer in the Department of Education. The schools were subsequently blessed by His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. John Charles McQuaid, Archbishop of Dublin. The combined schools then comprised of 32 classrooms, 16 for girls and 16 for boys, a library, a cookery room, a medical room, staffrooms and Principals’ offices. There were 28 teachers and 1,130 children. The first Principal of St. Pius X G.N.S. was Mrs. Nora Doherty while her husband, Mr. Michael Doherty, was the first Principal of the boys’ school.
On September 30th 2005, St Pius X Schools celebrated their 40th Anniversary with a gala dinner in the Burlington Hotel which was attended by past pupils, staff members, past and present and associates of the school over its 40 years. The 40th year of the school was rounded off by a visit from President Mary McAleese on December 15th 2005.