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In 1914, Wesley College Dublin was a thriving school on St Stephen’s Green with 311 students and a strong reputation. When World War I broke out, the College community was deeply affected: around 600 past pupils served, and 84 were killed. The entire 1913–14 Senior Cup Rugby Team enlisted together, with four not returning. Throughout the war, the College announced the names of the fallen and later collected detailed information from families, records of which still survive.
After the war, Principal Dr Irwin led efforts to create a Memorial Chapel to honour those who died. Fundraising began across the Wesley community, and a site behind No. 99 St Stephen’s Green was donated. Designed by past pupil George F. Beckett, the Chapel was completed in 1925. In 1926, the College commissioned a stained‑glass window by noted artist A.E. Child, featuring Fortitude—a knight symbolising bravery, with the inscription “Faithful unto death.”
A.E. Child, a key figure in Irish stained‑glass art and founder of An Túr Gloine, created around 130 windows in Ireland, many of them war memorials. His work for Wesley was admired from the start.
When Wesley College moved to Ballinteer in 1969, the Chapel was demolished. The Fortitude window was saved, but without a suitable space it was stored for decades. In 2023, a new home was found for it in the GB Shaw Auditorium. The window was cleaned and restored in 2024, including the addition of new hand‑painted glass to replace a missing border.
Today, almost a century after its creation, A.E. Child’s Fortitude has been returned to view—preserving an important part of the College’s history and its remembrance of those who fell in the First World War.
On the evening of Monday, November 11th, 2024, Wesley College proudly unveiled AE Child’s Fortitude, a magnificent stained glass window that commemorates the bravery and sacrifice of Wesley Past Pupils who served in the Great War. Held on Remembrance Day, the event gathered past and present pupils, parents, staff, and governors, and we were especially honoured to welcome two of AE Child’s grandchildren, Keith and Roger Dungan. Principal Mr Brian Moore introduced the event, followed by a service led by Rev Nigel Mackey, with prayers offered by our student leadership team. The Male Voice Choir performed a beautiful piece that added to the solemnity of the occasion. Former Principal Mr Christopher Woods gave an engaging presentation on the history of Fortitude and the tradition of Irish stained glass. A special moment was the unveiling of the official plaque by Edward McCall, a Third Year student whose keen interest in fortitude made him the ideal choice for this honour. Now proudly displayed in the GB Shaw Auditorium, Fortitude is a lasting tribute to courage and resilience. A special mention of thanks to Keith and Roger Dungan for attending the unveiling. Thank you also to Alan Tomlin and Larry Ebbs who restored the window and Steve Jones who designed the frame cabinet. And a special thank you to Gary Ringland, Debbin Hwang and Gillian Gunn for their care and attention to detail during every step in the process.
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