the opening, in 1954, of the new Sancta Maria CBS primary to the north of the current school on Synge Street. In 1961, a new primary was opened at Francis Street, replacing an earlier 1846 building, under the patronage of the school's Christian Brothers community. In 2017 Bunscoil Sancta Maria changed its enrolment policy to accept boys and girls at Junior Infant level to be educated via the medium of Irish. The existing enrolment of boys at 2nd class remains. This Irish stream was the first-ever 'sruth' established at primary level in Ireland. School site and buildings The school, at its greatest extent, covered most of the area delimited by Heytesbury Street, Grantham Street, Synge Street and Harrington Street in Dublin 8. The other major building on this block is St Kevin's Church, which had very strong links with the school, providing a venue for most school-related religious celebrations. There are two main school buildings, St Pauls Secondary School facing onto Heytesbury Street, and Sancta Maria Primary School on Synge Street. The third large building on the site now hosts the Lantern Centre, a community intercultural venue, although it was the original school building and Christian Brothers monastery. St Pauls was built in the 1960s and extended in the 1980s. It contains three science labs, an art room, and a library, as well as the classrooms. It hosts the school PE hall which is also used for drama productions and featured in the film Sing Street. Curriculum The school educates to Leaving Certificate and runs a transition year. It has been perceived to be a traditionally academic school. Gay Byrne has indicated in his era that the prime driver of the school was for the boys to pass their exams. Drama and the arts The school has a long history of drama productions including The Plough and the Stars and The Risen People. Records for an "Annual Concert" go back to 1893. When St Pauls was built in the 1960s it included a large fully equipped theatre which was used to produce drama productions right from the beginning. Sports As with most non-fee-paying Christian Brothers schools, the sporting focus of the school was in gaelic games, to the point that other sports, especially soccer, were actively discouraged. But activities such as athletics, water polo, golf swimming and chess were tolerated and even encouraged. Gaelic football Football and hurling were the