Foxford Innovation Centre
St Columba’s College officially blessed and opened the Foxford Innovation Centre on Friday 28 February 28 2025, marking a significant milestone in the College’s ongoing commitment to innovation in education.
Located at the corner of Buckley and Lorraine Streets, the Foxford Innovation Centre represents the next step in transforming the College’s educational offerings and environment. Drawing inspiration from the architectural style of the Bruton building, the Centre seamlessly integrates with the heritage design of the College campus, blending graceful arches and curves to create a space that is both modern and respectful of the College’s history.
Named after the Foxford Woollen Mills in Ireland, the Centre honours the spirit of Mother Agnes Morrogh-Bernard, a Sister of Charity who founded the mills in 1892. Mother Agnes’ courage and vision helped transform a struggling community, bringing together people from diverse backgrounds in pursuit of a shared goal. This ethos of inclusivity, innovation, and collaboration is embedded in the design and purpose of the Foxford Innovation Centre, where students have the opportunity to engage in dynamic, cross-disciplinary learning and create solutions for tomorrow.
Designed and constructed in partnership with Life Architecture and Urban Design Architects, Fontic, and Building Engineering, the Foxford Innovation Centre houses a range of specialist facilities, including:
- Junior and Senior Food Studies Kitchens
- Food Technology Flexible Learning Area
- Maker Spaces
- Textiles and Ceramics Studios
- Digital Design and Photography Studios
- Podcast Studio
- Green Screen Studio
- General Arts Classrooms
- Chemistry, Biology, and Physics Labs
- General Science Labs
- Canteen Kitchen and Food Store
- Competition-Grade Sports Court
These spaces have been designed with innovation at their core, equipped with cutting-edge technology, flexible furniture, and IT connectivity to foster collaboration and creativity among students and staff. The Centre is a cornerstone of the College’s dedication to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education, providing students with the tools to explore, design, and innovate across disciplines.
“A long-held vision for St Columba’s College is realised with the development of the Foxford Innovation Centre. These spaces are designed for inspiration and collaboration, with access to technology that prepares students for their unfolding futures.” says Rita Grima, College Principal.
The Foxford Innovation Centre is an investment in the future of education at St Columba’s College, providing students with an inspiring and dynamic learning environment that will prepare them for a rapidly changing world.
Why Foxford?
The Foxford Innovation Centre has been named for the Foxford Woollen Mills in Ireland. The Mills were established in 1892 by a Sister of Charity, Mother Agnes Morrogh-Bernard, in the village of Foxford, County Mayo, on the river Moy. Mother Agnes arrived in Foxford to find a community in dire need. Inspired by the village, its people and the river it sat on, Mother Agnes decided to open a mill as a means of improving people’s livelihood, and prospects for the area.
To achieve her vision, Mother Agnes knew that the Foxford community needed to be both brave and inclusive. Breaking with convention, she partnered with John Smith, a Tyrone Protestant, to build the mill, a connection facilitated by the well-known Irish political leader Michael Davitt. A Protestant and Freemason working with a Catholic nun in 19th-century Ireland was a rare thing. The business, and in turn, the village, prospered employing 220 people in the first 90 years. The Foxford Woollen Mills are still open today and have become a place of pilgrimage for many Sisters of Charity and Mary Aikenhead Ministries members.
It is Mother Agnes’s spirit of innovation and tenacity, that inspired the name of our new building. A place where our students will follow in her footsteps, to design, create, collaborate and innovate.
Adapted from The Story of Foxford Woollen Mills at www.foxford.com
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