In 2005 the Jesuit Provincial Fr. John Dardis requested that the Clongowes Board of Management establish a bursary programme that would broaden access to the college and enable students from more diverse backgrounds to benefit from the education on offer. In November of that year a design team was appointed to examine every aspect of such a programme (as yet unnamed) and to present proposals for its implementation.

The design team chaired by Dr. Pat Nolan presented a report and implementation plan in June 2006. The programme was named after St. Alberto Hurtado, a Chilean Jesuit who benefited himself from such a bursary. The BOM appointed the writer as coordinator of the AHP and an Implementation Group chaired by Dr. Pat Nolan oversaw the setting up of the programme in the year 2006/7. This supervisory body evolved into the current sub-committee of the BOM (chaired by Ms. Gerardine Hackett) which examines every aspect of the programme and reports back to the BOM.

The Design and Implementation Plan provided the framework for the AHP from its inception. The roll-out of the programme has been gradual to ensure that administration did not overwhelm the learning that had to take place in the early years. Working closely with the Trinity College Access Programme (TAP), contacts were established with primary schools in areas of south Dublin that had designated disadvantage status. A less structured network was also established with DCU. The intention was to invite applications from eligible and suitable candidates from which up to seven would be selected for the following September.

Candidates are obliged to complete an application form and provide references, including a detailed report from the school. The sub-committee of the BOM then establishes a short list of candidates. This is followed by a home visit conducted by myself and Mr. Steven Gray (Third Line Prefect). Objective reports are presented to the sub-committee, a selection is made and submitted for approval by the Headmaster (who is also a member of the sub-committee).

The AHP is funded entirely by major donations from the Irish Province and a small number of other donors with close connections to the college. It is also supported by smaller donations from a large number of people from the broader Clongowes constituency. Even in these troubled times the level of financial and moral support for the AHP is most impressive. It is easier to espouse values than to live them; the Clongowes stakeholders have shown a commitment to the ethos that has served it well over the years.

There are now twenty AHP students attending the college. The network extends to all of Leinster, much of Connaught and parts of Munster. In time it will embrace the whole country. Interested applicants do not have to wait for the network to reach them. However, the AHP is still in its infancy ; the expansion of the networks will continue as a gradual process.

There are many ways in which parents, parents of past pupils and past pupils themselves can support the AHP. If you are living in a region of the country that has not yet become part of the application network system, you may wish to become a contact person for your area. Also, you may consider becoming part of the 'buddy system'; the parents of AHP students often benefit greatly from the advice and wisdom of those who are 'seasoned' CWC parents. Needless to say, the AHP is not averse to receiving financial contributions that will help to maintain the programme as we move beyond the bicentenary celebrations into what we hope will be an even brighter future for the school and the country.

In a recent letter to the Board of Management the Provincial Fr. John Dardis described the Alberto Hurtado Programme as “both a visionary and also a necessary element.” It is a measure of the college's strength that it has embraced this significant change with enthusiasm and success.

If you wish to support the AHP in any way, you may contact me at mwallace@clongowes.net

Martin Wallace