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It was not, however,in fee simple; it cost him £2,753, together with an annual rent of £61 paid until 1903 when it was purchased under the Wyndham Land Act.

On 18 May 1814 Clongowes Wood College, received its first pupil, James MacLorinan, of Dublin. His parents were drapers.

The college's Mission Statement speaks of educating our pupils 'according to the best traditions and highest standards of Jesuit schooling and the values of the Gospel'. Our aim is 'to create an open, happy, stimulating, mutually respectful community environment in which young people are able to develop the full range of their talents and abilities in a balanced, integrated and generous way'. The statement goes on to stress 'the criterion of excellence', which we apply to all aspects of life in the school, and our special concern 'to foster a sense of values and a commitment to the service of others'. We are pledged to 'an ever-renewed faith which actively promotes the struggle for greater justice in the world'.

The statement is a succinct expression of what we are trying to do here. We describe our ideal profile of a Clongowes graduate as someone who is 'open to growth, intellectually competent, socially able, culturally aware, physically developed, inspired by the values of the Gospel, flexible and adaptive, actively concerned about justice and peace, committed to striving for excellence and having a sense of belonging to the Church and its mission'.

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