RTÉ Investigates Laois school land at old Portlaoise CBS

Prime property in Portlaoise that was once the site of the town's CBS boys school is to come under the microscope in a new RTÉ Investigates programme on the Christian Brothers.

RTÉ says the upcoming documentary will examine how the big, rich and powerful educational Religious Order handled their wealth and assets, much of which was and remains tied up in school properties such as that on Tower Hill Portlaoise.

Portlaoise CBS was one of the many schools featured in a 2025 Government-commissioned Scoping Inquiry that predicted a vast scale of historical child sexual abuse in Irish schools. The Christian Brothers had the largest number of schools and the highest number of allegations. The report recommended redress for victims. 

The CBS site at Tower Hill was vacated as a secondary school in 2010 after a new school campus to house St Mary's CBS and Scoil Chríost Rí Presentation Secondary was built via Public Private Partnership on the town's Borris Road.

The lands at Towerhill were initially intended to be transferred to the State as part of compensation for child abuse at schools in Ireland run by Religious Orders, which had the option to pay money to the State or transfer properties.

The Leinster Express / Laois Live previously reported that the property was initially turned down by the State because of issues relating to its permitted use.

Then in 2017, it emerged that a CBS-established Trust which owned lands behind the school and beside Portlaoise Train Station, had refused two offers by Laois County Council to buy it. The council wanted to build a new public car park and social housing.

Later in 2017, it was reported that the same land could be part of €100 million land transfer with the Department of Education. The Irish Times reported that the Brothers wrote to Minister for Education Richard Bruton asking that he consider, in the event of any future sales, that the proceeds recouped by the Department would go towards the needs of future generations of children, in education or otherwise.

It was reported that the Brothers had, in 2015, “withdrawn” their proposal for the transfer of lands as part of a Redress Scheme to compensate victims of abuse, because they could not agree to the terms sought by the Department. It was reported that the Brothers reflected further on how they could reach an agreement with the State.

A subsequent multi-million euro development on the site comprised a new 95-space public car park and 62 residential units at Railway Street in the town centre.

The former CBS school remains in use for educational purposes. It is leased by the Laois Offaly Education and Training Board. Its long-term future is not known, nor is the use of a former residential building on Railway Street, where members of the Religious order lived. It is boarded up.

RTÉ describe the Christian Brothers order is still one of the richest. It says its ageing trustees hold on to an extensive property portfolio and a significant stake in the present and future of Irish education.

RTÉ Investigates reporter Rita O'Reilly will examine what the Christian Brothers order owns, how it handled property and school lands, and how convicted abusers previously helped manage its assets.

Robin Mandal, former President of the Royal Institute of Architects, said: "I'm surprised at the number of properties. It really is a huge land bank. They are very, very valuable lands."

Fergus Finlay, Chair of the Christine Buckley Foundation which provides support services for survivors of institutional abuse in Ireland told RTÉ Investigates: "The public should own these assets, every single one of them. They were given to an order that had taken a vow of poverty, and they were given for the purposes of education."

Watch RTÉ Investigates: Christian Brothers, The Assets, The Abusers this Wednesday, 23rd April, 9.35pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player