Newspaper reports indicate that the Rev. Robert Mathews opened a ‘Classical School’, or a ‘School for General Education’ in October 1821 at 54 William Street, Dublin. Rev. Mathews, himself previously a pupil at another small private school in Dublin and then a Classical Scholar (at TCD?), taught various classes himself, with some teaching assistants for other subjects. Rev. Mathews believed that long vacations encouraged idleness, and the pupils were required to attend two long semesters, from early January until early July, and from early August until a few days before Christmas. The annual fees were about £10, payable quarterly in advance, with additional fees, for example, for classes in French and Italian. The school moved to 38 Dawson Street from January 1829, but seems to have ceased to exist after July that year.
