Hawzah News Agency- Celebrating quarter a century of success, the first State-funded Islamic school in Ireland, the Muslim National School in Clonskeagh, has marked its 25th anniversary.

Established by the Islamic Foundation of Ireland in 1990 to serve the growing Muslim community, the school currently has over 280 pupils from a variety of different backgrounds, Dublin People reported on Sunday, April 10.

The school shares campus with the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland in Clonskeagh.

Students are taught typical school subjects as well as learning Arabic and teachings from the Qur’an.

The anniversary was celebrated by pupils, staff and guests at the Hilton Hotel, Charlemont Place, on March 24.

The event opened with a recitation from the Holy Qur’an followed by a speech by Sheikh Yahya Al Hussein in which he welcomed the guests and outlined the background to the setting up of the school.

Former principal Colm Mc Glade spoke of the early years of the school and the challenges that he faced in leading the school community.

Guests enjoyed watching a 1993 recording of ‘The School Around the Corner’, in which a youthful Gerry Ryan coaxed amusing answers from the early pupils of the Muslim National School.

For years, independent Islamic schools remained at the top score of UK GCSE results, setting example for faith schools as successful, highly-achieving and inspiring educational institutes in Britain.

The Muslim schools overall average of students who received 5 or more A*- C grade GCSEs, including English & Maths, exceeded the national average with 9 schools achieving a 100% success rate – only 55 schools achieved the 100% landmark in the whole of the UK.