Welcome

The presence of the Irish Dominican Sisters in Portugal is associated with a rich history that dates back to 1639. Unable to form a convent in their homeland due to the persecution of Catholics, the Irish Dominican Sisters travelled to other countries. In 1639 they established their cloistered convent at Bom Sucesso, in Belém, Portugal. In 1829, the Sisters accepted their first boarder student and they established the Bom Sucesso Girls Day School in 1954. Transition to a co-educational school began in 1963.

During the building of the first bridge over the Tejo River, the expanding English expatriate community asked the sisters to establish a new school. St Dominic’s College, an English language co-educational school was established in the Bom Sucesso Convent. The school started with fewer than 20 students but quickly outgrew its space. The sisters purchased land and planned a new campus at what they considered a suburb of Lisbon. Construction began at the new campus in its present location in 1973 and the new school opened in 1975.

In 1988, St Dominic’s College was re-named St Dominic’s International School, and in 1995 it was registered as St Dominic’s International School, Portugal®. Since 1993, St Dominic’s International School is Centre 1 of Fundação Obra Social das Religiosas Dominicanas Irlandesas, a charity.

St. Dominic’s International School, Portugal® accredited by CIS (Council of International Schools) and NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) has a mission based on the Dominican motto of the search for truth and has taken on board the three IBO (International Baccalaureate Organization) programmes: the Primary Years, the Middle Years and the Diploma, in English and its rigorous assessment. Our teachers and students body is rich of more than 49 nationalities and together with parents we try to prepare young people to live a fulfilled human life, as life long learners in this new world where education, knowledge and wisdom play such an essential part.



Robert Clarence
Principal