The school started in 1949. It was the intention to open in 1948 but the necessary arrangements were not in place till 1949.At first it seem suitable to start a 'public' i.e fee-paying secondary school but the initial enthusiasm seems to have evaporated inside a year, partly, one suspects, from the daunting costs. Headfort as prep. school more properly dates from 1950. Three people dominated the early years;

David Wild, recently returned from a distinguished naval career during the Second World War, had been teaching in the UK when the opportunity arose for him to take over at Headfort.

Bill Stuart-Mills, the Senior Master and a man of infinite patience and considerable intelligence, had declined offers to teach at various universities in the UK and found himself at Headfort from the outset.

Jack Sweetman, accomplished games player (Triple Pink at Trinity and association footballer with Swindon Town, Wolfhound and Leinster cricketer) who had also been teaching in the UK, now returned to Ireland as Games Master.

These three men were jointly responsible for the growth and development of the school.So methodical were they, that we are able here to reproduce the first ever form list. Funnily enough, some of these names can also be seen on more recent school lists.

Form I Walker Tierney Kennedy F Stuart-Mills Hackett Kennedy ii Thompson ii Reed Talbot Walker ii

Form II Schwab Bowly MacEwen Moore de la Poer i Speid Soote Mitchell Croft Pearson de la Poer ii

Form IV Jones i Jones ii MacLachlan Boyse Wilson Perry Jessel

Form VI Toulemonde i Thompson i Dixon Kamm Toulemonde ii

Gradually the school began to fill. For a more detailed look at those times please see Jack Sweetman's definitive account of The First Decade