The Spiritan Education Mission. In Ireland education has been our main contribution to the Church and society. On October 29, 1859 three French Spiritan priests and one brother arrived in Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire) and so began the Irish Province. The opening of Blackrock College in 1860 began the Spiritan involvement in education in Ireland. The Congregation is committed to education today and into the future through the setting up of the des Places Educational Association. DEA was formed in 1999 by the Congregation of the Holy Spirit as a company to carry out the functions of Patron of the Colleges owned by the Spiritan Congregation in Ireland.		DEA (des Places Educational Association) The Board of Directors of DEA carry out this work and report to the members of the company who are all members of the Congregation. The Presidents of the Colleges currently perform the functions of the Managers of the schools and in that capacity they report to the DEA as Patron. Today the total school population exceeds 5000 pupils and our Schools and Colleges employ more than 700 staff. CSSp presence in our colleges is declining and in the future will be as chaplains, and pastoral workers. Our colleges continue to maintain their high reputation for studies and or sport.