Abbey Community College, established under the trusteeship of the Sacred Heart of Mary Sisters and the Kilkenny and Carlow E.T.B., opened in 2000.  It is committed to enriching through education the lives of the people in its care, thereby enabling them to participate fully in society and to live a fulfilling life.

Students of Abbey Community College can access a rapidly expanding curriculum from which they may choose a wide variety of subjects, both practical and academic. Pastoral Care is an integral part of the holistic education offered in the school and is catered for through Home, School, Community Liaison, a Peer Support System, the Chaplaincy, Guidance Counselling, a Stay in School Retention Scheme and Learning Support Education.