The named students were under consideration for a mentor programme due to begin in the 2025/2026 school year. 

In the letter to parents and guardians sent on Friday, shortly after the incident happened, Mount Temple offered apologies for language used in the list which it noted “has caused significant upset”, adding that it was offering to meet affected families.

The school said it had “experienced a data breach” and admitted that “some personal data relating to your child may have been compromised” as a result.

It added that an investigation has been launched to determine the “full scope” of the breach.

“We are really sorry that this happened and wish to apologise to any students, parents and guardians who have been directly affected by this,” the school added.

It’s understood the list contained a brief evaluation of the students’ suitability for the scheme, including claims over why some might not be selected for the roles.

In these cases, the assessments ranged from quite specific personal remarks on individual students, to more broad statements such as ‘absolutely not’ or ‘a gut feeling’, without further elaboration.

In its letter to parents and guardians, Mount Temple acknowledged the language used in the letter caused distress in the school community.

“We also understand that some of the material involved in this breach contained language that has caused significant upset,” it told them.

“We apologise very sincerely for the distress this has caused and intend to ensure this never happens again. We are offering meetings to those families who have been impacted directly and to their parents/guardians next week.”

It added that it was now “working with professionals to investigate the incident thoroughly” and determine the full scope of the breach.

“Once the investigation is complete, we will provide you with detailed information regarding what occurred, what data may have been affected, and what steps you may need to take,” the school said.

“We understand the importance of your child’s privacy and take this matter very seriously,” the school continued.

“We have to investigate what happened, and we have to follow the law and the relevant school policies in how we do it. We will share more information when we have it.”

The school added that it was “committed to transparency” and would keep parents informed.

“While the investigation is ongoing, we want to assure you that we are taking all necessary steps to address the situation and enhance our systems’ security.”

The school, which is best known for being the former school of Bono, Larry Mullen Jr, The Edge and Adam Clayton of U2, has been contacted for comment. The Journal has also asked if the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner has initiated an investigation.