The School Chaplain's Association was founded in 1976 by Fr. Sean O Loinigh, a Priest of the Diocese of Limerick 

The first meeting of the Association took place on Saturday, 10th April 1976 at the Marienalla Centre, Rathgar in Dublin. Initially the membership of the Association comprised solely of Chaplains from Community and Comprehensive Schools, these were the only schools with wholetime Chaplains.

The association went into abeyance in the mid-1980's but was revived in 1990. By then both the Voluntary and the V.E.C. sectors were putting Chaplains in place, and so the membership of the Association increased. Currently, there are 189 members of the association covering All-Ireland. We also cater for associate membership, that is, anyone interested in promoting the aims of the association.

The aims of the association are as follows:

• To provide mutual support for Chaplains.
• To promote the cause of Chaplaincy and of Chaplains through dialogue with other bodies.

The association is divided into geographical regions called 'Regional Groups' which enable Chaplains to come together to support each other and share resources on a regular basis.

The highlight of the year for the Chaplains is the annual 2-day conference held every November. During this conference chaplains get to meet one another and share resources. The conference is also an opportunity for inservice for chaplains and in so doing to give them the necessary tools and resources to help them carry out their chaplaincy.