Garron Tower
Encyclopedia
IMPORTANT: This page concerns a school which no longer exists, for the current school operating in its campus, see St Killian's College
St MacNissi's College, now St Killian's College
(colloquially known as Garron Tower) was a grammar school
located 20 miles (32 km) to the north of Larne
, which was once Northern Ireland
's busiest port. The grounds are situated on a plateau approximately 200 feet (61 m) above the famous Antrim Coast Road at Garron Point and overlook the Irish Sea (southern end of the Northern Channel) and out towards Scotland
(Mull of Kintyre). The current school motto is Caritas et Veritas which means "Love and Truth". Prior to this, St MacNissi's College's motto was Et Velle et Perficere. which means "to be willing and to accomplish"
Garron Tower was built as a summer residence by Frances Anne Vane, Marchioness of Londonderry
. She had inherited this part of the Antrim estates from her mother, Anne Katherine MacDonnell, Countess of Antrim who had married Sir Henry Vane-Tempest of County Durham. The Tower and grounds were purchased by McNeill's Hotel in Larne in 1915 and were acquired by the Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor in 1950 for use as a boarding school for boys. The history of Garron Tower dates from 1850, but its life as a school began in September 1951 when the Most Rev. Daniel Mageean D.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Down and Connor
, officially opened the building as "a diocesan grammar school for boys" and named it St. MacNissi's College.
On 1 April 2010, St MacNissi's College and two other Antrim schools, St Aloysius' College, and St Comgall's College, amalgamated to became St Killian's College
. St Killian's is currently operating from two sites - the former St MacNissi's College site at Garron Tower and the former St Comgall's College site in Larne.
On one of the Stained Glass windows which were installed in late 1956, the following words, in very small print, are to be found: "As I am making this window the Hungarians have risen in revolt against Communist/Russian rule in Hungary. October 1956".
Original stables were the open dormitories of Ardclinis, Trostan and Knochore. On the level above the Ardclinis Dormitory were the rooms of three priests. These old stables now house Music, Languages and Business Studies classrooms. The building is known as St Joseph's.
At the north end, there are four sports pitches and a set of Hand-Ball alleys (1 closed, 1 semi-closed and 1 open) all of which are the 60 x 40 type of alley. Behind the squash courts, there is a new outdoor basketball court.
s facing the sea which are of naval origin from the Napoleonic wars.
Towards the northern end of the sea-wall, there was a gate, lending access to a twisting path down to the Coast Road but the end of this path, where it met the Coast Road, was out-of-bounds. Just across the road and about 50 yards to the north, the Garron Point Post Office was located and the journey between the gate at the Coast Road and the Post Office was fraught with danger. About 400 yards north of the Post Office, at the bottom of Dunmaul Hill, is situated a "Water Driven" Pump House where in March 1956 a boarder at the college, Terry Fannin, lost his life.
St Killian's College
St Killian's College is an all ability co-educational school that was formed by the amalgamation of three schools in the Larne and Ballymena area, St MacNissi's College, Garron Tower, St Comgall's College, Larne and St Aloysius High School, Cushendall.St Killian's is currently operating from two...
St MacNissi's College, now St Killian's College
St Killian's College
St Killian's College is an all ability co-educational school that was formed by the amalgamation of three schools in the Larne and Ballymena area, St MacNissi's College, Garron Tower, St Comgall's College, Larne and St Aloysius High School, Cushendall.St Killian's is currently operating from two...
(colloquially known as Garron Tower) was a grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
located 20 miles (32 km) to the north of Larne
Larne
Larne is a substantial seaport and industrial market town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland with a population of 18,228 people in the 2001 Census. As of 2011, there are about 31,000 residents in the greater Larne area. It has been used as a seaport for over 1,000 years, and is...
, which was once Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
's busiest port. The grounds are situated on a plateau approximately 200 feet (61 m) above the famous Antrim Coast Road at Garron Point and overlook the Irish Sea (southern end of the Northern Channel) and out towards Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
(Mull of Kintyre). The current school motto is Caritas et Veritas which means "Love and Truth". Prior to this, St MacNissi's College's motto was Et Velle et Perficere. which means "to be willing and to accomplish"
Garron Tower was built as a summer residence by Frances Anne Vane, Marchioness of Londonderry
Frances Anne Vane, Marchioness of Londonderry
Frances Anne Vane, Marchioness of Londonderry was a wealthy English heiress and noblewoman. She was the daughter of Sir Henry Vane-Tempest, 2nd Baronet and the second wife of Charles Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry...
. She had inherited this part of the Antrim estates from her mother, Anne Katherine MacDonnell, Countess of Antrim who had married Sir Henry Vane-Tempest of County Durham. The Tower and grounds were purchased by McNeill's Hotel in Larne in 1915 and were acquired by the Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor in 1950 for use as a boarding school for boys. The history of Garron Tower dates from 1850, but its life as a school began in September 1951 when the Most Rev. Daniel Mageean D.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Down and Connor
Diocese of Down and Connor
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Down and Connor, is a Roman Catholic diocese in the north-eastern part of Ireland. It is one of eight suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Armagh and is subject to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Armagh...
, officially opened the building as "a diocesan grammar school for boys" and named it St. MacNissi's College.
On 1 April 2010, St MacNissi's College and two other Antrim schools, St Aloysius' College, and St Comgall's College, amalgamated to became St Killian's College
St Killian's College
St Killian's College is an all ability co-educational school that was formed by the amalgamation of three schools in the Larne and Ballymena area, St MacNissi's College, Garron Tower, St Comgall's College, Larne and St Aloysius High School, Cushendall.St Killian's is currently operating from two...
. St Killian's is currently operating from two sites - the former St MacNissi's College site at Garron Tower and the former St Comgall's College site in Larne.
Main building
The college has extensive grounds which stretch for a mile or so around the main building. This building has rooms for 3 priests on the first floor, priests' dining-room, priests' sitting-room, 100 desk study-hall, kitchens, cloakrooms, first-aid room, classrooms, offices, and a food storage area.Chapel
The Chapel was completed in 1955 with the help of the late Fr. Charles Agnew's "Mile of Half-Crowns". On the canopy above the High Altar are the words "Laudate Pueri Dominum" which translates as "Boys, Praise the Lord".On one of the Stained Glass windows which were installed in late 1956, the following words, in very small print, are to be found: "As I am making this window the Hungarians have risen in revolt against Communist/Russian rule in Hungary. October 1956".
Boarding rooms
A 150-room boarding department (now empty) was opened in 1956. Called St. Mary's residence, single rooms made up the majority of this building but at the front ends, there were double rooms, six in total, two on each floor, which were occupied by the college priests and latterly by brothers or prefects supervising the floors.Original stables were the open dormitories of Ardclinis, Trostan and Knochore. On the level above the Ardclinis Dormitory were the rooms of three priests. These old stables now house Music, Languages and Business Studies classrooms. The building is known as St Joseph's.
Sports facilities
The Tennis Courts were situated in a small field which in the 1950s and early 1960s was called the "Wee Field". The £1.6 million block for IT, Home Economics, Art and Science on the site of the old Tennis Courts. At the south end of the College grounds there is a wooded area in which the original owner's dog, Urisk, is buried. The headstone remains and on it is written:"Here Urisk lies and let the truth be told, This faithful dog was blind, infirm and old. Deaf to all else his mistress' voice he knew, Blind though he was, his step to her was true. So strong an instinct by affection fed, Endured till Urisk's vital spirit fled. Stoop grandeur from thy throne ye sons of pride, To whom no want is known, nor wish denied. A moment pause, and blush, if blush you can, To find dogs more virtue than in man. And share, 'midst all your luxury and pelf', one thought for others out of ten for self'".
At the north end, there are four sports pitches and a set of Hand-Ball alleys (1 closed, 1 semi-closed and 1 open) all of which are the 60 x 40 type of alley. Behind the squash courts, there is a new outdoor basketball court.
Presidents
- Very Rev William Tumelty
- Very Rev Dominic McHugh
- Very Rev Patrick McKavanagh
- Very Rev Brendan McGarry
- Very Rev Thomas Bartley
- Very Rev Raymund Fitzpatrick
- Very Rev Alex McMullan
- Very Rev Patrick Delargy
Architectural features
The seaward wall of the school has seven cannonCannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
s facing the sea which are of naval origin from the Napoleonic wars.
Towards the northern end of the sea-wall, there was a gate, lending access to a twisting path down to the Coast Road but the end of this path, where it met the Coast Road, was out-of-bounds. Just across the road and about 50 yards to the north, the Garron Point Post Office was located and the journey between the gate at the Coast Road and the Post Office was fraught with danger. About 400 yards north of the Post Office, at the bottom of Dunmaul Hill, is situated a "Water Driven" Pump House where in March 1956 a boarder at the college, Terry Fannin, lost his life.