St. Columb's College
Encyclopedia
| St. Columb's College Coláiste Naomh Cholm Cille |
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| Motto | Quaerite Primum Regnum Dei. |
| Established | 1879 |
| Principal | Sean McGinty |
| Head Boy | Fergal McCormack |
| Location | Buncrana Road, Derry Derry Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"... |
| Students | 1500 - |
| Type | Grammar School |
| Colours | Royal blue Royal blue Royal blue describes both a bright shade and a dark shade of azure blue. It is said to have been invented by millers in Rode, Somerset, a consortium of which won a competition to make a dress for the British queen, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.... and Yellow Yellow Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green... |
| Homepage | http://www.stcolumbs.com/joomla/ |
St. Columb's College is a Roman Catholic boys' 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...
in Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, 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...
and, since 2008, a specialist school in Mathematics and Computing. It is named after Saint Columba
Columba
Saint Columba —also known as Colum Cille , Colm Cille , Calum Cille and Kolban or Kolbjørn —was a Gaelic Irish missionary monk who propagated Christianity among the Picts during the Early Medieval Period...
, the Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
missionary monk who founded a monastery in the area.
St Columb's College was established in 1879 on Bishop Street (now the site of Lumen Christi College
Lumen Christi College
Lumen Christi College is a co-educational Catholic grammar school in Derry, Northern Ireland, founded in September 1997. The school is located at the site of the old St. Columb's College. In 2007, 2008 and 2009, Lumen Christi topped the GCSE and A-Level results league tables in Northern Ireland,...
), but later moved to Buncrana Road in the suburbs of the city. The College has a student population of over 1,500, making it one of the largest Catholic Boys' Schools in Europe. Colloquially, the school’s name is often shortened to "The College".
St. Columb's will feature in the forthcoming film The Boys of St. Columb's made by West Park Pictures
West Park Pictures
West Park Pictures, a division of UK independent production and distribution group DCD Media, is a producer of documentary content with an international flavour and established links with well known UK presenter personalities....
and Maccana Teoranta for RTE
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
. Following the lives of several great Irish figures including Nobel Laureates Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes...
and John Hume
John Hume
John Hume is a former Irish politician from Derry, Northern Ireland. He was a founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, and was co-recipient of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize, with David Trimble....
who all attended the same small school in Derry in the 1950s and have helped transform modern Ireland. The Boys of St. Columb's will be out on DVD in early March 2010 by Digital Classics DVD
Digital Classics DVD
Digital Classics DVD Limited is a UK-based DVD label which releases titles in the UK and worldwide across a range of genres: music, arts, documentaries, dramas and classic British comedy...
.
The College's ethos
St. Columb's strives to "Seek First the Kingdom of God" as the College motto calls them to do. Christ, with his message of love, forgiveness, justice and hope is at the centre of the College community and the motto continues to challenge and inspire.Early history
St. Columb's was initially intended to be a diocesan seminary, educating young men mainly, though not exclusively, for the priesthood. The establishment of such a seminary was an obligation imposed by the Council of TrentCouncil of Trent
The Council of Trent was the 16th-century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It is considered to be one of the Church's most important councils. It convened in Trent between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods...
(1545–63). Ireland's political volatility and the suppression of Catholicism by the Crown, particularly after the Williamite Wars
Williamite war in Ireland
The Williamite War in Ireland—also called the Jacobite War in Ireland, the Williamite-Jacobite War in Ireland and in Irish as Cogadh an Dá Rí —was a conflict between Catholic King James II and Protestant King William of Orange over who would be King of England, Scotland and Ireland...
resulted in the delay of establishing any diocesan seminaries in Ireland for centuries. St. Columb's College itself was preceded by several failed attempts to create such an institution in Derry. Repeated but sporadic efforts were made to maintain a seminary for almost a century; at Clady, near Strabane
Strabane
Strabane , historically spelt Straban,is a town in west County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It contains the headquarters of Strabane District Council....
in the late eighteenth century, at Ferguson's lane in Derry in the early nineteenth century and at Pump street, (first reference to St. Columb's College as such) in the city from 1841 to 1864.
St. Columb's finally opened its doors on 3 November 1879 with two priest teachers, Dr. Edward O'Brien and Dr. John Hassan. The school was considered to be quite large at the time and was expected to accommodate 20–30 boarders. The school quickly gained a reputation for academic achievement. On 18 September 1931 the Derry Journal
Derry Journal
The Derry Journal is a newspaper based in Derry, Northern Ireland, serving County Londonderry as well as County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. It is operated by a Johnston Press holding company entitled Derry Journal Newspapers. The paper is published on Tuesday and Friday and is a sister...
listed St. Columb's College's academic results. They were as follows;
Two University Scholarships,
Three Exhibitions and Prizes,
Six Calls in King's Scholarship Exam (calls to teacher training),
Two Pupil Teacherships,
Eight regional Committee Scholarships,
31 Passed Matriculation,
26 Passed Senior Leaving Cert. Exam,
52 Passed Junior Leaving Cert. Exam.
The results were impressive for a young and regional school but they were testimony to the scholarship that was taking place at St. Columb's.
The Education Act, 1947 and expansion
One of the most notable alumni of St. Columb's College, John HumeJohn Hume
John Hume is a former Irish politician from Derry, Northern Ireland. He was a founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, and was co-recipient of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize, with David Trimble....
, noted, "When the history of St. Columb's College in this century is written, it will be clear that one of its major transformations, if not its major transformation, took place as a result of the Eleven Plus examination."
The Education Act, 1947 provided for free secondary education to all throughout the United Kingdom. Entry to St. Columb's College, a Grammar school, would be determined by one's performance in the Eleven Plus
Eleven plus
In the United Kingdom, the 11-plus or Eleven plus is an examination administered to some students in their last year of primary education, governing admission to various types of secondary school. The name derives from the age group for secondary entry: 11–12 years...
or Transfer Test. The immediate result was an explosion in pupil numbers, a shortfall in teaching staff and greater pressure on existing resources. In 1941 the student body numbered 263. By 1960 the number stood at 770 with a teaching staff of 35. In under twenty years the school's size had tripled. It was now clear that additional facilities would be needed.
In September 1973 St. Columb's College opened a new campus on the Buncrana Road in the city. The new site would cater for the senior years; its initial enrolment was of 900. The new building was designed by Frank Corr of Corr & McCormick and constructed by J Kennedy & Co. The total cost was £762,000. This figure does not include the £56,000 spent employing W & J McGonagle Ltd to construct the enormous, high-quality playing fields.
Change
In 1997 the school ceased to be a split-site institution and reunited itself on the Buncrana Road after the completion of a new Senior block to the rear of the existing buildings. This two storey structure would house the facilities for A Level instruction.The Belfast Agreement
Belfast Agreement
The Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement , sometimes called the Stormont Agreement, was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process...
1998 saw a new era of peace for Northern Ireland. The thirty years of violence had concealed the wider change in social attitudes. More and more of the teaching staff at St. Columb's were female and fewer were priests. In September 2008, for the first time in Saint Columb's 129 year history, a lay person became Principal taking over from Rev. Eamonn Martin who had served for 8 years as President. The new Principal is Mr. Sean McGinty, former Vice President with responsibility for Pastoral matters.
In the academic year 2004/05 St. Columb's College celebrated its 125th anniversary. To mark the event, a series of lectures were held. Guests included Mary McAleese
Mary McAleese
Mary Patricia McAleese served as the eighth President of Ireland from 1997 to 2011. She was the second female president and was first elected in 1997 succeeding Mary Robinson, making McAleese the world's first woman to succeed another as president. She was re-elected unopposed for a second term in...
, President of Ireland
President of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
, Garret FitzGerald
Garret FitzGerald
Garret FitzGerald was an Irish politician who was twice Taoiseach of Ireland, serving in office from July 1981 to February 1982 and again from December 1982 to March 1987. FitzGerald was elected to Seanad Éireann in 1965 and was subsequently elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael TD in 1969. He...
, former Irish Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
, Mary Harney
Mary Harney
Mary Harney is a former Irish politician. She served as Tánaiste from 1997–2006, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from 1997–2004, and as Minister for Health and Children from 2004 to 2011...
, then Tánaiste
Tánaiste
The Tánaiste is the deputy prime minister of Ireland. The current Tánaiste is Eamon Gilmore, TD who was appointed on 9 March 2011.- Origins and etymology :...
, Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes...
and Dr. Peter Jones. In addition, a history of St. Columb's was commissioned; the book, "Seeking the Kingdom", was edited by Finbar Madden and Thomas Bradley.
Sport
The school has a long and successful sporting history, with its students competing in many events across the country. It has excelled in soccer, gaelic footballGaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and has produced many athletes.
Nobel Prize winners
The school is one of the few schools in the world that can claim two Nobel laureatesNobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
amongst its alumni. They are:
- Seamus HeaneySeamus HeaneySeamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes...
- Nobel Literature PrizeNobel Prize in LiteratureSince 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
, 1995 - John HumeJohn HumeJohn Hume is a former Irish politician from Derry, Northern Ireland. He was a founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, and was co-recipient of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize, with David Trimble....
- Nobel Peace PrizeNobel Peace PrizeThe Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
, 1998
Notable former pupils
The college's former pupils association makes an annual award (the Alumnus Illustrissimus Award) to "a past-pupil who has achieved something of major significance or has made a considerable contribution in his own field". Past winners of the award are as follows:- 1994 The Most Reverend Dr. Edward DalyEdward Daly (bishop)Edward Daly , D.D., was the Catholic Lord Bishop of Derry from 1974 to 1993.- Early life & priestly ministry :...
- 1995 John HumeJohn HumeJohn Hume is a former Irish politician from Derry, Northern Ireland. He was a founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, and was co-recipient of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize, with David Trimble....
, former M.P.Member of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, M.E.P. - 1996 Seamus HeaneySeamus HeaneySeamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes...
, poetPoetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary... - 1997 Brian FrielBrian FrielBrian Friel is an Irish dramatist, author and director of the Field Day Theatre Company. He is considered to be the greatest living English-language dramatist, hailed by the English-speaking world as an "Irish Chekhov" and "the universally accented voice of Ireland"...
, playwrightPlaywrightA playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder... - 1998 Professor Sean Mullan, Neurosurgeon
- 1999 Monsignor Brendan Devlin, cleric
- 2000 Sir James Doherty
- 2001 Professor Raymond Flannery, physicistPhysicistA physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
- 2002 Martin O'NeillMartin O'NeillMartin Hugh Michael O'Neill, OBE, is a Northern Irish football manager and former player.Until resigning the post on 9 August 2010, he was manager of Aston Villa. Starting his career in his native Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playing career with Nottingham...
, football player and manager - 2003 Phil CoulterPhil CoulterPhil Coulter is an artist with an international reputation as a successful songwriter, pianist, music producer, arranger and director. His success has spanned four decades and he is one of the biggest record sellers in Ireland...
, composerComposerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media... - 2004 Honouring all alumni (as part of the school's 125th anniversary celebrations)
- 2005 James SharkeyJames A. SharkeyJames Anthony Sharkey is an Irish historian and diplomat.He was born and educated in Derry City and worked as a teacher in Stepney, Derry and Dublin....
, diplomatDiplomatA diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and... - 2006 Sir Liam McCollum PC, Lord Justice of AppealLord Justice of AppealA Lord Justice of Appeal is an ordinary judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the court that hears appeals from the High Court of Justice, and represents the second highest level of judge in the courts of England and Wales-Appointment:...
in Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern 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... - 2007 Peter McCullaghPeter McCullaghPeter McCullagh is an Irish statistician, originally from Plumbridge, Northern Ireland. He attended Birmingham University and completed his Ph.D. at Imperial College London under Sir David Cox and Anthony Atkinson. He is currently the John D...
/John Toland, mathematicians - 2008 Professor Patrick Johnston, Director of the Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology (CCRCB) and Dean of the School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen's University Belfast
- 2009 Professor Seamus DeaneSeamus DeaneSeamus Deane is an Irish poet, novelist, and critic.Born in Derry, Northern Ireland, Deane was born into a Catholic nationalist family. He attended St. Columb's College in Derry, Queen's University Belfast and Pembroke College, Cambridge University . At St...
- Poet and novelist - 2010 Sir Declan Morgan - Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland
Other alumni and names associated with St Columb's include:
- Liam BallLiam BallLiam Ball was an Irish Olympic swimmer at both the 1968 Mexico City and 1972 Munich Olympic Summer Games, competing for the Republic of Ireland in the Men's 100 metres Breaststroke and Men's 200 metres Breaststroke at each. He was born in Derry, Northern Ireland and was a past pupil of St...
- Irish Olympic swimmer - Craig Dillon - Dubsteppa
- Kevin O'ConnellKevin O'ConnellKevin O'Connell is the chief weather anchor for WGRZ-TV, the NBC affiliate in Buffalo, New York. O'Connell also sub-hosted on The David Letterman Show on NBC, hosted the game show Go on NBC from October 1983 to January 1984, and presented the syndicated disco series Disco Step-by-Step from 1977 to...
- Notable modern composer - Josephy Avery -Notable author and swimmer
- Eamon BurnsEamon BurnsÉamonn Burns is an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for Derry in the 1990s and early 2000s. He was part of Derry's first ever All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winning side in 1993 and also won two Ulster Senior Football Championships and four National League titles...
- Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic AssociationThe Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
footballer - Francie Brolly - Sinn FéinSinn FéinSinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
politician and father of Joe BrollyJoe BrollyJoe Brolly is an Irish barrister, TV pundit, and ex Gaelic footballer who played for Derry in the 1990s and early 2000s. He was part of Derry's first ever All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winning side in 1993 and also won two Ulster Senior Football Championships and four National League... - Tony ConnellyTony ConnellyTony Connelly is a journalist and author. He is currently Europe Editor for RTÉ News and Current Affairs.Connelly has previously written for other agencies and publications, including Time, United Press International and the Irish Independent...
- RTÉ European Correspondent - Peter CunnahPeter CunnahPeter Cunnah is best known as lead singer and songwriter with 1990s dance-pop duo, D:Ream. He was born in Derry, Northern Ireland.- D:Ream :...
- Pop musician - Richard Doherty - Noted military historian and Chairman of the Institute of Road Safety Officers 1988-91 and 2000-02.
- Mark DurkanMark DurkanMark Durkan is an Irish nationalist politician in Northern Ireland who was leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party from 2001 to 2010.-Early life:...
- Social Democratic and Labour PartySocial Democratic and Labour PartyThe Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
(SDLP) Leader/politician/MP - Darron GibsonDarron GibsonDarron Thomas Daniel Gibson is an Irish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Manchester United and the Republic of Ireland national team...
- Footballer - Paddy GormleyPaddy GormleyPatrick Joseph Gormley, known as Paddy Gormley was an Irish nationalist politician.Born in Claudy, Gormley was educated at St Columb's College and the National University of Ireland. In 1945, he was elected to Londonderry County Council, representing the Nationalist Party...
- Prominent Irish politician and member of the defunct Nationalist PartyNationalist Party (Northern Ireland)The Nationalist Party† - was the continuation of the Irish Parliamentary Party, and was formed after partition, by the Northern Ireland-based members of the IPP.... - Seamus MallonSeamus Mallon (rugby player)Seamus Mallon, is an Irish professional rugby union player for Ulster Rugby in the Magners League, who was formerly a player for Northampton Saints in the Guinness Premiership. Mallon was signed as a centre with the Saints in July 2005. He formerly played for his school-teams, Foyle and...
- Rugby player - Martin Meenan - PlaywrightPlaywrightA playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
- Eamonn McCannEamonn McCannEamonn McCann is an Irish journalist, author and political activist.-Life:McCann was born and has lived most of his life in Derry. He was educated at St. Columb's College in the city. He is prominently featured in the documentary film The Boys of St...
- Political activist - Raymond McCartneyRaymond McCartneyRaymond McCartney is a Sinn Féin politician, and a former hunger striker and volunteer within the Provisional Irish Republican Army .-IRA membership:...
- Sinn FéinSinn FéinSinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
politician - Philip Gerard McFadden - Sculptor
- Mark McFaddenMark McFaddenWinner of a world journalism award, Mark McFadden is an Irish television news broadcaster.He is currently the North West correspondent for UTV Live, the flagship early evening news programme on the ITV regional company UTV.-Early life:...
- Television journalist - Brian McGillowayBrian McGillowayBrian McGilloway is an author hailing from Derry, Northern Ireland. Born in 1974, he studied English at Queens University Belfast, where he was very active in student theatre, winning a prestigious national Irish Student Drama Association award for theatrical lighting design in 1996. He is...
- Author - Seosamh Mac GriannaSeosamh Mac GriannaSeosamh Mac Grianna was an Irish writer, in his early career under the pen-name Iolann Fionn. He was born into a family of poets and storytellers, which included his brothers Séamus Ó Grianna and Seán Bán Mac Grianna, in Ranafast, County Donegal, at a time of linguistic and cultural...
- Writer - Gerard McSorleyGerard McSorleyGerard McSorley is a theatre, television and an Irish film actor.-Early life:He was born in Omagh, County Tyrone, and after attending a Christian Brothers school in his hometown he attended St. Columb's College in Derry. He then attended Queen's University, Belfast, where he was taught by among...
- Actor - Sir Paul Morgan - High Court Judge, Chancery Division
- Mark H. DurkanMark H. DurkanMark H. Durkan is a Social Democratic and Labour Party politician in Northern Ireland who was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2011.He was elected to Derry City Council in 2005 and also sits on the Western Health & Social Care Board....
- Social Democratic and Labour PartySocial Democratic and Labour PartyThe Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
(SDLP) Politician/MLA - Marcás Ó' MurchúMarcas Ó MurchúMarcas Ó Murchú is a Belfast-raised Irish woodwind flute player. In 1997 his album Ó Bhéal go Béal was released. His latest seventeen-track CD, Turas Ceoil , features some of his musical friends and pupils, some quite old tunes as well as his own compositions.Ó Murchú has performed on TG4 on...
- Folk musician - John O'Neill - Northern Ireland Soccer player
- Luke O'ReillyLuke O'Reilly (Bel's Boys)Luke O'Reilly is a Northern Irish actor and musician, perhaps best known for his work in the CITV series Bel's Boys, and as part of the band of the same name.-Early life:...
- Actor and "rock-star". - Richie KavanaghRichie KavanaghRichie Kavanagh is an Irish entertainer who writes and performs his own songs. Famous for the song Aon Focal Eile, he now has a number of hits to his name...
- Comical entertainer - Gerard Diver - Social Democratic and Labour PartySocial Democratic and Labour PartyThe Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
(SDLP) Politician/Cllr/Mayor of DerryDerryDerry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"... - Paul McLoonePaul McLoonePaul McLoone , is the current singer of Irish pop-punk band The Undertones. He replaced Feargal Sharkey when the band reunited for a series of festival appearances in 1999...
- Musician - Brian DooherBrian DooherBrian Dooher is an Irish Gaelic footballer who was a member for Tyrone between 1995 and 2011.He has won three All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medals, five Ulster Senior Football Championship and two National League titles with the county...
- (GAA star) - All Ireland winning captain - Sir Charles Bartley - Judge of the High Court in Calcutta
- Eamon McAuley - Social Democratic and Labour PartySocial Democratic and Labour PartyThe Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
(SDLP) Politician/Cllr - William Bartley - President of Municipal Commissions in Singapore
- Francis SK McCullagh - Knight Commander of the Order of St. SavaOrder of St. SavaThe Order of St. Sava was a decoration instituted by the order King Milan I of Serbia in 1883. The Order of Saint Sava originally was established to recognize civilians for meritorious achievements in the arts and sciences. In 1914 a change was made permitting military personnel to receive the...
, Captain in the Royal Irish FusiliersRoyal Irish FusiliersThe Royal Irish Fusiliers was an Irish infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of the 87th Regiment of Foot and the 89th Regiment of Foot in 1881. The regiment's first title in 1881 was Princess Victoria's , changed in 1920 to The Royal Irish Fusiliers...
, author and war correspondent for the New York HeraldNew York HeraldThe New York Herald was a large distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between May 6, 1835, and 1924.-History:The first issue of the paper was published by James Gordon Bennett, Sr., on May 6, 1835. By 1845 it was the most popular and profitable daily newspaper in the UnitedStates...
. - George LeekeGeorge LeekeGeorge Leeke was an Irish nationalist politician.Leeke owned a hotel and fishery. He was elected to Londonderry County Council for the Nationalist Party. At the Northern Ireland general election, 1921, Leeke was elected in the Londonderry seat, although he did not take his seat until 1926...
- Northern Irish Nationalist MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,... - George Leeke McLoughlin - Barrister, Crown Counsel in Northern RhodesiaNorthern RhodesiaNorthern Rhodesia was a territory in south central Africa, formed in 1911. It became independent in 1964 as Zambia.It was initially administered under charter by the British South Africa Company and formed by it in 1911 by amalgamating North-Western Rhodesia and North-Eastern Rhodesia...
1958-63, solicitor general in ZambiaZambiaZambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
1968-70. - Liam McCormick - Architect and winner of RIAI gold medal. He designed the Church of St. Aengus which won Irish building of the century in 1999.
- Daniel Joseph BradleyDaniel Joseph BradleyDaniel Joseph Bradley FRS, was an Irish physicist, and Emeritus Professor of Optical Electronics, at Trinity College, Dublin...
- Physicist - Dermott Henderson - Social Democratic and Labour PartySocial Democratic and Labour PartyThe Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
(SDLP) Politician - Anselm Ó Fachtna - Franciscan priest and scholar
- Paul BradyPaul BradyPaul Joseph Brady is an Irish singer-songwriter, whose work straddles folk and pop. He was interested in a wide variety of music from an early age...
- Folk/Rock musician - Patrick McGilliganPatrick McGilliganPatrick McGilligan was an Irish lawyer and Cumann na nGaedheal/Fine Gael politician.McGilligan was born in Coleraine, County Londonderry, Ireland. He was educated at St...
- Lawyer, politician and academic. TDTeachta DálaA Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
for NUINUINUI as an acronym may refer to:*National University of Ireland*Natural User Interface*Normally unmanned installation*No User Interface*New User Interface*Novell Users International*Novell Users International - France*Network Users Institute...
and Minister for Industry and Commerce 1924-32. Founder of ESBESB- Organizations :*ESB Reutlingen, a business school of the Reutlingen University in Germany*ESB Customer Supply, the incumbent retail supplier of electricity in Ireland*ESB Group, a multinational energy group based in Ireland...
. - Louis Joseph Walsh - Lawyer, political activist and playwright
- Charlie McGee - Tenor singer
- Michael O'Duffy - Ballad singer (appeared in The Quiet ManThe Quiet ManThe Quiet Man is a 1952 American Technicolor romantic comedy-drama film. It was directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen and Barry Fitzgerald. It was based on a 1933 Saturday Evening Post short story by Maurice Walsh...
(1952)) - Thomas Quigley - Music teacher and composer/arranger for RTÉRTERTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
- Colum EastwoodColum EastwoodColum Eastwood is a Social Democratic and Labour Party politician in Northern Ireland who was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2011....
- Social Democratic and Labour PartySocial Democratic and Labour PartyThe Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
(SDLP) Politician/Cllr/Mayor of DerryDerryDerry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
/MLA
Presidents of St. Columb's College
| Name | Period of Presidency | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Edward O'Brien | 1879-1880 | Ordained in 1859 he became the first President of St. Columb's College in 1879. He formerly held the Chair of Rhetoric at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth. Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903... conferred on him the degree of D.D. and he was appointed Vicar General Vicar general A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular... of the diocese. |
| John Hassan | 1881-1888 | Ordained in 1879, he took his D.D. the same year. Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903... made him a domestic prelate and conferred on him the dignity of monsignor. Vice-rector of the Irish College from 1888 until his death in 1891. |
| Thomas McCloskey | 1888-1890 | Ordained in Rome in 1886 |
| Charles McHugh | 1890-1905 | Ordained 1881. Bishop of Derry 1907-26. Figured prominently in campaign against conscription. He was one of 18 Catholic and 3 Protestant Bishops who signed manifesto against Irish partition on 7th May 1917. Led the first Irish national pilgrimage to Lourdes. As Bishop he preferred to live in the College and it was there that he died. |
| Bernard O'Kane | 1905-1919 | A graduate of the Royal University Royal University Royal University may mean:* Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas* Royal University of Bhutan* Royal University of Ireland... and ordained in 1891. A brilliant scientist, he was a regular contributor to technical journals on astronomy, light and radio waves and modern wireless, working in parallel with and sometimes anticipating the discoveries of Guglielmo Marconi Guglielmo Marconi Guglielmo Marconi was an Italian inventor, known as the father of long distance radio transmission and for his development of Marconi's law and a radio telegraph system. Marconi is often credited as the inventor of radio, and indeed he shared the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics with Karl Ferdinand... . He was bishop from 1926-39. |
| John McShane | 1919-1927 | Ordained 1900. He was President during the troubles of 1920 when the College was at the centre of a small but deadly civil war. He was opposed to corporal punishment - a man before his time. |
| Neil Farren | 1928-1939 | Graduated from University College, Dublin with first class honours in 1914. He received a BCL and a BD Bachelor of Divinity In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies.... from Maynooth in 1916 and 1918, respectively. Awarded the degree of DCL Doctor of Canon Law Doctor of Canon Law is the doctoral-level terminal degree in the studies of canon law of the Roman Catholic Church.It may also be abbreviated I.C.D. or dr.iur.can. , ICDr., D.C.L., D.Cnl., D.D.C., or D.Can.L. . Doctor of both laws are J.U.D... for his (later published) thesis Domicile and Quasi-Domicile. He became Ireland's youngest bishop in 1939. During the Second World War he was appointed "ordinary" of the American forces in Ireland, a kind of bishop away from home, and his services were recognized by the award of the United States Medal of Freedom. |
| Joseph O'Doherty | 1939-1943 | Ordained 1919. A talented ventriloquist and prestidigitator Sleight of hand Sleight of hand, also known as prestidigitation or legerdemain, is the set of techniques used by a magician to manipulate objects such as cards and coins secretly.... . |
| Eugene O'Doherty | 1943-1944 | Ordained 1921. He received a D.D. for his thesis, Doctrinal Process and its Laws. His is the shortest presidency on record as he was appointed Bishop of Dromore within months of his assuming the post. |
| Patrick McDowell | 1944-1950 | Ordained 1925. He received a D.D. for his postgraduate work on The Church and Economics at Dunboyne House. Appointed a domestic prelate with the rank of monsignor in 1966. |
| Anthony McFeely | 1950-1959 | Ordained in Rome in 1932. Noted for his patronage of the school plays and musicals of the time. Consecrated as Bishop of Raphoe in 1965. |
| John Farren | 1959-1969 | Ordained 1941. Appointed immediately after ordination to the College staff he was to serve for almost thirty years, presiding over the planning for the move of the Senior School to Buncrana Road. |
| James Coulter | 1969-1983 | Ordained in 1943. Became official diocesan historian. Noted for his expansion of the curriculum to include German, Spanish, Economics and Accounts and for his careful management of the school through civil strife. He was made a Prelate of Honour but he refused the offer of an OBE. |
| Ignatius McQuillan | 1983-1990 | Studied at St. Columb's College, St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, and took sabbatical leave in 1983 at the University of Oxford University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096... . Noted for his successful introduction of the new GCSE system. He later helped found Lumen Christi Grammar School. |
| John R Walsh | 1990-1999 | Author of A History of the Irish Church (500-700), Noble Story and Religion: The Irish Experience which is a necessary source book for the new RE syllabus in the Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,... .Noted for his consolidation of the school on the new Buncrana Road campus. |
| Eamon Martin | 2000-2008 | Studied at St. Columb's College, St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, Queen's University, Belfast, University of Cambridge University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally... and the Institute of Education in London. Noted for his huge emphasis on staff training and the preparation of St. Columb's for the coming changes in post primary education. |
| Sean McGinty | 2008-present | First lay principal of St. Columb's College. |