St. Malachy's College

St. Malachy's College (Irish: Coláiste Naomh Maolmhaodhóg) is the oldest Roman Catholic grammar school in the province of Ulster, and the third oldest in Ireland.^[1]

The college was founded in 1833 by Bishop William Crolly with the advent of Catholic Emancipation and the repeal of the penal laws, which had outlawed, among other things, the celebration of the Catholic Mass, and the provision for the education of the Catholics of Ireland. The school is located on the former site of Vicinage Park, just north of Belfast city centre. Its motto is "gloria ab intus" which translates from Latin as "glory from within".

St. Joseph's Seminary, the seminary for the Diocese of Down and Connor,^[2] was situated on the same campus for over a century. This was officially known as the Diocesan Seminary at St Malachy's, and colloquially as "the wing" due to it being a wing of the college building. The Diocesan Seminary moved to the Cliftonville Road during the Christmas holidays of 2012, and has taken the name St. Malachy's Diocesan Seminary, in recognition of both the long-standing connection to the College.

Students

St. Malachy's is a boys' school providing education for approximately 1,200 students aged 11 to 18 with a very wide catchment area. It is the only male, Catholic, grammar school in north Belfast and students come from not only local areas such as Ardoyne and New Lodge, but also suburban and rural towns in County Antrim such as Carrickfergus, Antrim town and Randalstown.

Curriculum

The college today boasts impressive records in both GCSE and A-level examinations, and has had many recent sporting successes, especially in athletics and basketball.^[3] The college is also noted for having a strong music department and was recently designated as the first specialist music college in Northern Ireland.^[4]

Personnel

The current Chairman of the Board of Governors for the College is Sir Gerry Loughran.

Location and campus

College front entrance

Vicinage House, an illustration inside the college, which is on the site of the historically significant house Vicinage

St. Malachy's College is located in the Water Works electoral ward of north Belfast, between two main roads (the A6 Antrim Road and the A52 Crumlin Road), close to where they meet at Carlisle Circus.

The grounds of the College are accessed primarily from a tree-lined avenue on the Antrim Road, which leads to the front quadrangle, known as "the quad". The foremost building, which comprises 3 sides of the quadrangle and faces westward, is the oldest part of the College and dates to its earliest days in the 1830s. 'A' and 'B' blocks, housing the History, Classics and Drama departments, as well as administrative offices, the Library and the Chapel, take up much of these three sides; the remaining rooms consist of priests' apartments, abandoned dormitories and the Upper Study Hall. The more modern St. Joseph's seminary building completes the fourth side of the quadrangle. The College canteen and Music block are also accessed through the front quadrangle.

The concreted back quadrangle, bounded by the College Hall (westward), the gymnasium (northward) and the old building (southward and eastward), has in recent years been enhanced by several flower beds. The Mater Infirmorum hospital, and a small shrine to the Virgin Mary, both overlook the back quadrangle. The College Hall is the focal point of dramatic productions within the College, as well as assemblies and examinations. In recent years, the College's music department has eschewed the College Hall for its annual concerts, in favour of the more acoustically advantaged Ulster Hall in Bedford Street.

Behind the College Hall is 'D' block, completed in the 1960s, and the adjoining 'E' block, completed in the 1970s. Both consist largely of standard classrooms, with the exception of Physics laboratories on the top floor of 'D' block and Biology laboratories on the top floor of 'E' block. Since the 1980s, the second floor of 'E' block has also become home to the Computing department. The school's Lecture Theatre is on the ground floor of 'E' block.

'C' block, located to the north of 'E' block, was opened in the 1990s and replaced a row of temporary classrooms. It now houses the Chemistry, Art and Technology departments.

At the rear of the College grounds is the Sports Hall, the centrepiece of which is a basketball court, renovated in recent years with a multi-purpose hardwood floor. A synthetic pitch, laid in 2006, is adjacent to the Sports Hall. For security reasons, the pitch is surrounded by high walls on three sides, separating the College grounds from the neighbouring Crumlin Road prison (now derelict) and the closing Girdwood British Army barracks on Cliftonpark Avenue.

Notable Alumni

Plaque

• Cardinal Cahal Brendan Daly (1917–2009), Primate of All Ireland.
• Bishop Patrick MacAlister (1826–1895).
• Bishop Henry Henry (1846–1908).
• Bishop John Tohill (1855–1914).
• Bishop Daniel Mageean (1882–1962).
• Bishop Patrick Walsh (1931–).
• Alex Attwood MLA (1959–), Leading member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party.
• Seamus Close OBE (1947–), former Alliance leader.
• Senator Joseph Connolly (1885–1961), Fianna Fáil minister for Posts & Telegraphs, Lands & Fisheries.
• Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, KCMG (1816–1903), Irish nationalist and Australian colonial politician, 8th Premier of Victoria.
• Ciarán Hinds (1953–), film and stage actor.^[1]
• Eamonn Holmes (1959–), television presenter/personality^[1]
• Michael Ingham (1980–), footballer.
• Major John MacBride (1868–1916), Easter Rising rebel.
• Tánaiste Sean MacEntee TD (1889–1984), Fianna Fáil minister for Finance, Health and TD for Dublin.
• Bernard MacLaverty (1942–), writer.
• Michael MacLaverty (1904–1992), novelist.
• Professor Eoin MacNeill (1867–1945), Speaker of Dáil Éireann and Irish Government Minister.
• Alban Maginness BL, MLA (1950–), the first nationalist Lord Mayor of Belfast).
• Kevin Mallon violinist and conductor. Son of Mary Mallon, former teacher at the college and Ken Mallon, well-known Belfast doctor.
• Alex Maskey (1952–), first republican Lord Mayor of Belfast.
• Henry McDonald, journalist.
• Tim McGarry (1964–), comedian and member of the Hole in the Wall Gang.
• Michael McKillop (1990–), Irish middle distance runner and Paralympic gold medallist.
• Brian Moore (1921–1999), novelist.^[1]
• Stephen Morrow (1970–), footballer (formerly of Arsenal).
• Denis Murray OBE (1951–), journalist.
• Sir Oliver Napier (1935–2011), former Alliance Party of Northern Ireland leader.
• Bill Neely (1959–), journalist.
• Séan Neeson (1946–), former leader of Alliance Party of Northern Ireland.
• Martin O'Neill OBE (1952–), former Celtic and Aston Villa soccer manager.^[1]
• Sir Charles Russell (1832–1900), 19th century Lord Chief Justice of England.
• Pat Sheehan (1958–), participant in the 1981 Irish hunger strike.
• Robert McLiam Wilson (1966–), novelist.

Notable events since 2007

• The cross-country athletics team took gold at the All-Ireland Schools' Championships.
• The college's orchestra and choir visited Washington D.C. in April 2007.
• Trevor Ringland, MBE (solicitor, politician, former Irish rugby winger and Irish Rugby F.U. committee member) joined with sporting pupils, past and present, from neighbouring schools, to launch the £3.7 million "Sharing Education Programme", which aims to bring Specialist schools in full contact with their local communities in November 2007.
• The College celebrated its 175th Anniversary in April 2008 with a concert at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. It also gathered the students and staff together in the College "Quad" area for a special photo which has not been taken in over 50 years for the college.
• Over the mid-term of the autumn term in 2008 the pupils involved in the senior choir and chamber orchestra made pilgrimages to Rome and Vatican City as part of its 175th anniversary celebrations.

Current members of staff

• Principal: Paul McBride, succeeded David Lambon (2011–2014) to become the third Principal and non-clerical head of St Malachy's College, all previous heads of the school having held the title President and been ordained Catholic priests.
• Vice Principals: Deirdre McCusker and Lois Stewart
• Rector: The Very Rev. Michael Spence

Former Presidents

Bishop Patrick Walsh (former President of the college)

• The Very Rev. Canon John McMullan, B.A., B.D. 1940–1950
• The Very Rev. Patrick Kerr B.A., Ph.B., S.T.L. 1950-1960. Previously French and Latin Master
• The Very Rev. Canon Walter Larkin, B.A., S.T.L. 1960-1970. Previously Dean of the Seminary and Mathematics Master
• The Very Rev. Canon Patrick Walsh, M.A., S.T.L. 1970-1983. Previously Chaplain to Queen's University, Belfast
• The Very Rev. Canon Noel Conway, B.Sc., B.D. 1983–1995. Previously Head of Physics
• The Very Rev. Donal McKeown, B.A., S.T.L., M.B.A. 1995–2001 Previously Dean of the Seminary and Religious Studies Teacher

See also

• Malachians F.C.

References

External links

• St Malachy's College
• St Malachy's College Old Boys' Association
• Documentary about former students of St. Malachy’s College in the 1960s and 1970s on YouTube, TG4, 2012.