St Colman's College, Newry

Enrolment

It currently has almost 900 students attending. Current principal Mr Cormac McKinney, is the first lay principal in the College's history.

St. Colman's is renowned in Irish sport as a particular nursery for Gaelic footballers for both Down and Armagh. As of 2011, the College's senior Gaelic football team are the Ulster and All-Ireland champions.

Aims of the college

Every boy carries the aims of the College, "Bonitas, Disciplina, Scientia", on his blazer pocket badge:

Gaelic football

The College has a long and distinguished history in Gaelic football winning the premier colleges' trophy, the Hogan Cup, eight times in 1967, 1975, 1986, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2010 and 2011. Only St Jarlath's College, Tuam have won the All-Ireland competition on more occasions. St Colman's College remains the most successful Ulster college winning the prestigious MacRory Cup for the 19th time in 2011.

Other sports

Other sports offered at the College include, but are not limited to:

Clubs

Including, but not limited to: a club and a science club.

Quizzes

St Colman's has a successful history in quizzing, becoming Northern Irish champions on multiple occasions in each of the three main competitions : Junior Schools' Challenge (u-13), Senior Schools' Challenge and the Ulster Schools Quiz.

Orchestra

The school has a sixty-member orchestra, run by the music teachers and with the help of additional instrumental tuition from local musicians. The school also has two string quartets, a flute quintet, a woodwind quintet, a brass quintet and a band. St Colman's also won the 2005, 2013 and 2014 Newry Feis Orchestra group Cup.

Choir

The choir of St Colman's has been actively involved in music making both at a local and national level since its formation in 1987. Throughout that period it has accepted invitations to work with St George’s Singers, Belfast and the Ulster Orchestra. In 1995, the choir accepted an invitation to the Irish College in Paris and Le Bec-Hellouin, mother house of the Order of Saint Benedict of Holy Cross Abbey, Rostrevor.

The choir has extensive experience in radio and television broadcasts. It has taken part in six editions of Morning Service for BBC Radio Ulster, broadcast live from the College's Chapel and St Brigid’s Church, Newry. The trebles have performed live in Broadcasting House, Belfast as part of BBC Radio Ulster’s Sounds Classical. The choir has also recorded with BBC Northern Ireland for the programmes O Little Town and Our Wee World. The choir were winners of the Southern Grammar School Regional Heat of the UTV School Choir of the Year 2005. In that same year, they were invited to take part in the 20th anniversary of Sing Carols which was broadcast on BBC NI and BBC Radio Ulster. Their live BBC Radio Ulster’s performance of Elaine Agnew’s commissioned work Blessed was used on the promotional CD for the European Chamber Orchestra's educational programme throughout the European Union. On December 8, 2012 the choir linked up with past-pupil and former choir member Matt McGinn for a concert in Newry Town Hall.

A distinctive feature of their work is an observance of the school’s traditional link with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dromore . Pupils and past-pupils make a valuable contribution to church music throughout the diocese and beyond and the choir itself serves liturgies at a diocesan level. In September 2010, it was a considerable honour to provide music for the funeral of Dr Francis Gerard Brooks, Bishop Emeritus of Dromore. Organ students of the College also provide music for Sunday liturgies at Holy Cross Benedictine Monastery, Rostrevor.

Notable concert works include:

Organ

The College Chapel proudly holds a two-manual Kenneth Jones pipe organ, which was recently built and installed in the college chapel for the use of the students

Traditional Group

The Traditional Group at the College is not just a music group, it is a social hub that spans across Years 8- 14. The students meet at break-time on Tuesdays and Fridays and the senior students meet during lunch-time on Wednesdays and Fridays. While there is certainly a lot of music shared in the true sense of Irish Traditional Music the craic is often louder than a session in full swing.

The traditional group is pupil led and is very fortunate to have Martin Barry, Paul Fegan and Miceál Mullen at the reins teaching a variety of tunes with a unique flair or flamboyant arrangements and jazzy rhythms.

The traditional group are fortunate to have two All-Ireland standard Uilleann pipers, two button accordion players, two mandolin players, six tin whistlers, a fiddler, a bodhrán player and a guitarist. Several students play more than one instrument allowing the group to explore a number of timbres when making music.

The traditional group are able to produce high quality sets for special occasions and have greatly added to the celebratory atmosphere in the college over the past number of years.

Excursions

The school also regularly engages on trips and excursions. Language students often go to the country whose language they are learning, both as part of an educational trip with the school, and as part of student exchange programmes - such as recent trips to Salamanca, Spain.

In addition to educationally oriented trips, there some other general excursions. An example of this would be the two ski trips that occur every second year for any student interested in going.

There are also numerous field trips connected with educational courses, such as trips to Murlough Nature Reserve, as part of A-Level Geography.

Development

On Monday 14 January 2008, a new development featuring 15 new classrooms and a multi-purpose hall became available for students. A refurbishment of the existing College building and classrooms was completed in 2009, with all classrooms now equipped with interactive whiteboards. In addition to this, the grounds were further developed with two tennis courts, 60 additional car parking spaces for students and teachers, and a hard surface play area.

Previous developments

Notable former pupils