St Columb's College

St Columb's College is a Roman Catholic boys' grammar school in Derry, Northern Ireland. It is named after Saint Columba, the Irish 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), but later moved to the Buncrana Road in the suburbs of the city. The College has a student population of over 1500 - which makes it the largest Catholic Boys School in Europe. Colloquially, the school’s name is often shortened to "The College".

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 football, basketball and has produced many athletes.

From September 2008, for the first time in Saint Columb's 128 year history, a lay person will become the President - taking over from Rev. Eamonn Martin after 8 years as President. It was announced in May that the College's new President would be Mr. Sean McGinty, the current Vice President with responsibility for Pastoral matters.

Nobel Prize winners

The school is one of the few schools in the world that can claim two Nobel laureates amongst its alumni:
*Seamus Heaney - Nobel Literature Prize, 1995
*John Hume - Nobel Peace Prize, 1998

Notable alumni

The college makes an annual award to "a past-pupil who has achieved something of major significance or has made a considerable contribution in his own field". [ St. Columb's College [http://www.stcolumbs.com/Portal.aspx?tabindex=395&tabid=4073&parentid=3731 Alumni Illustrissimi] , accessed 7 September 2006] Past winners of the award are as follows:

*1994 The Most Reverend Dr. Edward Daly
*1995 John Hume, former M.P., M.E.P.
*1996 Seamus Heaney, poet
*1997 Brian Friel, playwright
*1998 Professor Sean Mullan
*1999 Monsignor Brendan Devlin, cleric
*2000 Sir James Doherty
*2001 Professor Raymond Flannery, physicist
*2002 Martin O'Neill, football manager
*2003 Phil Coulter, composer
*2004 Honouring all alumni
*2005 James Sharkey, diplomat
*2006 Sir Liam McCollum, Lord Justice of Appeal in Northern Ireland
*2007 Peter McCullagh/John Toland, mathematicians

Other alumni and names associated with St Columb's include:
*Finbar Madden - Cameo role in "james bond, Quantum of Solace"
*Liam Ball - Irish Olympic swimmer
*Eamon Burns - Gaelic Athletic Association footballer
*Tony Connelly - RTÉ European Correspondent
*Peter Cunnah - pop musician
*Seamus Deane - poet and novelist
*Mark Durkan - Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Leader/politician/MP
*Darron Gibson - footballer
*Seamus Mallon - rugby player
*Martin Meenan - Playwright and Romantic
*Eamonn McCann - political activist
*Mark McFadden - television journalist
*Brian McGilloway - author
*Seosamh Mac Grianna - writer
*Gerard McSorley - actor
*Marcás Ó' Murchú - folk musician
*Richie Kavanagh - comical entertainer
*Paul McLoone - musician
*Brian Dooher - (GAA star) - All Ireland winning captain

External links

* [http://www.stcolumbs.com St Columb's College Official Website]

References