1. History

2. New era

3. Sports

4. Recent events

5. Notable former teaching staff

6. Notable former pupils

7. References

8. External links

Mrs Oonagh McKeogh

Rathmore Grammar School, normally referred to simply as "Rathmore", is a Catholic grammar school in Finaghy, Belfast, Northern Ireland. The current principal is Thérèse Hamilton who succeeded Sr. Ursula Canavan as principal at the beginning of academic year 2009/10. It is one of the leading grammar schools in Northern Ireland and is one of the top four over subscribed schools in the country.{{Citation needed|date=March 2019}}

Rathmore is situated in Kingsway, Finaghy, Belfast, behind the St. Anne's "campus", consisting of St. Anne's Primary School, Parish Church, and Parish Centre.

Rathmore Grammar School is paired with the Nicolaus-Cusanus-Gymnasium in Bonn and Colegio de San Jose in Madrid.{{Citation needed|date=March 2019}}

History

Rathmore began as a stately home, built by Belfast businessman Victor Coates for his family, but the house was passed to the local Bishop who in turn sold it to the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary. The RSHM used the house as a convent, where they began a school for girls. Sometime later, a major development project surrounded the convent with school buildings.{{Citation needed|date=March 2019}}

New era

More recently, a new school building was designed by a past pupil of the school. The new building was completed in time for the school year beginning September 2005. This project included the restoration of the convent, which now houses History, Politics and Religious Education.{{Citation needed|date=March 2019}}

It is a Promethean Centre of Excellence, one of two in Belfast.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

In 2015, it was awarded the 'Sunday Times School of the Year' award. It was the first year that the school had entered the competition.{{Citation needed|date=March 2019}}

in 2019 the school was ranked 10th out of 159 secondary schools in Northern Ireland with 89.0% of its A-level students who sat the exams in 2017/18 being awarded three A*-C grades.^[1]

In 2018 it was ranked 20th in Northern Ireland for its GCSE performance with 98.3% of its entrants receiving five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C, including the core subjects English and Maths.^[2]

Sports

Rathmore has a history in Gaelic games, winning the All-Ireland senior C title in 2006/7.{{Citation needed|date=September 2018}} Within Ulster, Rathmore has competed in the McLarnon Cup in Gaelic football and the Casement Cup in hurling, winning both in 2008 and 2012 respectively. In 2010, Rathmore 4th years won the Leopold Cup in hurling, defeating Belfast neighbors St. Malachy's in the final.They have also tasted success in basketball with the u16 boys winning the Northern Ireland Cup in 2012 and finishing 2nd place the previous year. And recently with football Winning the Lisburn cup, the league and the Belfast cup with the 4th years doing this in 2016.^[3]

Recent events

In October 2006, past pupil Maeve Kilpatrick won the UK multimedia presentation category of the DYP 2006 competition, with her Microsoft PowerPoint presentation about her art campaign in the school the previous year. The presentation incorporated pictures, music and dialogue which she performed herself. Maeve and Mrs Keag, the art teacher who oversaw the entry, went to Brussels in November 2006 as part of their prize.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

Rathmore has also had success in the Sentinus Engineering Education Scheme working with local company Phoenix Natural Gas and run by Physics teacher Mr Kieran Doherty. In 2005, the team composed of Caron Malone, Daniel Evans and Barbara Fleming swept the Seagate young innovators competition winning, most notably, the Intel award of excellence and going on to win a trip to the United States to represent Ireland in the next stage of the competition - Intel ISEF. They also had success in 2006, winning the Young engineers for Britain competition for 17- to 19-year -lds.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

In September 2007, Rathmore closed its Amnesty International branch in response to a change in Amnesty International's policy on abortion.^[4]

It was revealed in March 2009 that Sister Ursula Canavan would step down from her post. She was succeeded by vice-principal Mrs. Hamilton who assumed her role as principal of Rathmore in August 2009. Sister Ursula Canavan was the last of the nuns from the Sacred Heart of Mary to have been principal of the school.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

In April 2010, the school debating team (Conor Heaney and Davin Clarke) won the Northern Ireland Schools Debating Championship, defeating the team from the Royal Belfast Academical Institution in the final at Stormont. It was the first time a team from the school had reached the final of the competition. They spoke in Opposition to the motion 'This House Would Welcome Being Part of a European Federal State'. In 2012, another debating team (Brendan Kelters and Christopher Matthews) progressed to the semi-finals, with Brendan nominated for the competition's Best Speaker award. Christopher was nominated the following year and was placed runner up.{{Citation needed|date=March 2019}}

In March 2013, Rathmore hosted a world record attempt for the most people simultaneously wearing paper hats. This was held in connection with the school's annual Trócaire campaign.{{Citation needed|date=March 2019}}

Northern Irish footballer and Linfield F. C. captain Michael Gault taught Physical Education at the school as part of his PGCE placement.{{Citation needed|date=March 2019}}

Notable former teaching staff

• Bairbre de Brún, Sinn Féin MEP^[5]
• Davy Hyland, Former Sinn Féin MLA^[6]
• Maire Hendron, Alliance Party politician and current Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast

Notable former pupils

• Mairéad Farrell, (1957 - 1988) - IRA volunteer, killed in Gibraltar in 1988 by the British SAS as part of Operation Flavius
• Vivian Campbell (b. 1962) - rock guitarist with DIO, Def Leppard, Sweet Savage, Trinity, Whitesnake, Riverdogs, Shadow King, and as of 2010 Thin Lizzy
• Mairtin Crawford (1967 - 2004) - writer
• Claire Hanna (b. 1980) - politician
• Laura Donnelly (born 1982) - actress

References

External links

• Official Website

• Gardiner Historic District (Gardiner, Oregon)
• Gardiner, James
• Gardiner, John
• Gardiner Lyceum
• Gardiner Mines, Nova Scotia
• Gardiner Museum of Ceramics
• Gardiner Professor of Music, Glasgow
• Gardiner Public Library
• Gardiner railway station, Melbourne
• Gardiner's Battery
• Gardiner Schoolhouse
• Gardiner's Island, New York
• Gardiner Sisters
• Gardiner spring resolutions
• Gardiner Spring Resolutions
• Gardiner's Seychelles Frog
• Gardiner Street Church
• Gardiner, William
• Gardiner Wright Mansion
• Gardin-e Sofla
• Gardinesti
• Gardinia amynitica
• Gardinia anopla
• Gardinia boliviensis
• Gardinia magnifica