Abbey Christian Brothers' Grammar School
The Abbey Christian Brothers' Grammar School is a voluntary day school for boys aged 11 – 18 years in Newry, County Armagh, Northern Ireland.
| Abbey Christian Brothers' Grammar School, Newry | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
77a Ashgrove Road Northern Ireland Newry , County Armagh , BT34 1QN Northern Ireland | |
| Coordinates | 9"N 6°19'41.5"W |
| Information | |
| School type | Boys Grammar |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Opened | Current Site - 2010 |
| Status | Christian Brothers' Grammar School |
| School board | Education Authority (South Eastern) |
| Principal | Mr Sean Sloan, B.Ed. M.Ed |
| Staff | 80 approx. |
| Gender | Male |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
| Enrollment | 800 |
| Houses | Breffni, Donard, Iveagh, Oriel, Slemish |
| School colour(s) | |
| Sports | Gaelic Football, Basketball, Rugby |
| Newspaper | The Abbey Way |
| Website | www |
History
The school was established in 1851 by members of the Congregation of Christian Brothers. It was named after a Cistercian Abbey founded on the site by St Malachy in 1144. Since then the school had been located at several sites around Newry including Chapel Street, Kilmorey Street, the Carstands at Margaret Street and the Mall, then on to Abbey Yard.[1] From 1966 to 2010 it was located at Courtenay Hill. In 2010, it moved to a new £18 million building on the outskirts of Newry. The school gives its name to many streets surrounding the former site such as Abbey Yard and Abbey Heights.[2]
The school was originally entirely run by the Irish Christian Brothers, but in the late twentieth century their numbers declined and the school is now entirely staffed by lay teachers. It is now under the trusteeship of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust (NI).
Academics
The school provides instruction in a range of academic subjects. In 2018, 94.5% of its entrants achieved five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C, including the core subjects English and Maths.[3]
77.2% of its students who sat the A-level exams were awarded three A*-C grades.[4]
Notable former pupils
- Frank Aiken TD, Irish Republican Army commander, Tánaiste and served as Minister for Defence (1932–39), Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures (1939–45), Minister for Finance (1945–48) and Minister for External Affairs (1951–54; 1957–69)
- Mickey Brady, Sinn Féin MP for Newry and Armagh (UK Parliament constituency).
- Art Cosgrove, Irish historian, writer; Chancellor, University College Dublin
- Denis Donoghue, Irish writer
- Joe Kernan, Gaelic football manager
- Kevin McKernan, Down GAA Gaelic footballer
- Séamus Mallon, Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) politician and former Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland
- Eunan O'Neill, Television presenter (Russia Today)
- Seán O'Neill, Gaelic footballer
- Ronan Rafferty, Irish golfer
- Patrick Shea, Northern Irish civil servant
- Peter McVerry, poverty campaigner
References
- Boyle, Fabian. "Three Cheers For "The Good Old Abbey Boys"". Newry Memories. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
- "The Abbey Grammar School". Retrieved 6 December 2019.
- "Belfast Telegraph GCSE 2018". Retrieved 22 September 2018.
- "Belfast Telegraph A-Level: Northern Ireland School League Tables 2019". Retrieved 21 March 2019.