St Comhghall's Secondary School

Coordinates: 54°15′40″N 7°27′11″W / 54.261°N 7.453°W / 54.261; -7.453

St. Comhghall's College is a Roman Catholic co-educational school providing secondary level education to pupils from age 12 to 18 years. The school is situated outside Lisnaskea, a small town in Co. Fermanagh Northern Ireland. The College opened in September 1970.^[1]

The college is named after St. Comhghall an early Irish saint based on Lough Erne. The college motto is "Pray and Work Together".

The current student roll is 497, most of the students reside in Lisnaskea, Maguiresbridge, Newtownbutler, the Knocks and Donagh. The current principal of the college is Gary Kelly and the current vice principal is Brian Armitage^[2]

Sport

Sport plays a vital part in the day-to-day life of a St. Comhghall's Student and all sport is encouraged at the school. St. Comhghall's College made local headlines in 1996 after the Under 16 boys team won the All-Ireland. In 2006 the Under 16 girls team made it to the final in the All Ireland.^[3][4]In 2014/15 the U16 boys won the Fermanagh GAA schools championship, which was played in derrylin.

Academics and the Curriculum

In years 8 to 10 the college provides Key Stage 3 education, then from years 11 to 12 the college provides a selection of GCSEs (see table below) and finally in years 13 to 14 the college provides a selection of A Levels (see table below).The college has been noted in the media for having a 100% pass rate at A-Level, meaning all students who studied A-Levels and at the college achieved at least a grade C.^[5]At GCSE the school has also had a 100% pass rate meaning all pupils achieved 5 or more GCSEs grades A*-C ranking it as Northern Ireland's best achieving post primary school.

College Principals

Mr. Pearse Mulligan served as college principal from the opening of the school in 1970 until 1982. Mr. Gary Kelly is the current principal and has been in the post since 2006. Since taking up the position Mr. Kelly has implemented various changes such as introducing more subjects to the school curriculum.^[6]

^[7]

Future Merger

In March 2010 the Northern Ireland Commission for Catholic Education published a report which outlined plans that would seeSt Eugene's College, Rosslea and St. Aidan's High School Derrylin merged into one single college on the site of St. Comhghalls college in Lisnaskea.^[6]

Principal of St. Comhghall's Gary Kelly said regarding the future merger

"It's this proposal or nothing, There's a proposal on the table and if that's the way it's going to go, then that's the way it's going to go. As long as we have the best education provision for all the children here, that's all I am interested in. The staff believe in these plans. There has been no mention at all about the safety of jobs, it hasn't been talked about. I suppose on the grand scale of things, with a proposal like this, there are safeguards in place. That's the important thing in all of this. There are safeguards for parents, for pupils and for staff

^[6]

Visit from the President

The President of Ireland, Mary McAleese and her husband, Dr. Martin McAleese, who has maternal (McElgunn) roots in Fermanagh^[8] paid a visit to St. Comhghalls College on 15 September 2009.

In the President's address to the student body of the college, she recalled the bad old days when people were forced by poverty and politics to emigrate.

The present, however, was different: "By some kind of a miracle, things are beginning to come together", she said, "not by coincidence but by sheer hard work and you young people, you will rove to us and show us the reality which is what Ireland should be like, that there is peace and prosperity. It is going to be an extraordinary Ireland, the best Ireland ever, and you are to be its inheritors and its leaders".^[9]

Notable former pupils

• Gerry McHugh MLA - Independent Politician, Fermanagh County Councillor and MLA.^[10]

Mickey McManus All Ireland tractor/trailer reversing champion 2009 & 2011 went to the school from 1991 to 1996

Mike McManus - Ulster Rugby Player, 2011-Present

See also

• Diocese of Clogher
• List of secondary schools in Northern Ireland
• Lisnaskea
• Maguiresbridge
• Newtownbutler
• Donagh

References

1. ↑ "Past Pupil Guest Book". Stcomhghallscollege.co.uk. 2010-06-07. Retrieved 2011-06-17. 
2. ↑ "Principal's Welcome". Stcomhghallscollege.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-06-17. 
3. ↑ http://www.stcomhghallscollege.co.uk/images/stories/news/prospectus/St_Comhgalls_Prospectus.pdf
4. ↑ "Google Image Result for http://www.clydeandforthmedia.co.uk/img/2010/12/02/1291292086ir20101202p01_cvs2_v01.jpg". Google.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-06-17.  External link in |title= (help)
5. ↑ http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:_V3S9MILf1YJ:www.impartialreporter.com/news/roundup/articles/2010/08/26/392095-bar-of-excellence-raised-again/print+gary+kelly+st.+comhghall's&cd=11&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk
6. 1 2 3 "Nine into four must go / News / Roundup / Articles / Impartial Reporter". Impartialreporter.com. Retrieved 2011-06-17. 
7. ↑ "Catholic Education". Catholiceducation-ni.com. Retrieved 2011-06-17. 
8. ↑ http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:UMK9Wv16KXoJ:www.comhairle.org/article.php%3Fid%3D38+president+mcaleese+lisnaskea&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk
9. ↑ "Print Page". Clones Erne East. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2011-06-17. 
10. ↑ "Profile". Gerrymchughconstituencyoffice.com. 2011-02-18. Retrieved 2011-06-17. 

• http://www.stcomhghallscollege.co.uk