Abbey Christian Brothers' Grammar School Explained

Abbey Christian Brothers' Grammar School, Newry
Streetaddress:	77a Ashgrove Road
Established:	, current site – 2010
City:	Newry
County:	County Down
Postcode:	BT34 1QN
Country:	Northern Ireland
Religious Affiliation:	Roman Catholic
Gender:	Male
Lower Age:	11
Upper Age:	18
Schooltype:	Boys Grammar
Principal:	Gina Savage
Staff:	80 approx.
Enrollment:	800
Newspaper:	The Abbey Way
Status:	Christian Brothers' Grammar School

The Abbey Christian Brothers' Grammar School (Irish: Scoil na Mainistreach, Iúr Cinn Trá^[1]) is a voluntary day school for boys aged 11 – 18 years in Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland.

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.^[2] 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.^[3]

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.^[4] As of 2019, 77.2% of students who sat the A-level exams were awarded three A*-C grades.^[5]

Achievements

• Winners of the NI Regional Senior Schools Quiz Challenge (general knowledge quiz) 2011–2018.^[6]
• The Hogan All Ireland Gaelic Schools Cup 2006.^[7]
• Winners of the Senior UK Schools Quiz Challenge (general knowledge quiz) 2002.
• Winners of the MacRory Cup (Gaelic football competition): 1954, 1959, 1964, 1987, 2006.^{[8] [9]}
• Runners-up of the BM Quizzing Championships (NI Schools General Knowledge Quizzing Championships) 2022/2023.^[10]

Notable former pupils

• Frank Aiken (1898-1983) 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)
• Séamus Mallon (1936-2020), Member of Parliament (MP) for Newry & Armagh (1986-2005), Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Deputy Leader (1979-2001) and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland (1998-2001).^[11]
  • Mickey Brady (b. 1950), Sinn Féin MP for Newry and Armagh (UK Parliament constituency) Art Cosgrove (b. 1940), Irish historian, writer; Chancellor, University College Dublin
• Denis Donoghue (1928-2021), Irish writer
• Kevin McKernan (b. 1987), Down GAA Gaelic footballer
• Peter McVerry (b. 1944), poverty campaigner
• Eunan O'Neill (b. 1982), television presenter (Russia Today)
• Seán O'Neill (b. 1938), Gaelic footballer^[12]
• Ronan Rafferty (b. 1964), Irish golfer
• Patrick Shea (1908-1986), Northern Irish civil servant^[13]
• Gerard Murphy (1948-2018) – actor
• Oisín McConville (born 1975) – Gaelic footballer^[12]
• Joe Kernan (born 1954) – Gaelic footballer^[12]

See also

• List of secondary schools in Belfast

External links

• Abbey Christian Brothers' Grammar School
• BM Quizzing Championships

Notes and References

1. Web site: Welcome to the Abbey Grammar School . 4 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201125161922/https://www.abbeycbs.org/ . 25 November 2020.
2. Web site: Boyle. Fabian. Three Cheers For "The Good Old Abbey Boys". Newry Memories. 7 May 2014.
3. Web site: The Abbey Grammar School. 6 December 2019.
4. Web site: Belfast Telegraph GCSE 2018. 22 September 2018.
5. Web site: Belfast Telegraph A-Level: Northern Ireland School League Tables 2019. 21 March 2019.
6. Web site: Quizzes . 2022-12-09 . Abbey CBS Grammar School Newry . en.
7. News: Cummiskey . Gavin . 2006-05-02. Abbey best in classic clash. The Irish Times . Dublin . 2024-02-21.
8. Web site: MacRory Cup . 2024-02-21. Ulster Schools GAA . en.
9. Web site: Football . 2022-12-09 . Abbey CBS Grammar School Newry . en.
10. Web site: Champions2022 . 2022-12-09 . bmquizzing.com . en-US.
11. Web site: Seamus Mallon obituary . theguardian.com . 24 January 2020 . 1 July 2024 .
12. Web site: Football . abbeycbs.org . 2003 . 1 July 2024 .
13. Web site: Abbey CBGS . ERST NI . Edmund Rice Schools Trust . 15 November 2021.