St Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar School (St Mary's CBGS) is a Roman Catholic boys' grammar school in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
History
The origins of the school can be traced to St Mary's School which was established in Divis Street by the Irish Christian Brothers in 1866. The Brothers had been invited by Patrick Dorrian, Bishop of Down and Connor, to educate the working class children of the area. In 1929, a new secondary school was built in the nearby Barrack Street. The students were largely drawn from the surrounding district but also began to attract some from across Belfast and wider afield. Due to the growing student population, it was decided in the 1960s to build a new school. This opened in a site off the Glen Road in 1968.
The Barrack Street campus remained in use until 1998 when all students were accommodated in the greatly extended school on the Glen Road. The original building on Barrack Street is now known as the Westcourt Centre and provides a range of educational and community services. Edmund Ignatius Rice who founded the Irish Christian Brothers was born in Westcourt, Callan, County Kilkenny. In 2012, the Barrack Street building was listed as a 'building of special architectural or historic interest' by the Department of the Environment.
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).
List of Principals
Br. Magee
Br J.M. Murphy: c.1967-1970
Br. O’Neill (Stoneface): c.1973-1976
Br. D.M. McCrohan: c.1976-1986
Br. Larry Ennis: c.1986-1990
Br. Leo Kelly: c.1990-1992
Br. Denis Gleeson: c.1992-1996
Mr. Michael Crilly: 1996-97 (Acting) Mr. Kevin Burke (An tUas. Caoimhín de Búrca): 1997-2008 Mr. Jim Sheerin: 2008-2014 Mr. John Martin: 2014-2018 Mrs. Siobhán Kelly: 2019–present
Facilities
The school is located on a large site on the lower slopes of the Black Mountain. Besides various teaching classrooms it also has computer suites, a technology suite; art studios, music suite, science laboratories, as well as a large lecture theatre, an assembly hall and canteen. For sports, there are fifteen acres of playing field, including a 3G pitch, and an athletics track. Indoors, there is a gymnasium and a swimming pool.
Academics
The school provides instruction in a broad range of academic subjects. At the advanced level students are prepared for exams in Applied Business, Business Communication Systems, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics, ICT, Computing, Art & Design, Geography, History, Religious Studies, Politics, English Literature, Drama, Irish, Music, Sports Studies, Media Studies, Home Economics, French, Spanish Travel and Leisure. St Mary's also offer a double award science option and a further maths option which pupils are chosen for.
in 2018, 81% of its entrants achieved five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C, including the core subjects English and Maths.
79% of its students who sat the A-level exams in 2021/22 were awarded three A*-C grades. In addition, there was a 100% per cent pass rate at grades A* to C or equivalent for students who entered BTEC Extended Certificate in IT, Art and Design, Biology, Chemistry, Finance, French, Further Mathematics, Physics, Technology and Sport.
In 2022, the school decided to abandon academic selection for entry.
In 2022, the school produced a special video that described its academic and other activities. It featured a song called Hang on to Tomorrow that was written by the poet Francis O’Hare and performed by Mrs Claire Wright, Head of Religious Studies. Paul Lavery, Head of Drama, wrote and produced the video together with Mr David Guiney, music and drama teacher.
Sport
Gaelic Games
The school hurling team has the Mageean Cup a total of 28 times - the most in the competition. It won the title five times in succession in the 1990s and again three times since 2010. St. Marys also completed an Ulster Colleges double in 2008 winning both the Mageean Cup and the MacLarnon Cup for the first time in the school's history after beating St Columbs (Derry) 1–7 to 0–8 in the final at Healy Park in Omagh on St Patrick's Day.
The school has also had sustained success in handball and Gaelic football.