Methodist College Belfast
It was founded in 1865 by the Methodist Church in Ireland and is one of eight Northern Irish schools represented on the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.[2] The college was ranked just outside the top 100 in the United Kingdom and 19th in Northern Ireland in the 2023 The Sunday Times Parent Power Best UK Schools Guide, which ranks schools based on GCSE and GCE Advanced Level examination results, truancy rates and pupil destinations.[3] A 2001 profile of the College in The Guardian as part of a article on possible changes to post-primary education in Northern Ireland report as having "the feel and confidence of a good public school".[4] In rugby, the college has won both the Ulster Schools Cup and the Medallion Shield a record 37 times outright.[6] The Chapel Choir has performed in Westminster Abbey and the Carnegie Hall as well as during Queen Elizabeth II's visit to the Republic of Ireland.[8] The college has links with Belfast Harlequins, the successor of the former sports club for staff and past pupils, Collegians.The present site of the college, near Queen's University Belfast on the Malone Road, was purchased by James Carlisle and offered to the committee on the same terms.In an attempt to provide classroom space to a growing student population, the college purchased second-hand American Hospital Huts which were erected across the school in 1921.[20] Around this time with the theological students gone and the Headmaster moved out of his rooms to College Gardens, the Main Building was remodelled to better accommodate boarders.In 1932 the college purchased Pirrie Park from Harland and Wolff with the financial aid of William Fullerton and Hugh Turtle.Due to governmental restrictions no significant building work took place in the college during the Second World War; this included maintenance.16 members of staff and over 1000 former pupils joined the reserve forces, including the Territorial Army and RNVSR and saw active service.[22] Until the end of the war and food rationing, Pirrie Park was cultivated to grow crops along with raising hens and ducks.This building was named after Methody alumnus Ernest Walton, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics for splitting the atom.[11] Further developments were made to sporting facilities when the David Wells Pavilion, named after the college's former director of Rugby, was opened at Pirrie Park.Sawyer[32] confidenter oro, celebrent Collegium carmine canoro; optimum pulcherrimum ludum qui habemus, hilari, laetissimo cantu celebremus.[70] The Senior Chorus consisted of every pupil from Fourth Form to Upper Sixth; they performed choral works at some events throughout the year.When Henry Willis was Director of Music at Methody from 1957 to 1966, large scale choral works were undertaken by the Senior School, which continued under William McCay.Dr Joe McKee OBE was Director of Music from 1991 to 2002, and he arranged for the Senior Chorus to sing in public performances outside the college.With the Director of Music, Ruth McCartney MBE, the Senior Chorus learned one large-scale choral work each year, starting in September.[77] The college possesses its own artificial turf pitch, located at Belfast Harlequins on the Malone Road.[78] The most recent success for the Boys' Hockey Club was the U14 XI winning the All Ireland Championship in 2015, along with the Ferris Cup and Bannister Bowl in 2014.In January 2007, Boys' first XI player Douglas Montgomery was selected to represent the school as part of a delegation from Belfast Harlequins that met with President Mary McAleese in Phoenix Park, Dublin.The girls last won the Senior Schoolgirls Cup competition in 2016, beating Sullivan Upper School 1–0 in the final, with Katie Larmour scoring the only goal of the game.In June 2018, the MCB J16 8 won the Craig Challenge Cup,[84] a very prestigious and major rowing competition for clubs and schools.The event is the Ulster championship for Junior 16 eights with Methody being crowned victorious 16 times in its 59 years of running.In 2005, a further delegation attended the North American Invitational Model United Nations Conference, hosted by Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.Past pupils Brian Kerr, Tom Clarke, Angela Corry and Roger Beckett have also represented Ireland at Chess Olympiads.Brian Kelly is the only Methody alumnus to have won the Irish Chess Championship (in 1995 and 2007)—Tom Clarke having come close, but losing on Tiebreak.[98] Downey House was opened in 1933 following the purchase of Pirrie Park from Harland and Wolff, as the college playing fields.
Malone RoadBelfast, County AntrimCoordinatesgrammarMethodist Church in IrelandEducation AuthorityCo-educationalPreparatory schoolsNobel laureatesErnest Waltongrammar schoolBelfastNorthern IrishHeadmasters' and Headmistresses' ConferenceIndependent Schools CouncilThe Sunday TimesGCE Advanced LevelThe Guardianpublic schoolUlster Schools CupMedallion ShieldSongs of PraiseSainsbury'sWestminster AbbeyCarnegie HallQueen Elizabeth II's visit to the Republic of IrelandLondonHong KongBelfast HarlequinsCollegiansregistered charityDublinWesley CollegeKingswood SchoolPortadownWilliam McArthurCincinnaticholeraQueen's University BelfastJoseph Fogerty & Sonporter's lodgeLisburn RoadCharles LanyonRoyal University of IrelandSir William McArthurSir Thomas Newenham DeaneThomas Manly DeaneFirst World WarMarquess of LondonderryWilliam BedellRobert Stewart, Viscount CastlereaghWilliam Thomson, Lord KelvinLord WellingtonHarland and WolffSir William WhitlaTerritorial ArmyBelfast BlitzStranmillisthe Duchess of KentPrincess AlexandraThe TroublesGovernor of Northern IrelandLord ErskineCorpus Christi College, CambridgePrime Minister of Northern IrelandTerence O'NeillSir Roger BannisterNobel Prize in Physicsacademic selectionWilliam ArthurMethodist ConferenceRoyal High School, EdinburghSir Thomas Rich's SchoolmodernistvorticistChurch of Irelandlay preacherSt Catharine's College, Cambridgethe Royal School, ArmaghUniversity of UlsterBelfast Institute of Further and Higher EducationCecilia GallowayRoyal Latin SchoolBuckinghamshireRegent House, NewtownardsAntrim Grammar SchoolJohn Anderson HartleyVice ChancellorUniversity of AdelaideJ. W. R. CampbellQueen's University of BelfastParliament of Southern IrelandJames JohnstonArchdeacon of GibraltarDavid BleakleyNorthern Ireland Labour PartyMinister for Community RelationsMember of the Northern Ireland AssemblyRussell GroupUniversity of CambridgeUniversity of OxfordImperial College LondonUniversity of DurhamVarsityUniversity of Cambridge'sKarl Jenkins'sQueen Elizabeth's visitMillennium DomeVienna Boys' ChoirViennacoronation of Charles III and CamillaOxfordCambridgeWaterfront HallPhilip StopfordSullivan Upper SchoolUlster Schools' CupWallace High SchoolBlackrock CollegehockeyBurney CupIrish schools championsMary McAleeseSenior Schoolgirls CupWorld War IIHead of the River Races