St Mary’s, Divis Street/John St
Four Christian Brothers arrived in Belfast on 3rd November 1866, Louis Caton, Thomas Neaton, Alipius Maguire and John Ennis. Their first school, St Mary’s, Divis St was opened on the 12th November 1866 where 350 pupils were taught in four classrooms. Many more could not be accommodated. The school became known as a school for “the ragged Arabs of the Lower Falls”.
As the years went on, more and more pupils were given a secondary school education and hence the need to build St Mary’s, Barrack Street which opened in 1929.
FORMER TEACHERS
PAST PUPILS
Michael Mac Conaill, Sean MacEntee, Albert Sharpe,
1920s
Walter Barkley, Patrick Barker, Patrick Begley, Thomas Bermingham, Andrew J V Bready, Charles A B Bready, Arthur J Byrne, Edward E Campbell, Michael R Campbell, Joseph B Clancy, John A Clarke, Peter E Cosgrove, Thomas C G Courtney, Gerald Cunningham, Brian Lady, Henry J Gallagher, Joseph G Hill, James Kelly, James Lappin, George Leonard, Joseph Lenzi, Donal McFarland, Patrick P McFarland, Desmond McGranaghan, Patrick J McGrogan, Hugh McRandal, James McRandal, Thomas McKeith, Matthew McNaughton, Desmond O’Boyle, Gerald Scanlon, Joseph Skelton,
1930s
Michael McFarland,
1940s
Oliver Campbell, Gerard Conlon, John Conlon, Seamas Conlon, Eamon Regan,
1950s
Michael Clifford,
Frank Donnelly: Former Principal of St. John the Baptist Primary School. Primary school: St Mary’s CBS and the to St Mary’s Grammar, Barrack St. Divis St. Footballer and hurler.
Tom Donnelly: Played hurling and football for St Mary’s CB Primary and Grammar and played on a Belfast select team against Dublin selects. His first teaching position was at St Malachy’s PS on the New Lodge Road and later moved to Sacred Heart PS (Old Park) were he served as Principal for a number of years prior to his retirement.
