Ballymena Academy
Encyclopedia
Ballymena Academy is a mixed grammar school located in the market town of Ballymena
in County Antrim
, Northern Ireland
. It was founded in the early nineteenth century as a small provincial school for children in the town and surrounding agricultural hinterland.
The school motto is Tenax Propositi meaning Steadfast in Purpose.
Its current headmaster is J. Ronnie Hassard who joined the school in 2004 after the retirement of Mr Peter F. Martin.
, who gave the 1 acres (4,046.9 m²) of ground on which the original school was built, itself represented by the blue rectangle below. The ant represents hard work. The badger on the crest, accompanied by a lamp representing learning, is a pun on 'Brocklamont', site of the new school buildings, with 'brock' being an archaic word for badger. Sporting or academic achievement is recognised by the award of a similar but distinctive coat of arms worn on the school blazer and Honors Ties.
, President of Ireland
since 1997, spoke at the school.
←
≈≥
David Russell MD, PhD, FESO, FRCPE, Professor in Neurology, Oslo University Hospital
, Belfast. The school won the 2010 Ulster Schools Cup
final when they beat Belfast Royal Academy
by 10 points to 7. Previous wins were recorded in 1972 and 1981. The school has also won the Subsidiary Shield on seven occasions - more than any other school.
The medallion (under 15) team has won the Medallion Shield
once in 1970. A share of the shield was secured twice after drawn finals.
The main girls' sport is hockey
and the Ulster Schools Cup has been won outright on six occasions. The trophy has also been shared a further three times after drawn finals. The most recent win was in 2001.
Ballymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
in County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It was founded in the early nineteenth century as a small provincial school for children in the town and surrounding agricultural hinterland.
Admissions
The school currently has approximately 1200 pupils and 93 members of teaching staff. The school has 88 acres (356,123.7 m²) of mature grounds situated on the Galgorm Road, just west of the town centre.The school motto is Tenax Propositi meaning Steadfast in Purpose.
Its current headmaster is J. Ronnie Hassard who joined the school in 2004 after the retirement of Mr Peter F. Martin.
Coat of arms
The red hands are borrowed from the Adair family armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
, who gave the 1 acres (4,046.9 m²) of ground on which the original school was built, itself represented by the blue rectangle below. The ant represents hard work. The badger on the crest, accompanied by a lamp representing learning, is a pun on 'Brocklamont', site of the new school buildings, with 'brock' being an archaic word for badger. Sporting or academic achievement is recognised by the award of a similar but distinctive coat of arms worn on the school blazer and Honors Ties.
History
On 28 March 2006 Mary McAleeseMary McAleese
Mary Patricia McAleese served as the eighth President of Ireland from 1997 to 2011. She was the second female president and was first elected in 1997 succeeding Mary Robinson, making McAleese the world's first woman to succeed another as president. She was re-elected unopposed for a second term in...
, President of Ireland
President of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
since 1997, spoke at the school.
←
Former teachers
- John Burden, horn player with the London Symphony OrchestraLondon Symphony OrchestraThe London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
(LSO) who arranged part of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin...
, and also played on the album notably the title track (taught music from 1990-2005) he says he learnt most from his most talented student Richard Sheehan - Paul McQueen Head of Music 1990-2011
≈≥
Notable former pupils
- John Alderdice, Baron AlderdiceJohn Alderdice, Baron AlderdiceJohn Thomas Alderdice, Baron Alderdice is a Northern Ireland politician. He was Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly 1998-2004, leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland 1987-1998, and since 1996 sits in the House of Lords as a Liberal Democrat.-Personal life:Alderdice was born to the...
, Liberal DemocratLiberal DemocratsThe Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
peer, first Speaker of the Northern Ireland AssemblyNorthern Ireland AssemblyThe Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
, now a member of the Independent Monitoring CommissionIndependent Monitoring CommissionThe Independent Monitoring Commission was an organization founded on 7 January 2004, by an agreement between the British and Irish governments, signed in Dublin on 25 November 2003...
, and psychiatrist - William Booth (Anglican clergyman)William Booth (Anglican clergyman)The Rev'd Prebendary William James Booth, CVO MA, Retired Sub-dean of the Chapel Royal, Deputy Clerk of the Closet, Subalmoner of the Royal Almonry and former domestic chaplain to The Queen, appointed in 1991, was the sole full-time member of the Ecclesiastical Household of the Sovereign of the...
CVO, chaplain - Sir Roger CasementRoger CasementRoger David Casement —Sir Roger Casement CMG between 1911 and shortly before his execution for treason, when he was stripped of his British honours—was an Irish patriot, poet, revolutionary, and nationalist....
, British diplomat and early human rights campaigner for the Congolese, turned Irish revolutionary, hanged in 1916 under the Treason Act - Barry Cowan (broadcaster)
- George Dawson (politician)George Dawson (politician)George Dawson was a Northern Irish politician and a member of the Democratic Unionist Party since 1979. He was an MLA for East Antrim from November 2003 until his death following a short battle with cancer....
, DUP MLAMember of the Legislative AssemblyA Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
from 2003-7 for East AntrimEast Antrim (Assembly constituency)East Antrim is a constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly.The seat was first used for a Northern Ireland-only election for the Northern Ireland Forum in 1996. Since 1998, it has elected members to the current Assembly.... - Steven DavisSteven DavisSteven Davis is a Northern Irish association footballer who currently plays for Scottish Premier League club Rangers and the Northern Ireland national team...
, Rangers and Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland national football teamThe Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
footballer - George Duncan, Professor of Political Economy in the University of Dublin from 1934-67
- Lucy EvangelistaLucy EvangelistaLucy Avril Evangelista is a former Miss Northern Ireland winner and Miss World entrant....
, Miss Northern Ireland 2005, placed in top ten at Miss World. - Alexandra Ford, actress on BBC NI series Give My Head PeaceGive My Head PeaceGive My Head Peace was a satirical television comedy series on BBC Northern Ireland that pokes fun at political parties, paramilitary groups and the sectarian divide in Northern Ireland...
- Edgar GrahamEdgar GrahamEdgar Samuel David Graham, MPA, BL , was an Ulster Unionist Party politician and academic from Northern Ireland. He was perceived as a rising star of both legal studies and Unionism until he was killed on 7 December 1983 by the Provisional Irish Republican Army .-Career:A graduate of the Queen's...
, Northern Irish Unionist political figure, assassinated by the IRA in 1983 at the age of 29 - George Boyle HannaGeorge Hanna (1877-1938)George Boyle Hanna was a Northern Irish barrister, unionist politician and county court judge.Born in Ballymena, County Antrim and educated at Gracehill Academy, Ballymena Academy and Trinity College, Dublin, Hanna was first admitted as a solicitor in 1901, being called to the Bar in 1920, taking...
, Northern Irish Unionist politician and minister - Air Vice-MarshalAir Vice-MarshalAir vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
William HarbisonWilliam Harbison-Post-Korean War:After completing his tour in Korea, Harbison was once again flying the F-86 as commander of No. 67 Squadron of the RAF Second Tactical Air Force at RAF Wildenrath in West Germany. In 1956, he returned home to attend the Army Staff College at Camberley, Surrey...
CB CBE DFC, Station Commander from 1963-5 of RAF LeucharsRAF LeucharsRAF Leuchars is the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom. It is located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland, near to the university town of St Andrews.-Operations:... - William Harris, consultant and senior medical administrator
- David Humphreys, Irish rugby union star
- Peter Johnston (BBC)Peter Johnston (BBC)Peter Johnston is the Controller of BBC Northern Ireland. He was educated at Ballymena Academy and Imperial College London, where he graduated in Chemical Engineering and Management. Prior to joining the BBC, he worked for Shell International in London and Price Waterhouse Coopers in Belfast...
, Controller of BBC Northern Ireland (November 2006–present) - Alan Montgomery Jones, prominent Ulster architect and Vice President of the Royal Society of Ulster ArchitectsRoyal Society of Ulster ArchitectsThe Royal Society of Ulster Architects is the professional body for registered architects in Northern Ireland. Chartered RIBA members in Northern Ireland are automatically members of the RSUA. RSUA Members use the suffix RSUA and also may use RIBA....
, 2002–06 - Willie John McBrideWillie John McBrideWilliam James McBride, MBE, better known as Willie John McBride is a former rugby union footballer who played as a lock for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions. He played 63 Tests for Ireland including eleven as captain, and toured with the Lions five times — a record that gave him 17...
, rugby player. Captain of the Irish International Team and British & Irish Lions Rugby Team - Commandant Vonla McBride CB, Director from 1976-9 of the Women's Royal Naval ServiceWomen's Royal Naval ServiceThe Women's Royal Naval Service was the women's branch of the Royal Navy.Members included cooks, clerks, wireless telegraphists, radar plotters, weapons analysts, range assessors, electricians and air mechanics...
(WRNS) - Albert McConnell, Provost of Trinity College, Dublin from 1952-74, and Professor of Natural Philosophy from 1930 at the University of Dublin
- Sir George Quigley CB, Permanent Secretary of four departments the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) : Manpower Services (1974–76), Commerce (1976–79), Finance (1979–82) and, Finance and Personnel (1982–89); subsequently Chairman of the Ulster Bank, Bombardier Aerospace Shorts, and the Northern Ireland Economic Council (1994–98)
- Trevor Reaney, Director General since 2008 of the Northern Ireland AssemblyNorthern Ireland AssemblyThe Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
, and former Chief Executive from 1996-2003 of Craigavon Borough CouncilCraigavon Borough CouncilCraigavon Borough Council is a local council in counties Armagh, Down and Antrim, in Northern Ireland. The headquarters of the council is in Craigavon, on the shores of Lough Neagh, a new town built between Lurgan and Portadown. The council area includes the large towns of Lurgan and Portadown, as...
David Russell MD, PhD, FESO, FRCPE, Professor in Neurology, Oslo University Hospital
- Prof James SayersJames Sayers (physicist)Professor James Sayers was an important Northern Irish physicist, who played a crucial role in developing centimetric radar - now used in microwave ovens.-Early life:...
, Professor of Electron Physics from 1946-72 at the University of BirminghamUniversity of BirminghamThe University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
, from 1939-43 developed the cavity magnetronCavity magnetronThe cavity magnetron is a high-powered vacuum tube that generates microwaves using the interaction of a stream of electrons with a magnetic field. The 'resonant' cavity magnetron variant of the earlier magnetron tube was invented by John Randall and Harry Boot in 1940 at the University of...
which was essential for centimetric radar, and later worked from 1943-5 on the Manhattan ProjectManhattan ProjectThe Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army... - Dr Robert SimpsonRobert Simpson (UK politician)Robert Simpson , often known as Bob Simpson was a unionist politician in Northern Ireland.Born in Ballymena, Simpson studied medicine at Queen's University, Belfast before setting up his own practice. He joined the Ulster Unionist Party in 1952, and was selected as the party's candidate for Mid...
, Ulster Unionist MP (NI) from 1953-72 for Mid AntrimMid Antrim (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)Mid Antrim was a constituency of the Northern Ireland House of Commons.The House of Commons Act , 1929 introduced first-past-the-post elections for 48 single-member constituencies .It was a single-member division of County Antrim represented in the Parliament of Northern Ireland... - Ian Soutar, Ambassador to Bulgaria from 2001-3
- Robin SwannRobin SwannRobin Swann is an Ulster Unionist Party politician in Northern Ireland who was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2011.He is North Antrim born and bred, educated locally, he lives in the constituency with his wife, Jennifer and baby daughter...
, Member of the Legislative Assembly (2011- ) - Desmond Taylor, Editor of News and Current Affairs from 1971 at the BBC
- Colin WallaceColin WallaceJohn Colin Wallace is a former British soldier and psychological warfare operative who was one of the members of the 'Clockwork Orange' project, which is alleged to have been an attempt to smear a number of British politicians in the early 1970s.-Early life:...
, former British soldier and psychological warfare operative, subject of a wrongful imprisonment case
Sport
The main boys' sport at Ballymena Academy is rugby, with the most recent success occurring at RavenhillRavenhill Stadium
Ravenhill Stadium is located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is used by Ulster Rugby. It has a normal capacity of 12,300 and is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union.-History:The grounds were opened in the 1923/24 season...
, Belfast. The school won the 2010 Ulster Schools Cup
Ulster Schools Cup
The Ulster Schools' Challenge Cup is an annual competition involving schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The Schools' Cup has the distinction of being the world's second-oldest rugby competition, having been competed for every year since 1876...
final when they beat Belfast Royal Academy
Belfast Royal Academy
The Belfast Royal Academy is the oldest school in the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is a co-educational, non-denominational voluntary grammar school situated in north Belfast. The Academy is one of eight Northern Irish schools whose Headmaster is a member of the Headmasters' and...
by 10 points to 7. Previous wins were recorded in 1972 and 1981. The school has also won the Subsidiary Shield on seven occasions - more than any other school.
The medallion (under 15) team has won the Medallion Shield
Medallion Shield
The Medallion Shield is an annual rugby union competition involving schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The competition is open to all schools within Ulster, but only schools from within Northern Ireland currently enter, with no entries from schools situated...
once in 1970. A share of the shield was secured twice after drawn finals.
The main girls' sport is hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
and the Ulster Schools Cup has been won outright on six occasions. The trophy has also been shared a further three times after drawn finals. The most recent win was in 2001.