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Table of Contents Editorial Note 3 Contact Addresses 5 Board of Governors 2015 7 Teaching Staff 2015 8 Support Staff 2015 11 Prize-giving Speeches 2015 13 Update on the New School 27 Leavers’ Destinations 2015 29 Graduations 2015 32 Reports of the Year’s Events 1 Secretary’s Report 36 2 Treasurer’s Report 38 3 FCFPA Officers 2015-6 41 4 Vice Presidents’ Profiles 45 5 Dates for Your Diary & Forthcoming Events 49 6 Social Functions and Gatherings 2015 53 Notices (births/marriages) Notes and News 69 Obituaries 72 Past Presidents FCOBA 84 Past Presidents LHSOGA 86 Joint Presidents FCFPA 88 Your Contributions Reminiscences of an Old Foyle Boy Dick Shannon 90 Conclusion of the Quest for the Missing Sister School 93 Foyle College School Chapel 1872-7 Jim Heasley 97 From The Archive Notes on progress 101 The Girl who attended Victoria High School 103 Rugby Caps 106 Standing Order Mandate for those who wish to have a hard copy of the magazine 1 2 Editorial Note Welcome to the 2016 edition of the Former Pupils Magazine. The year past has been a busy one for our joint presidents with the usual round of social events. These duties are shared by our two sets of joint presidents as the handover of these offices takes place at the May AGM. In spring, Lowry Cunningham and Phenella Black attended both the Belfast Luncheon in Malone Golf Club and the Spring Luncheon in the Belfray. In April we had an additional function when a London Dinner was held in the most pleasant surroundings of The Farmers’ Club in Whitehall, courtesy of Lowry’s membership of that club. All these events were well supported and more detailed reports follow in this edition. After the AGM held in Duncreggan House in early May, Phenella and Lowry passed their chains of office to Ann Watson and Denis Connolly. A small social event followed the ceremony and Yvonne Smyth née Hamilton gave a short address as incoming Vice-President. David Turner was appointed as the Joint Vice-President but could not be present. Since taking over office, Ann and Denis have presided over an excellent and well supported Annual Dinner in the City Hotel at the end of September, attended the school Prize Distribution in the Guildhall and the Armistice Service in November where they laid a wreath on the War Memorial on behalf of the Former Pupils Association. Details and photographs of these events follow. A number of reunions were also held during the year, significantly the Class of ’83 who were the first ‘year group’ to join the newly amalgamated school in 1976. The current year will see a number of significant events marking anniversaries of the Battle of the Somme, the Easter Rising and the 40th Anniversary of the creation of the co-educational school. Little did the governors, staff and pupils know back in 1976 that it would take forty years before the two schools would unite on a single campus. Many staff have come and gone over the forty years of the amalgamated school and last August saw the departure of three long-serving teachers. Pamela Coughlin née Moore, who taught German and French and was Head of Year 8 (Form 1) and Kenny Given, Head of Chemistry and Examinations Officer both retired. Due to a scarcity of chemistry graduates in the teaching profession, Kenny has kindly extended his teaching duties in the school this year until a suitable replacement can be found. Susan Thomas née McCaul, also retired and is taking a change of direction after many years of teaching art. We wish all of them well in their retirements and new career paths. The move to the new school on Springham Campus is now eagerly anticipated, especially since tangible evidence of its construction is clearly visible. The appointed builders, Heron Bros, have made great progress – a report follows in this edition. That progress can be viewed from Limavady Road, from a birds-eye view taken from a webcam on top of the flagpole donated by the US Navy who formerly occupied the site, and from drone flyovers. The latter can be viewed on the school’s website. It is 3 most significant that the handover of the completed school in September 2017 will coincide with the 400th Anniversary. To mark this momentous year a committee has been set up to coordinate and organise events throughout 2017. Next year’s magazine will be a special edition and will include details of all these events. A list of events will appear later this year on the school’s website and we are hopeful that all former pupils will have an opportunity to attend as many of them as possible. A number of interesting contributions appear in this edition but we are always grateful for more. Please keep us updated about careers, births and marriages or any other news that you would like to share. I am grateful to those who provided us with detailed obituaries of former pupils who passed away in the last year and in the absence of those details we have tried to put together information from school records and other sources. I would like to thank Robert Montgomery for his substantial contribution to the obituary section for many years. He continues to oversee the school’s archive with the assistance of Ken Gamble and they have welcomed an increasing number of visitors over the past year. I am most grateful to my editorial team – Mildred Deans who is responsible for putting so much of the magazine together and without whose help it would not be possible, and Sean McMahon for his meticulous proof-reading of completed work. Finally I would like to thank our advertisers without whose support the production of the magazine would not be possible. Many of you will be reading this online but if you wish to join those who have hard copies mailed to them please complete and return to the Bursar, the Standing Order Mandate at the end of this copy. I very much hope that you enjoy keeping abreast of school news and progress, and maintaining contact with other former pupils. William M Lynn Editor 4 Useful Contact Addresses Foyle College Duncreggan Road Londonderry BT48 0AW Tel: (028) 71269321 School Website: www.foylenet.org.uk You can also contact us and submit news and information to: Mrs Mildred Deans 18 Altrest Road Cullion Londonderry BT47 2SJ Tel: (028)71841454 [email protected] For submitting contact information: [email protected] Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/foylecollegefpa 5 6 Board of Governors 2015 Governor’s Name Electing Body Mr R Young The Honourable The Irish Society Mrs K Jackson, Mrs D Leeson, Mr P Howie Parents’ Representatives Mrs S Guthrie, Mrs S McLaughlin, Mr T Nutt Staff Representatives Mr W M Lynn, Mr C Jeffrey, Former Pupils’ Representatives Mrs I McNally, Mrs J McClintock Rev Dr R Craig Presbytery of Derry and Strabane Representative Rev M R K Ferry Church of Ireland Diocesan Representative Professor D Heenan University of Ulster Representative Mr B Dougherty, Mrs D Fleming, Department of Education Mrs J Young, Mrs S O’Kane, Representatives Mr R McCullough, Mr R McCaughey, Ms L Quigley, Mrs J Stewart, Mr J Templeton Mr G Killeen, Dr R Manning, Foundation Nominated Mrs C Gilliland, Mr I McCarter Representatives Mr P W J Allen Principal Mr N Stewart Clerk to Governors Governors tenable 2013 - 17 7 Teaching Staff 2015-16 Headmaster Mr P W J Allen Vice Principal Mr P G Gault Mr G S Mercer Art & Design Mr K F Ward (Head of Department) Mrs C J Kane Biology Mrs I A Hannaway (Head of Department) Mrs L J Hand (Head of Junior Science) Mr P T Farmer Business Studies Mrs H Eakin (Head of Department) Mrs B B McGowan Careers Mr P T Farmer (Head of Department) Mrs H Eakin Miss N S Sloane Chemistry Mrs J Millen (Head of Department) Design & Technology Mr A C Moorcroft (Head of Department) Mr A J Manning Mrs K R McShane English Mrs A B Mercer (Head of Department) Mr P G Gault Mrs E O Steele Mr D R Keown Mrs K O Knox Mr B J Duffy Geography Mrs S J E Guthrie (Head of Department) Ms K Eakin Miss C M Moore Mr D T Gallagher Mrs L Wylie Mrs C Johnston Geology Miss N S Sloane (Head of Department) History Mrs M Dougherty (Head of Department) Mr C Duffy Mr B Quigley Home Economics Mrs F Feeney (Head of Department) Miss N C Doyle 8 ICT Mrs S McLaughlin (Head of Department) Miss E Kivlehan Mrs K R McShane Mr A J Manning Mrs M M Leonard Mathematics Mr T S Nutt (Head of Department) Mr G S Mercer Mrs B B McGowan Mrs B A Gillen Mrs C R Lynn Mrs L E Buchanan Mrs K H Jauzion Music Mrs B O’Somachain (Head of Department) Miss E R Barr Modern Languages Ms L D McAuley (Head of French) Mrs H Kane-Craig (Head of Spanish) Mrs J L Campbell Mrs C A Lynch Mr G Young Physics Mrs S M O’Connell (Head of Department) Mr D B Phillips Miss L M Carlin Physical Education Mr D A Barnett (Head of Department) Ms K Eakin Mrs C M Moore Mr A J Ferguson Mrs L Wylie Religious Studies Mrs J M Allen (Head of Department) Mrs S Moore SENCo Mrs B B McGowan Visiting: Miss A Quigley Mr G Moran Mr I Scott Miss S Campbell Mr C Kerrigan 9 FOYLEFOYLE COACHESCOACHES Redcastle, Co.