Christian Brothers Grammar School, Omagh

Establishment The school was founded on 14 January 1861, on Mount St. Columba. "The Brothers" in Omagh were given the responsibility of ensuring that "Education be gratuitous and the admission free." On January 14, 1861, the school officially opened, with 121 boys presenting themselves for admission. On its first day of activity one hundred and twenty boys, all aged between five and fifteen, showed up. The school moved to is present site on Kevlin Road in 1967. The school building officially opened on Kevlin Road on 4 September 1967. On 18 July 2024, the Northern Ireland Executive gave the project the go ahead, with the Department of Education minister Paul Givan saying the project is "a new and pioneering approach which will inform the future development of education in Northern Ireland over the coming decades". He further said that shared education "has a key role in developing a peaceful and shared society and the Strule Campus is a vital component in the Executive's vision of delivering a more peaceful and prosperous society for all". Following the announcement, the new date of which the Strule Shared Education Campus will be completed by is September 2028. In April 2025, it was announced that the Principal, Foncy McConnell, would retire from his post. Stephen Keown was subsequently appointed as McConnell's successor as Principal. ==Overview==

Ethos and values Christian Brothers' Grammar School, Omagh is part of the Edmund Rice Schools network and subscribes to the Edmund Rice Schools Trust's Charter. These values focus on teaching and lifelong learning, caring for one another, the development of the Catholic faith, transformational leadership and a genuine sense of community and partnership. Admission of boys to the school indicate that both the boys attending, and their parents, subscribe to the school's status as an Edmund Rice School, an acceptance of all school regulations by each student and his parents and an undertaking to observe all such regulations. Boys attending Christian Brothers' Grammar School, Omagh will have the opportunity to nurture their faith through active participation in whole school masses, collective acts of worship and daily prayer. The school operates a School Development Fund, with parents of each student attending being asked to contribute £60 towards the Christian Brothers School Development Fund. For families with two sons attending, the contribution is £100 and £120 for three or more sons attending the school. Contributions to the school development fund are used exclusively to benefit the students, providing additional resources and facilities beyond the allocated school budget allowance. School uniform The school states that its school uniform is a "visible statement of each student's allegiance to this school community". The school's current uniform policy is as follows: Compulsory School Uniform • Black blazer with school crest • Long black school trousers • Light blue shirt with long or short sleeves as preferred • School tie • Plain black formal shoes or boots without any decoration • P.E. Kit Optional: Royal blue v-neck jumper. Boys attending the school are expected to wear their blazers when moving between classes, but may remove them during class. Additionally, the school places an expectation that boys' shirts should always be buttoned at the neck and cuffs, and ties should be properly worn. Additionally, the school expects that t-shirts or vests, or other undergarments worn under the shirt, should be white and not visible at the shirt collar or cuffs. Boys are not permitted to wear coloured or printed t-shirts which are visible through their shirts. Boys are only permitted to wear formal style black leather shoes or boots. Trainers or canvas style footwear are not permitted. No deviation or variation from orthodox black shoes or boots is permitted. ==Learning and teaching==

Curriculum subjects The school's focus is academic, offering compulsory subjects of English Literature, English Language, Science, and Mathematics until GCSE. The School also focuses on the teachings of the Catholic faith, making Religious Studies compulsory at GCSE, and A-Level. The Christian Brothers' Grammar School, Omagh offers a full school curriculum, including; and many other under-age level competitions for example Omagh CBS won the Rannafast Cup in 2009, 2012 and 2024 and the McCormick cup in 2008, 2009 and 2011. ==Attainment==

In 2018, 94.2% of its entrants achieved five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C, including the core subjects English and Maths. In 2019 the school was ranked 18th out of 159 secondary schools in Northern Ireland with 86.7% of its A-level students who sat the exams in 2017/18 being awarded three A*-C grades. The school had an overall attendance rate of 89.6% (2021–22), and in 2023, had 950 boys enrolled (exclusive of statemented students) and 135 admissions. Year 12 attainment Year 14 attainment ==Notable former pupils==

• Conor Bradley (born 2003)-Association footballer • Joe Byrne (Northern Ireland politician) (born 1953)—Social Democratic and Labour Party politician • Dermot Carlin (born 1984)-Gaelic footballer • Garry Courtney - professor of medicine • Brian D'Arcy (born 1945)—priest, writer and broadcaster • Mickey Harte (born 1952)—Gaelic football manager • Ciaran Martin (born 1974)—professor of practice and former CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre • Joe McMahon (born 1983)—Gaelic footballer • Gerard McSorley (born 1950)—actor • Fabian Monds (born 1940)—BBC governor • Stephen O'Neill (born 1980)—Gaelic footballer ==See also==