Anger lingers over Foyle rebrand but school now focused on Clooney move

But anger over the name change continues to reverberate amongst the unionist community. DUP MLA William Hay says many parents and past pupils have expressed concern to him about the decision to jettison ‘Londonderry’ from the school badge.

And speaking to the Sentinel yesterday UUP leader Tom Elliott said many parents and past pupils were furious about the move, which followed hot-on-the-heels of unionist victory over the abortive attempt by the nationalist Derry City Council to consign the name of ‘Londonderry’ to the dustbin of history.

Mr Elliott said he would be seeking a further meeting with the school’s board and management to discuss the rebrand specifically.

The Sentinel has also been contacted by a number of angry parents upset at the transformation - in time for the school’s 400th anniversary in 2017 - originally revealed in this paper last August.

One parent - who asked not to be named - said: “I think the school is steeped with history and tradition. The name is the name. Legally it is going to remain Foyle and Londonderry College but why change it in the first place?

“How would people feel if after 100 years of calling, for example, Derry City Football Club, Derry City Football Club they decided to change that to Londonderry City Football Club? It seems another example of the erosion of the unionist ethos in the city, which is something you can see all the time.”

DUP MLA William Hay said he did not wish to turn the issue into a political football and appreciated the important work of progressing Foyle’s move to the Waterside but said there was a sense of anger about the rebrand.

He said: “Speaking to many, many parents they are very disappointed and believe the College haven’t been listening to their concerns.

“Unionist politicians have been very careful not to turn this into a political football and we are very much aware of the hard work the Board of Governors and the Principal and everyone at the school have been doing, particularly to move the school forward and secure the move to Clooney, which is something we have been working at behind the scenes.

“But I would appeal to the board to revisit this. There are three things we’ve been hearing from parents and past pupils. Firstly, there was little consultation. Secondly, they’re not being listened to. And thirdly, there is a compromise. We’ve suggested a compromise by retaining Londonderry on the badge.

“I would appeal to the board to look at this again. I have very great sympathy with what the vast majority of parents from the unionist community are saying.”

Ulster Unionist leader Tom Elliott said he first raised the issue during a meeting with the Board of Governors to see if he could provide any kind of assistance in bringing the co-location forward.

“I expressed the sense of fury I was getting from parents and past pupils about the move.

“After all, people went to great lengths to try to save the name of Londonderry just over a year ago and now this move seems to have been made for no reason at all. People are very sore about it.

“I left the meeting making my views very clear. And I have to say that reflected the huge sense of fury I’ve been getting from past pupils. They are furious,” he said.

But Robin Young insisted a full consultation process had been conducted and that the rebrand was here to stay.

He said the school was currently energised in pushing for the long-awaited move to Clooney and its co-location site with Ebrington Primary School.

“From Foyle’s point of view the rebrand is finished,” said Mr Young. “It was in your paper last summer. Our main concern now is to get the required funding in place for the move to Clooney.”

He added: “Parents are currently buying the new blazers and the pockets with the new badges. There was a complete consultation with staff, the parents and teachers association and former pupils.”

The official “Foyle and Londonderry College” is protected by statute and will remain the school’s legal title.

This stems from the Foyle and Londonderry College Act 1976, which facilitated the merger of “Foyle College” and “Londonderry High School.”

Previously “Foyle College” existed as an entity for over 150 years between 1814 and 1976 with the Foyle College Act in 1896 giving the institution statutory force.