Aside from being the centres of learning that they have remained for decades, these buildings have also housed many notable students within their stunning architecture.
These buildings aren't just relics of the past; they are living monuments that continue to shape the present and inspire the future, reminding us of the enduring power of architecture and education in Northern Ireland's history. If these walls could talk, they would certainly have some stories to tell.
Here are 10 of Northern Ireland’s most stunning school buildings, with some of the history behind them
1. Belfast Royal Academy, 5-17 Cliftonville Road, Belfast
It was in 1760 that the idea of a liberal Presbyterian school was first proposed by prominent Belfast businessmen. Between then and 1770, land was acquired at the corner of what is now Academy Street, near where St. Anne’s Cathedral now resides. In 1785, Dr. James Crombie, was appointed inaugural principal, with his prospectus stating that the Academy would set out to fulfil some functions of a University, given that Belfast at that time did not have one. On 1 May the following year, the first students were admitted, facing spartan conditions and long hours. Prayers were held twice a day, at 7am and 8pm. Possession of dogs - or guns - were prohibited without the principal’s permission. In April 1792, an early school insurrection took place. Angered by a reduction in school holidays, and emboldened by the spirit of the French Revolution, nine boys, armed with pistols, barricaded themselves in a mathematics classroom and refused to surrender, firing on the authorities, and even the Sovereign (Lord Mayor) of Belfast. The boys gave themselves up after nine days, and after being fiercely beaten, left the Academy. It was in 1870 that the Academy moved to its current location on Cliftonville Road, and into a new sandstone building designed by an alumnus, Robert Young. In 1900, girls were formally admitted into the Academy but strictly segregated from boys in classes. It wasn’t until 1924 that mixed classes were introduced. More recently, in 2017, Hilary Woods was appointed the first female principal of the Academy in its 232-year history. Its alumni include longtime MP and now member of the House of Lords Kate Hoey and radio presenter William Crawley. Photo: belfastroyalacademy.com
2. St Killian’s College, 25 Tower Road, Carnlough
Located some 200 feet above the Coast Road north of Carnlough, this is one case where the building precedes the actual college itself. Garron Tower was originally constructed in 1850 for £4000 as a summer residence for the Marchioness of Londonderry, having inherited part of the estate from her mother. Following 1899, Henry McNeill Ltd operated the site as a hotel continuously for forty years, until it closed its doors in 1939. In 1950, the grounds were formally acquired by Daniel Mageean, Bishop of Down and Connor, to be used as a boarding school for boys. Sure enough, St MacNissi’s College opened its doors in September 1951. For over five decades, the College operated relatively undisturbed, until, in June 2005, it was confirmed that St MacNissi’s would merge with two schools in Larne and Cushendall to form a new structure, St Killian’s College, which formally opened its doors in April 2010. In May 2022, planning permission was granted for the erection for a new £25 million building that would include a new building on the campus. Photo: stkillianscollege.co.uk
3. The Royal Belfast Academical Institution (Inst), College Square East, Belfast
Possibly the finest example of late Georgian architecture on the island of Ireland, the cornerstone of John Soane’s building was laid in July 1810 by George Augustus Chichester, the Second Marquis of Donegall. On the Institution's opening in February 1814, founder Dr. William Dreenan spoke of his hope that INST would ‘diffuse useful knowledge among the middling orders of society, as one of the necessities of life’ and have ‘a good education as a patrimony of the whole people.’ Uniquely, between 1814 and 1849, the Institution served as both a secondary school and a university, with students matriculating automatically between Departments. Even though the Collegiate Department shuttered with the establishment of Queen’s College, many of the INST staff transferred to the new College, allowing for an unusual amount of staff transfer from one institution to the next. The two boarding houses (English & Classical) operated from 1814 to 1903, closing due to improving transport links, and a need for additional classroom space. Somewhat uniquely, for most of its first century, INST did not possess a proper Principal. Rather, academic and administrative policies were decided by a small delegation, known as the Headmasters, who sat on the Board of Masters. It would not be until 1898 that Robert Dods, in charge of Modern Languages, was appointed the Institution’s inaugural Principal. Throughout the Second World War, which saw the deaths of 106 alumni, air raid shelters were constructed on the rear quadrangle and a barrage balloon, to defend against enemy bombers, was installed on the front lawn. Evacuated students attended a ‘branch’ school - the Royal at Dungannon. Graduates have included Stephen Nolan, political cartoonist Ian Knox, and Thomas Andrews, chief designer of the Titanic, who died on the maiden voyage. Photo: rbai.org.uk
4. Gracehill Old School, 19 Church Road, Gracehill, Ballymena
Established in 1765, this building stood for decades as the centre of one of the most intact - and beautiful - Moravian settlements in Northern Ireland. After decades of neglect, the village outside Ballymena was designated as Northern Ireland’s largest conservation area in 1975. The school building itself came under the trust of the Gracehill Old School Trust (GhOST) who acquired the property with the help of the Northern Ireland Environmental Agency. The remodelling, which also involved internal remodelling and reversal of inappropriate interventions, was completed in the summer of 2008. Today, the building houses a historical exhibition, a visitor centre, community space, and a restaurant. Photo: ulsterarchitecturalheritage.org.uk