Dominican College, Fortwilliam

Dominican College (Irish: An Coláiste Doiminiceach, Dún Liam) a Catholic grammar all-girls school in Fortwilliam Park, north Belfast, Northern Ireland.

History

The school was established in 1930 by the Dominican Sisters. It was initially established as a Catholic Commercial College for Belfast, alongside a second-level school. In 2006, the management of the school passed from the Dominican Sisters to lay management. The school is now under the Trusteeship of the Cabra Dominican Sisters, with a Board of Governors whose membership also includes parents, a teacher and appointees of the Education Authority.

In 2005 it underwent a major £13.1 million redevelopment.

The school chapel has been listed as a building of special architectural merit.

In 2017, the total student population was just over 1000, a quarter of it the sixth form.

Academics

In 2019 the school was ranked 5th out of 159 secondary schools in Northern Ireland with 91.7% of its A-level students who sat the exams in 2017/18 being awarded three A*-C grades.

In 2018 it was ranked joint ninth in Northern Ireland for its GCSE performance with 99.3% of its entrants receiving five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C, including the core subjects English and Maths.

Facilities

The modernist design of the chapel, which was built in 1964, was influenced by Le Corbusier's chapel at Ronchamp in France.

Alumnae

• Eileen Bell CBE (born 1943) – politician, Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for North Down from 1998 to 2007
• Marianne Elliott OBE (born 1948) – academic historian.
• Medbh McGuckian (born 1950) – poet
• Katie Melua (born 1984) – Georgian-born popular singer
• Nuala McAllister (born 1989) – politician; Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for North Belfast from 2022

See also

• Dominicans in Ireland
• List of secondary schools in Belfast
• List of Grammar schools in Northern Ireland