The Wallace High School is an 11–18 co-educational voluntary

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...

and

sixth form In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for A-l ...

Lisburn Lisburn (; ) is a city in Northern Ireland. It is southwest of Belfast city centre, on the River Lagan, which forms the boundary between County Antrim and County Down. First laid out in the 17th century by English and Welsh settlers, with ...

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...

, Northern Ireland.

History

It was founded in 1880 by a bequest from the estate of

Sir Richard Wallace Sir Richard Wallace, 1st Baronet (21 June 1818 – 20 July 1890), of Sudbourne, Sudbourne Hall in Suffolk, Hertford House in London, and of the Château de Bagatelle in Paris, was a British art collector and Francophile. Origins and youth Ric ...

, local landowner, Unionist MP and philanthropist, and was originally named Lisburn Intermediate and University School. It was built on a site fronting the Antrim Road. A board of trustees took charge in 1900 to oversee the development of the growing school and, when they renamed it in 1942 in memory of its founder, they adopted the word ''Esperance (Hope)'' as the school's motto from the Wallace coat of arms. The post-war years witnessed rapid growth in pupil numbers and consequent accommodation provision. Land was purchased at Clonevin Park, initially for playing fields, and when the Antrim Road site proved inadequate, the decision was taken to build a new school in these extensive grounds. Pupils and staff moved to the new building in 1976, and today the school has expanded to 1160 pupils in the grammar school and 200 in the preparatory department.

School enhancement

The Wallace High School underwent construction on a new school expansion project. This included construction of a new two storey extension which includes the subjects of Art, Home Economics, and Moving Image Arts which was finish by the end of December 2017 and officially unveiled on 4 October 2018 . There is a fitness suite which was also unveiled on 4 October which included four power racks, a free weights area with weight-lifting platforms, a blue astro-turf track for conditioning and warm-ups, plate loaded resistance machines and cardio equipment. It also included new changing rooms, new showers and hairdryers. A technology extension is also completed, beginning in February 2018 and concluding in August 2018. Existing 'mobile' classrooms, of which there are four, have been relocated to allow space for the expansion project. These mobile classrooms include the subjects of English, Maths, Modern Languages, Religious Education, among others.

Sport

Rugby

Wallace is well known in the Northern Irish schools’ rugby scene, despite having never won the Ulster Schools Cup. They have reached the final 5 times, (most recently in 2015) and they are one of eight schools who enters in the fourth round of the cup along with Ballyclare High School,

Ballymena Academy Ballymena Academy is a mixed gender grammar school in the market town of Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1828 as a small provincial school for children in the town and surrounding agricultural hinterland. Admissi ...

, Campbell College,

Enniskillen Royal Grammar School Enniskillen Royal Grammar School, located in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, is an academically selective, co-educational, non-denominational voluntary grammar school. The school opened its doors on 1 September 2016. Two former ...

, Methodist College Belfast, Royal Belfast Academical Institution and

The Royal School, Armagh The Royal School, Armagh is a co-educational voluntary grammar school, founded in the 17th century, in the city of Armagh in Northern Ireland. It has a boarding department with an international intake. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Hea ...

Hockey

Wallace High School is noted for men's hockey with wins in the

Burney Cup The Burney Cup (Ulster Schoolboys' Senior Hockey Cup) is an annual competition involving the strongest schools affiliated to the Ulster Hockey Union, Ulster Branch of the Irish Hockey Association. The competition is held in the spring term of eac ...

McCullough Cup The McCullough Cup is a hockey competition. It is an annual tournament played for by schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Hockey Association. The competition is held in the winter term of each school year, with the older Burney ...

and a single win in the All Ireland Championship in 1987-88. In 2011 the hockey girls created history by reaching the final of the Ulster Senior Schoolgirls' Cup for the first time, only to lose on penalties.

Notable alumni

Shauna Lowry Shauna Lowry (born 6 July 1970) is a television presenter from Belfast, Northern Ireland.(4 July 2008)What's in a mane? ''Belfast Telegraph'' ("Northern Ireland-born TV presenter Shauna Lowry (37), who has just finished filming a new series of '' ...

, TV personality * The Rt. Hon. Brian Maginess (1901–1967), government minister in the

Stormont Parliament The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended because of its inability to restore ord ...

* Drew Nelson (1956-2016), Grand Secretary of the

Orange Order The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants, particularly those of Ulster Scots heritage. It also ...

Edwin Poots Edwin Poots (born 27 April 1965) is a British politician in Northern Ireland who served as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from May to June 2021. He was first elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in 1998, and was ...

, current minister in the Northern Ireland Executive *

Blu Hydrangea Blu Hydrangea is the stage name of Joshua Cargill (born 15 February 1996), a Northern Irish drag queen from Belfast who is known for competing on the first series of ''RuPaul's Drag Race UK'' (2019) and later winning the first season of '' RuPa ...

, winner of RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs the World

Sport

Rugby

* Chris Henry, professional rugby player for Ulster and Ireland *

Nevin Spence Nevin Spence (26 April 199015 September 2012) was a Northern Ireland-born Irish rugby union player for Ulster in the Pro12. He played as a Centre, but could also play Wing. He was educated firstly at Dromore High School, where he was introduced ...

(1990-2012), professional rugby player for Ulster *

Jacob Stockdale Jacob Stockdale (born 3 April 1996) is an Irish professional rugby union player who currently plays for Ulster and for Ireland. He plays on the wing or at fullback. He holds the record for tries scored in a single Six Nations Championship, scori ...

, professional rugby player for Ulster and Ireland *

Nathan Doak Nathan Doak (born 17 December 2001) is an Irish rugby union player who plays scrum-half for Ulster in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The son of the former Ulster scrum-half and head coach Neil Doak, he wa ...

, professional rugby player for Ulster *

Ian Whitten Ian Whitten (born 5 June 1987) is an Irish rugby union player for Exeter in Premiership Rugby. He was capped by Ireland on their 2009 tour to North America when he lined out against Canada on 23 May 2009. He plays as a centre. Ulster A former ...

, professional rugby player for AVIVA Premiership Club

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

, formerly Ulster

Cricket

Neil Doak Neil George Doak (born 21 June 1972) is a Northern Irish former cricketer and rugby union player. He currently works as a rugby union coach, and has served as attack and backs coach with English club side Worcester Warriors, and Georgia during t ...

, Irish cricketer and Irish rugby squad member *

Raymond Hunter William Raymond Hunter (3 April 1938 – 9 December 2020) was a Northern Irish cricketer and rugby union player. He played for Ireland in both sports. In cricket he won 28 international caps and played in 11 first-class matches. In rugby he ...

, Irish cricketer, Irish rugby and British & Irish Lions * Thomas Martin (1911-1937), cricketer * Jack Simpson (1920-1997), cricketer

References

External links

* {{authority control Lisburn Grammar schools in County Antrim Educational institutions established in 1880 1880 establishments in Ireland