Methodist College, Belfast
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Methodist College Belfast (MCB), locally known as Methody, is a
co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...
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 Latin school, school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented Se ...
in
Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
, located at the foot of the
Malone Road The Malone Road () is a radial road in Belfast, Northern Ireland, leading from the university quarter southwards to the affluent suburbs of Malone and Upper Malone, each a separate electoral ward. The road runs parallel to the Lisburn Road and i ...
, Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1865 by the
Methodist Church in Ireland The Methodist Church in Ireland () is a Wesleyan Methodist church that operates across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on an all-Ireland basis. It is the fourth-largest Christian denomination in Northern Ireland. The Irish Met ...
and is one of eight
Northern Irish The people of Northern Ireland are all people born in Northern Ireland and having, at the time of their birth, at least one parent who is a British Nationality Law, British citizen, an Irish nationality law, Irish citizen or is otherwis ...
schools represented on the
Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), formerly known as the Headmasters' Conference and now branded HMC (The Heads' Conference), is an association of the head teachers of 351 private fee-charging schools (both boarding schools ...
. It is also a member of the
Independent Schools Council The Independent Schools Council (ISC) is a non-profit lobby group that represents over 1,300 private schools in the United Kingdom. The organisation comprises seven independent school associations and promotes the business interests of its ...
and the Governing Bodies Association. The college was ranked just outside the top 100 in the United Kingdom and 19th in Northern Ireland in the 2023 ''
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...
'' Parent Power Best UK Schools Guide, which ranks schools based on
GCSE The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a range of subjects taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, having been introduced in September 1986 and its first exams taken in 1988. State schools ...
and
GCE Advanced Level The A-level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational a ...
examination results, truancy rates and pupil destinations. A 2001 profile of the College in
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
as part of a article on possible changes to post-primary education in Northern Ireland report as having "the feel and confidence of a good public school". In rugby, the college has won both the
Ulster Schools Cup The Ulster Schools' Challenge Cup is an annual competition involving schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The Schools' Cup has the distinction of being the world's second-oldest rugby competition, having be ...
and the
Medallion Shield The Medallion Shield is an annual rugby union competition involving schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The competition is open to all schools within Ulster, but only schools from within Northern Ireland c ...
a record 37 times outright. The college choirs have won ''
Songs of Praise ''Songs of Praise'' is a BBC Television religious programme that presents Christian hymns, worship songs and inspirational performances in churches of varying denominations from around the UK alongside interviews and stories reflecting how Ch ...
'' Choir of the Year,
Sainsbury's J Sainsbury plc, trading as Sainsbury's, is a British supermarket and the second-largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury with a shop in Drury Lane, London, the company was the largest UK r ...
Choir of the Year and
RTÉ (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...
All-Island School Choir of the Year. The Chapel Choir has performed in
Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...
and the
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...
as well as during
Queen Elizabeth II's visit to the Republic of Ireland Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and her husband Prince Philip made a state visit to Ireland from 17 to 20 May 2011, at the invitation of the president of Ireland, Mary McAleese. It was the first visi ...
. Past pupils of the college are known as Old Collegians and the college has a former pupils' organisation that brands itself as ''Methody Collegians''. They have branches across the world, including
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
,
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
and Canada. The college has links with
Belfast Harlequins Belfast Harlequins is a multi-sports club located off the Malone Road in south Belfast, Northern Ireland. The club name provides the overall umbrella for rugby union, men's and ladies' field hockey, hockey, and Squash (sport), squash. The club i ...
, the successor of the former sports club for staff and past pupils,
Collegians Collegians are an Australian rugby league football team based in Wollongong, New South Wales, Wollongong. The club are a part of Country Rugby League and compete in the Illawarra Rugby League premiership. Originally known as CBC Old Boys, the c ...
. Methodist College is a
registered charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definitio ...
.


History


Foundation

Methodist College Belfast was founded in 1865 by the
Methodist Church in Ireland The Methodist Church in Ireland () is a Wesleyan Methodist church that operates across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on an all-Ireland basis. It is the fourth-largest Christian denomination in Northern Ireland. The Irish Met ...
and opened three years later in 1868. In 1844, the Conference of the Methodist Church in Ireland approved a proposal to establish a Methodist school in Belfast. Shortly after, a decision was taken to relocate the site of the school to
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
. Funds for this school were raised in 1845 and it was opened the same year, first as the Wesleyan Connexional School and later to be called Wesley College after the founder of the Methodist religion, John Wesley. It was only in 1855 that the idea was raised of founding a school specifically for the education of sons of ministers like the Methodist Church in England had at
Kingswood School Kingswood School is a private day and boarding school in Bath, Somerset, England. The school is coeducational and educates over 1,000 pupils aged 9 months to 18 years. It was founded by John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, in 1748, and is the ...
in
Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...
. Funds were raised with significant amounts coming from the United States and England. The original site for the school was to be in
Portadown Portadown ( ) is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town is based on the River Bann in the north of the county, about southwest of Belfast. It is in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area and had a population ...
but the location was changed, first of all to Dublin. Land was acquired in Dublin but proceedings stalled. Several prominent Belfast Methodists began a campaign to have the school built in Belfast. The Methodist Conference allotted the remaining £2000 left from the purchase of the Dublin site to Belfast so long as they could raise £8000 extra with the added proviso that no building could take place until they had raised £10,000. A last attempt was made 1863 for the building to take place in Portadown but this failed. The necessary money had been raised by 1864 to satisfy the Conference's stipulations but it was held that £10,000 would not be sufficient. Further fundraising missions were made to the United States and England in 1866. These were led by Robinson Scott, Robert Wallace and William McArthur. Wallace would die on this mission in
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
from
cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...
. However an additional £10,000 was raised. Several subsequent missions took place to fund building work. The present site of the college, near
Queen's University Belfast The Queen's University of Belfast, commonly known as Queen's University Belfast (; abbreviated Queen's or QUB), is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. The university received its charter in 1845 as part of ...
on the
Malone Road The Malone Road () is a radial road in Belfast, Northern Ireland, leading from the university quarter southwards to the affluent suburbs of Malone and Upper Malone, each a separate electoral ward. The road runs parallel to the Lisburn Road and i ...
, was purchased by James Carlisle and offered to the committee on the same terms. The site covered 15 acres all of which have been developed by the college to the present day. In addition to the school it was proposed that a strip on the North side be let for building and the rest used by the college. This would become College Gardens which is still owned by the college. The school originally had a dual foundation as a school and a theological college and the school was designed with this in mind. The architects firm Joseph Fogerty & Son of Dublin won with their bid to design the school. The foundation stone for the Main Building was laid in 1865, and in 1868 the college was opened.


Early years

From the outset, the school catered for boarders and day pupils with accommodation on site. Although the school was founded as an all-boys institution, girls were very quickly included when ladies classes began. However, as they were strictly segregated from male pupils this put significant pressure on space. In the years that followed, wings were added to the main building. In 1877 a
porter's lodge A porters' lodge or porter's lodge (colloquially, plodge) is a place near the entrance of a building where one or more porters can be found to respond to student enquiries as well as enquires from the public and direct them around the building ...
was built at the
Lisburn Road Lisburn Road is a main arterial route linking Belfast and Lisburn, Northern Ireland. The Lisburn Road is now an extension of the "Golden Mile (Belfast), Golden Mile" with many shops, boutiques, wine bars, restaurants and coffee houses. The road ...
end of College Gardens which was the only college building designed by notable Belfast architect
Charles Lanyon Sir Charles Lanyon Deputy Lieutenant, DL, Justice of the Peace, JP (6 January 1813 – 31 May 1889) was an English Architecture, architect of the 19th century. His work is most closely associated with Belfast, Northern Ireland. Biography Lanyo ...
. Also in this year, it was decided that no land would be let along the Lisburn Road. Although originally conceived primarily as a school for the education of the children of Methodist ministers, the school has been interdenominational from its inception. During this time the college prepared some students for the examinations (including degree examinations) of the
Royal University of Ireland The Royal University of Ireland was a university in Ireland that existed from 1879 to 1909. It was founded in accordance with the University Education (Ireland) Act 1879 as an examining and degree-awarding university based on the model of the ...
. While day classes had been provided for girls for the early years, there was no provision for the daughters of ministers to board as the boys could. This was remedied by a gift from Sir William McArthur to found a hall of residence for girls. Building work on McArthur Hall was completed in 1891. The hall was designed by Sir Thomas Newenham Deane and his son Thomas Manly Deane. No further major building work would take place until the 20th century but modifications were made to existing buildings including the creation of science labs.


Edwardian period

In 1901 it was decided that the provision for science in the school was insufficient and a dedicated science block was constructed which included two lecture rooms and now comprises H-Block. During the course of the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
428 pupils served in the armed forces and 80 were killed. Further specialised rooms were built in 1919 including more labs, art rooms and classrooms. In an attempt to provide classroom space to a growing student population, the college purchased second-hand American Hospital Huts which were erected across the school in 1921. One of these huts remained in the college, between the Whitla Hall and the Drama Studio, until the early 2010s. The
Marquess of Londonderry Marquess of Londonderry, of the County of Londonderry ( ), is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. History The title was created in 1816 for Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Londonderry. He had earlier represented County Down in the Irish House of ...
donated books to the college that were used in the school's Londonderry Library. Around this time with the theological students gone and the Headmaster moved out of his rooms to College Gardens, the Main Building was remodelled to better accommodate boarders. Like other schools at the time, the boarders lived in "houses" but unlike other schools, rather than staying in the same house during their time there, they would move from house to house as they progressed through the school. The houses were Bedell House, Castlereagh House and Kelvin House and the boys would move up through them. They were named after two prominent Irishmen and one Englishman; Anglican clergyman
William Bedell The Rt. Rev. William Bedell, D.D. (; 22 September 15717 February 1642), was an English Anglican bishop who served as the 5th Provost of Trinity College Dublin from 1627 to 1629. He also served as Lord Bishop of Kilmore and as a member of t ...
, born in Essex but dying in Cavan, statesman
Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh Robert Stewart, 2nd Marquess of Londonderry, (18 June 1769 – 12 August 1822), usually known as Lord Castlereagh, derived from the courtesy title Viscount Castlereagh ( ) by which he was styled from 1796 to 1821, was an Kingdom of Ireland, Ir ...
and scientist
William Thomson, Lord Kelvin William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin (26 June 182417 December 1907), was a British mathematician, mathematical physicist and engineer. Born in Belfast, he was the professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Glasgow for 53 years, where ...
. There was also another house for day pupils named after Lord Wellington. In 1932 the college purchased Pirrie Park from
Harland and Wolff Harland & Wolff Holdings plc is a British shipbuilding and Metal fabrication, fabrication company headquartered in London with sites in Belfast, Arnish yard, Arnish, Appledore, Torridge, Appledore and Methil. It specialises in ship repair, ship ...
with the financial aid of William Fullerton and Hugh Turtle. It had already been partially developed by Harland and Wolff including the erection of a pavilion. The college began work to convert this pavilion into a Preparatory School. It was called Downey House and named after John Downey, a benefactor to the college. Following a bequest of £10,000 for a chapel, library or hall from a governor of the school, Sir William Whitla, the college completed the construction of the Whitla Hall in 1935. Further modification were made to the science rooms in 1936 to bring them up to required standards.


World War Two

Due to governmental restrictions no significant building work took place in the college during the Second World War; this included maintenance. As a result, many buildings deteriorated, including the huts which were still being used as classrooms. In addition, McArthur Hall was rented to the Government for war use. 16 members of staff and over 1000 former pupils joined the reserve forces, including the Territorial Army and RNVSR and saw active service. 101 men were killed in the war. Unlike other city based schools, the governors at Methody decided against relocating outside the city. Adaptations were made to the college to provide additional protection to the school. The Main Building's Victorian basements were reinforced and campbeds and bunks installed. Fire escapes were added and a fire engine bought. The college was unaffected by the
Belfast Blitz The Belfast Blitz consisted of four German air raids on strategic targets in the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland, in April and May 1941 during World War II, causing high casualties. The first was on the night of 78 April 1941, a small atta ...
in April 1941. After the evening of the first raid, the college offered the Whitla Hall as a refuge for people who had been left homeless and from the evening of the following day, people began to arrive. Food and beds were provided for the men, women and children until the women and children could be evacuated to the country and the men who needed to work in the city were moved into hostels. Until the end of the war and food rationing, Pirrie Park was cultivated to grow crops along with raising hens and ducks.


Post-war Methody

With the passing of the 1947 Education Act, all children over the age of 11 had to be enrolled in secondary education so creating the grammar school system as understood today with the selection taking place after the age of 11. This resulted in a large increase in the number of applications to institutions like Methody and the number of pupils increased significantly. One of the houses in College Gardens fell vacant and was converted into a second preparatory department in 1950. It became known as Fullerton House, named after William Fullerton who had been a governor, chair of the board and founder of Downey House. Extensions to this were made to the adjacent house in 1957. The existing preparatory department, Downey House, also received extension works in 1954. In 1959 a boathouse for rowing was built at Lockview Road in Stranmillis. Additional classrooms in what are now called K, L and M blocks were added as well as a lecture theatre, specific rooms for Home Economics, other classrooms (F Block), a canteen and gym were completed. In 1954 the Duchess of Kent, accompanied by Princess Alexandra, opened the college's extension.


Later 20th century

The later 20th century was a very turbulent time in Northern Irish history and became known as "
The Troubles The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed t ...
". While the Troubles touched nearly everyone in Northern Ireland, the school was thankfully materially unaffected. The 1960s and 1970s were a period of intense building work for the college, particularly in the run up to the centenary in 1968. This included new labs, modern language classrooms (E block), a new music department and indoor swimming pool, further science labs (now J and N blocks) and a gym. The science laboratories and swimming pool were opened by the
Governor of Northern Ireland The governor of Northern Ireland was the principal officer and representative in Northern Ireland of the British monarch. The office was established on 9 December 1922 and abolished on 18 July 1973. Overview The office of Governor of Northern I ...
,
Lord Erskine The Lordship of Parliament of Erskine (Lord Erskine) was created around 1426 for Sir Robert Erskine. The sixth lord was created Earl of Mar in 1565, with which title (and the earldom of Kellie) the lordship then merged. Lords Erskine (c. 1426) * ...
, in 1966. In 1968 the Chapel of Unity, Methody's first chapel on the college grounds, and a permanent memorial to the college's centenary, was completed. The organ in the chapel was donated by
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge Corpus Christi College (full name: "The College of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary", often shortened to "Corpus") is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. From the late 14th c ...
. The
Prime Minister of Northern Ireland The prime minister of Northern Ireland was the head of the Government of Northern Ireland (1921–1972), Government of Northern Ireland between 1921 and 1972. No such office was provided for in the Government of Ireland Act 1920; however, the L ...
,
Terence O'Neill Terence Marne O'Neill, Baron O'Neill of the Maine, Privy Council of Northern Ireland, PC (NI) (10 September 1914 – 12 June 1990), was the fourth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and leader (1963–1969) of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). ...
, presented the prizes at the college's centenary prize day. The Worrall Centre, a building specifically for the sixth form students, was completed in 1972. In 1975 Fullerton House was rehoused in its present position, facing the Lisburn Road and closing off the quad. The Sports Hall and art rooms were opened by Sir Roger Bannister in 1995. The Walton Building, which included new science labs and computer suites, was also constructed in the early 1990s. This building was named after Methody alumnus
Ernest Walton Ernest Thomas Sinton Walton (6 October 1903 – 25 June 1995) was an Irish nuclear physicist who shared the 1951 Nobel Prize in Physics with John Cockcroft "for their pioneer work on the transmutation of atomic nuclei by artificially accelerate ...
, who won the
Nobel Prize in Physics The Nobel Prize in Physics () is an annual award given by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for those who have made the most outstanding contributions to mankind in the field of physics. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the ...
for splitting the atom.


The new millennium

In 2005 the boathouse the college had been using was judged to be below standard and a new one was constructed on the same site. Further developments were made to sporting facilities when the David Wells Pavilion, named after the college's former director of
Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby union: 15 players per side *** American flag rugby *** Beach rugby *** Mini rugby *** Rugby sevens, 7 players per side *** Rugby tens, 10 players per side *** Snow rugby *** Tou ...
, was opened at Pirrie Park. In 2008 it was announced that in 2010 the boarding departments in McArthur Hall and the Main Building would close, ending a 142-year history of boarding at Methody. The rooms will be converted into classrooms. The college has been vocal in its opposition to the Burns Report into Post Primary Education in Northern Ireland. The college is one of the schools calling for the continuation of
academic selection A selective school is a school that admits students on the basis of some sort of selection criteria, usually academic. The term may have different connotations in different systems and is the opposite of a comprehensive school, which accepts all s ...
in Northern Ireland.


The School Song

Latin words by R.M. Henry; music by F.H. Sawyer


List of principals

* William Arthur (1868–1871) was president of the
Methodist Conference The Methodist Church of Great Britain is a Protestant Christian denomination in Britain, and the mother church to Methodists worldwide. It participates in the World Methodist Council. Methodism traces its origins to the evangelical revival le ...
in 1866. * Robert Crook (1871–1873) * Henry R. Parker (1879–1890). He left to become joint headmaster of Campbell College. * Henry McIntosh (1890–1912). * Ernest Isaac Lewis (1912–1917). Chemistry scholar and educationalist who devised the 'Bridge' course to introduce senior public school pupils to industry. * John W. Henderson (1917–1943). * John Falconer (1943–1948). * Albert Ball
FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and Literature, letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". ...
(1948–1960). Ball was previously rector of the
Royal High School, Edinburgh The Royal High School (RHS) of Edinburgh is a co-educational school administered by the City of Edinburgh Council. The school was founded in 1128 and is one of the oldest schools in Scotland. It serves around 1,400 pupils drawn from four feeder pr ...
. * Stanley Worrall (1961–1974). Worrall was previously principal of Sir Thomas Rich's School and was chairman of the Northern Ireland Headmasters' Association. The Worrall Sixth Form Centre was built in the
modernist Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...
architectural style and named in his honour. A
vorticist Vorticism was a London-based Modernism, modernist art movement formed in 1914 by the writer and artist Wyndham Lewis. The movement was partially inspired by Cubism and was introduced to the public by means of the publication of the Vorticist mani ...
mural was painted on one interior wall of the centre's "
rec REC or Rec is a shortening of recording, the process of capturing data onto a storage medium. REC may also refer to: Educational institutes * Regional Engineering College, colleges of engineering and technology education in India * Rajalakshmi ...
floor". * James Kincade (1974–1988). Kincade also served as the chairman and National Governor, Broadcasting Council for Northern Ireland. * Thomas Wilfred Mulryne (1988–2005), a Methodist College alumnus, a
Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...
lay preacher A lay preacher is a preacher who is not ordained (i.e. a layperson) and who may not hold a formal university degree in theology. Lay preaching varies in importance between religions and their sects. Overview Some denominations specifically disco ...
and a classics graduate of
St Catharine's College, Cambridge St Catharine's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. Founded in 1473 as Katharine Hall, it adopted its current name in 1860. The college is nicknamed "Catz". The colle ...
, he taught at the college before being named Headmaster of
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 He ...
in 1979. In 1998 he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Education by the
University of Ulster Ulster University (; Ulster Scots: or ), legally the University of Ulster, is a multi-campus public research university located in Northern Ireland. It is often referred to informally and unofficially as Ulster, or by the abbreviation UU. It i ...
. Shortly after his retirement in 2005, he was awarded the Allianz Award for Services to Education in Ireland, along with a Distinction Award from the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education. He now sits on the Governing Bodies' Association (GBA) for schools. * Cecilia Galloway (2005–2006). Former headmistress of the
Royal Latin School The Royal Latin School (RLS) is a co-educational grammar school in Buckingham, England. It has continually existed for over six hundred years; receiving a Royal Charter in this time and moving premises three times. In September 2011 the schoo ...
,
Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...
, she took up her post at Christmas 2005, the first female head of the school. In 2006, her management style was criticised and staff claimed that she had increased their workloads. She denied the claims, stating that her style was "democratic, transparent and straight-talking". On 20 October 2006, Galloway announced her resignation from Methody after just ten months, citing personal problems, and left her post ten days later, on 31 October 2006. * Maureen P. White (acting) (2006–2007). Following Galloway's departure, White assumed the acting headship. She had joined the college as a modern languages teacher, and was senior vice-principal before taking the role of Acting Principal. * Scott Naismith (2007–2022). Formerly of Regent House, Newtownards, was appointed by the governors in March 2007 and assumed office in the summer of that year, serving until his retirement in 2022. * Jenny Lendrum (2022–). Previously principal of
Antrim Grammar School Antrim Grammar School is a co-educational grammar school in Northern Ireland. It is in County Antrim, in the North Eastern Region of the Education Authority. It is more commonly known by locals as "AGS". It has two neighbouring schools, Parkhal ...
, she was appointed to succeed Scott Naismith.


Notable teachers

* John Anderson Hartley was second master at the college and was later
Vice Chancellor A vice-chancellor (commonly called a VC) serves as the chief executive of a university in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, other Commonwealth countr ...
of the
University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide is a public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. Its main campus in the Adelaide city centre includes many Sa ...
from 1893 to 1896. * J. W. R. Campbell was a Methodist minister, President of Methodist College and dean of residences at
Queen's University of Belfast The Queen's University of Belfast, commonly known as Queen's University Belfast (; abbreviated Queen's or QUB), is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. The university received its charter in 1845 as part of ...
. In 1921 he became a senator in the
Parliament of Southern Ireland The Parliament of Southern Ireland was a Home Rule legislature established by the British Government during the Irish War of Independence under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. It was designed to legislate for Southern Ireland,Order in Cou ...
. * James Johnston taught at Methody and later became Archdeacon of Gibraltar. *
David Bleakley David Wylie Bleakley CBE (11 January 1925 26 June 2017) was a Northern Irish politician and peace campaigner. Biography Background Born in the Strandtown district of Belfast, Bleakley worked as an electrician in the Harland and Wolff docky ...
was head of the department of economics and political studies at the college from 1969 to 1979. Prior to this he was a
Northern Ireland Labour Party The Northern Ireland Labour Party (NILP) was a political party in Northern Ireland which operated from 1924 until 1987. Origins The roots of the NILP can be traced back to the formation of the Belfast Labour Party in 1892. Previously, in 1885 ...
Stormont MP from 1958 to 1965. He became
Minister for Community Relations The Minister for Community Relations was a member of the Cabinet in the Parliament of Northern Ireland which governed Northern Ireland from 1922 to 1972. The post was created in 1969 and lasted until 1972. It was vacant for a month in 1971, afte ...
in 1971 and a
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs; ; ) are representatives elected by the voters to the Northern Ireland Assembly. About The Northern Ireland Assembly has 90 elected members – five from each of 18 constituencies, the boundaries o ...
in 1973.


Academic achievement

The college is a grammar school, and therefore admits pupils using academic selection.


Public examination results

Methody's performance in public examinations is consistently far above both the Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom average. In the 2017 A2 Levels, 16.0% of grades awarded were A*, 43.5% awarded were A*-A, and 76.3% awarded were A*-B, compared with the UK average of 8.3%, 26.3%, and 53.1% respectively. In the 2017 AS Levels, 33.2% of grades awarded were A, and 78.0% awarded were A-C, compared with the UK average of 23.8%, and 63.6% respectively. In the 2017 GCSE examinations, 25.2% of grades awarded were A*, 57.9% awarded were A*-A, and 95.2% awarded were A*-C, compared with the UK average of 7.1%, 21.3%, and 65.3% respectively. In the 2016 A2 Levels, 10.3% of grades awarded were A*, 42.7% awarded were A*-A, and 70.4% awarded were A*-B, compared with the UK average of 8.5%, 25.7%, and 50.9% respectively. In the 2016 AS Levels, 36.9% of grades awarded were A, and 84.6% awarded were A-C, compared with the UK average of 21.5%, and 60.9% respectively. In the 2016 GCSE examinations, 22.6% of grades awarded were A*, 56.3% awarded were A*-A, and 96.6% awarded were A*-C, compared with the UK average of 6.5%, 20.5%, and 66.9% respectively. In the 2015 A2 Levels, 15.0% of grades awarded were A*, 42.4% awarded were A*-A, and 72.1% awarded were A*-B, compared with the UK average of 8.2%, 25.9%, and 52.8% respectively. In the 2015 AS Levels, 33.6% of grades awarded were A, and 77.5% awarded were A-C, compared with the UK average of 20.2%, and 62.6% respectively. In the 2015 GCSE examinations, 23.8% of grades awarded were A*, 55.3% awarded were A*-A, and 96.1% awarded were A*-C, compared with the UK average of 6.6%, 21.2%, and 69.0% respectively.


University places

In recent years, almost all sixth form leavers have proceeded to full-time education. The school routinely prepares pupils for places at top
Russell Group The Russell Group is a self-selected association of twenty-four public research universities in the United Kingdom. The group is headquartered in Cambridge and was established in 1994 to represent its members' interests, principally to governme ...
universities in the UK, including
University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
,
University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
,
Imperial College London Imperial College London, also known as Imperial, is a Public university, public research university in London, England. Its history began with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who envisioned a Al ...
and
University of Durham Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charter in 1837. It was the first recognised university to ...
. From the 2017 sixth form leavers, 84.7% of students proceeded to higher education, 2.0% went to further education, and 11.2% took a gap-year. Methody is the NI hub school for the
University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
higher education + programme and every year the school prepares students for both
University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
and
University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
entry. The
University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
student newspaper, '' Varsity'', has previously listed Methodist College Belfast as one of the University of Cambridge's top ten feeder state schools.


Music


Choirs and instrumental groups

There are five choirs in the college: * Junior Choir * Junior Singers * Senior Choir * Girls' Choir * Chapel Choir There are also several instrumental groups: * Junior Orchestra * Junior String Quartet * Senior Orchestra * The Band * Jazz Band * Irish Traditional Group * Recorder Group The choirs have won several competitions: The Chapel Choir led worship at
Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...
in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2013 and 2016 when the Abbey's own choir was on holiday, and has performed in several radio and television broadcasts, such as the BBC programme ''Songs of Praise''. The choir was chosen as the only school choir from Europe to perform in the US premiere of Karl Jenkins's ''Gloria'' at
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...
in New York in 2011. The choir also performed at a reception at the British Embassy in Dublin during Queen Elizabeth's visit the same year. Several members of the Girls' Choir sang at the official opening of the
Millennium Dome The Millennium Dome was the original name of the large dome-shaped building on the Greenwich Peninsula in South East (London sub region), South East London, England, which housed a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millen ...
in 1999 and performed alongside the
Vienna Boys' Choir The Vienna Boys' Choir () is a choir of boy sopranos and altos based in Vienna, Austria. It is one of the best known boys' choirs in the world. The boys are selected mainly from Austria, but also from many other countries. The choir is a privat ...
, in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
, in 2005 as part of the Fifth World Choral Festival. They were also among the choirs selected to sing at the
coronation of Charles III and Camilla The Coronation of the British monarch, coronation of Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, Camilla, as Monarchy of the United Kingdom, king and List of British royal consorts, queen of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth re ...
in 2023. Several choir members have been accepted as choral scholars and organ scholars at
Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
and
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
colleges in recent years.


Senior Chorus

The Senior Chorus consisted of every pupil from Fourth Form to Upper Sixth; they performed choral works at some events throughout the year. The last performance of the Senior Chorus was at the 2014 Easter Concert, after which it was dissolved. The Chorus' duties have since been taken over by the smaller Senior Choir. This tradition had been established over many years. When Henry Willis was Director of Music at Methody from 1957 to 1966, large scale choral works were undertaken by the Senior School, which continued under William McCay. Dr Joe McKee OBE was Director of Music from 1991 to 2002, and he arranged for the Senior Chorus to sing in public performances outside the college. With the Director of Music, Ruth McCartney MBE, the Senior Chorus learned one large-scale choral work each year, starting in September. The Senior Chorus performed on three occasions in the school year: Senior Prize Distribution, College Carols, and the Easter Concert. At the Senior Prize Distribution in October, they sang two movements from the choral work, as well as another popular tune. At the College Carols, in December, they sang two movements from the choral work, as well as a Christmas piece. The Easter Concert was the most important event in the Senior Chorus calendar; in the second half of the concert, they sang the entire choral work, followed by a popular tune. At Senior Prize Distribution and the College Carols, they were accompanied by the Senior Orchestra, and at the Easter Concert they were accompanied by the Easter Concert Orchestra, made up of some members of the Senior Orchestra along with other guests.


Musical events

The college holds several public musical events throughout the year. Senior Prize Distribution is held in October, in the
Queen's University Belfast The Queen's University of Belfast, commonly known as Queen's University Belfast (; abbreviated Queen's or QUB), is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. The university received its charter in 1845 as part of ...
Sir William Whitla Hall and features performances from the Girls' Choir, Senior Choir, Senior Orchestra, Jazz Band, and the Band. The Autumn Concert then follows, normally held in a church or cathedral in Belfast, which features performances various musical groups. In December, a Service of Nine Lessons and Carols is held in the Chapel of Unity. This features several Christmas carols sung by the Chapel Choir, interspersed with Bible readings by pupils and staff. On the last day of the Winter term, College Carols is held in Fisherwick Presbyterian Church. The Easter Concert is the biggest musical event in the school year, and has been held in the main auditorium of the
Waterfront Hall Belfast Waterfront is a multi-purpose conference and entertainment centre, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by local architects' firm Robinson McIlwaine. The hall is located in Lanyon Place, the flagship development of the Laganside Corp ...
in recent years. The first half of the concert consists of performances by each of the college's music groups, and the second half of the concert features the Senior Choir & Orchestra performing a large-scale choral piece, followed by a popular piece of music. The light-hearted Band Concert is held in the Whitla Hall of the college near the end of the Summer Term. Every other June, there is a Summer Serenade held in a church in Belfast. The musical calendar ends with Junior Prize Distribution, which features performances from the Junior Choir, Junior Orchestra and the Band.
Philip Stopford Philip W. J. Stopford (born 1977) is an English organist and composer best known for his choral works.Philip Stopford w ...
's ''Missa Deus Nobiscum'' was commissioned to celebrate the school's 150th anniversary. Its first performance was in the
Waterfront Hall Belfast Waterfront is a multi-purpose conference and entertainment centre, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by local architects' firm Robinson McIlwaine. The hall is located in Lanyon Place, the flagship development of the Laganside Corp ...
, Belfast, on 14 March 2019, conducted by Ruth McCartney MBE.


Sport


Rugby Club

The college 1st XV have won the
Ulster Schools Cup The Ulster Schools' Challenge Cup is an annual competition involving schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The Schools' Cup has the distinction of being the world's second-oldest rugby competition, having be ...
a record 37 times outright, and the
Medallion Shield The Medallion Shield is an annual rugby union competition involving schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The competition is open to all schools within Ulster, but only schools from within Northern Ireland c ...
a record 36 times outright. The college owns its own rugby pitches at Pirrie Park. In 2014, the first XV defeated Sullivan Upper School 27–12 in the final of the
Ulster Schools' Cup The Ulster Schools' Challenge Cup is an annual competition involving schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The Schools' Cup has the distinction of being the world's second-oldest rugby competition, having be ...
. In 2012, the Medallion XV defeated Wallace High School 10–7 in the final of the
Medallion Shield The Medallion Shield is an annual rugby union competition involving schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The competition is open to all schools within Ulster, but only schools from within Northern Ireland c ...
. In October 2009, the 1st XV won the invitational Blackrock Rugby Festival, organised by
Blackrock College Blackrock College () is a voluntary day and boarding Catholic secondary school for boys aged 13–18, in Williamstown, Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland. It was founded by French missionary Jules Leman in 1860 as a school and later became al ...
, Dublin a once off event to celebrate that school's 150-year anniversary.


Hockey Club

The school has played
hockey ''Hockey'' is a family of List of stick sports, stick sports where two opposing teams use hockey sticks to propel a ball or disk into a goal. There are many types of hockey, and the individual sports vary in rules, numbers of players, apparel, ...
since the 1890s. One of the earliest matches was when a
Collegians Collegians are an Australian rugby league football team based in Wollongong, New South Wales, Wollongong. The club are a part of Country Rugby League and compete in the Illawarra Rugby League premiership. Originally known as CBC Old Boys, the c ...
ladies' team beat the schoolgirls 4–0 in 1896. The college possesses its own artificial turf pitch, located at
Belfast Harlequins Belfast Harlequins is a multi-sports club located off the Malone Road in south Belfast, Northern Ireland. The club name provides the overall umbrella for rugby union, men's and ladies' field hockey, hockey, and Squash (sport), squash. The club i ...
on the
Malone Road The Malone Road () is a radial road in Belfast, Northern Ireland, leading from the university quarter southwards to the affluent suburbs of Malone and Upper Malone, each a separate electoral ward. The road runs parallel to the Lisburn Road and i ...
. The boys' 1st XI were the
Burney Cup The Burney Cup (Ulster Schoolboys' Senior Hockey Cup) is an annual competition involving the strongest schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Hockey Association. The competition is held in the spring term of each school year and pr ...
winners in 1999 with the cup being presented to the team by Ulster Branch president and ex-pupil Peter Wood. In the 1985–86 school year, the Boys' 1st XI won the Tasmania Trophy as Irish schools champions, coached by schoolmasters Robert Kenny and Philip Marshall. The most recent success for the Boys' Hockey Club was the U14 XI winning the All Ireland Championship in 2015, along with the Ferris Cup and Bannister Bowl in 2014. Many pupils have represented Ulster and Ireland at Junior and under age levels. In January 2007, Boys' first XI player Douglas Montgomery was selected to represent the school as part of a delegation from
Belfast Harlequins Belfast Harlequins is a multi-sports club located off the Malone Road in south Belfast, Northern Ireland. The club name provides the overall umbrella for rugby union, men's and ladies' field hockey, hockey, and Squash (sport), squash. The club i ...
that met with President
Mary McAleese Mary Patricia McAleese ( ; ; ; born 27 June 1951) is an Irish activist lawyer, academic, author, and former politician who served as the president of Ireland from November 1997 to November 2011. McAleese was first elected as president in 1997, ...
in Phoenix Park, Dublin. This meeting was to mark the club's cross community work. The girls club celebrated its centenary in 1996 with a series of special matches. The girls last won the Senior Schoolgirls Cup competition in 2016, beating Sullivan Upper School 1–0 in the final, with Katie Larmour scoring the only goal of the game. The school has the most wins in the history of the Cup, however most of the success came prior to
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. The girls also won the Kate Russell All Ireland Championship in 2016.


Rowing Club

Rowing has been part of the college for a long time, and the club has been very successful throughout its duration. Every year the club enters in many events, including
Head of the River Race The Head of the River Race (HORR) is an against-the-clock ('processional') rowing race held annually on the River Thames in London, England, between eights, other such races being the Schools' Head of the River Race, Women's Head of the River R ...
s on the local
River Lagan The River Lagan (; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster Scots: ''Lagan Wattèr'') is a major river in Northern Ireland which runs from the Slieve Croob mountain in County Down to Belfast where it enters Belfast Lough, an inlet of the Irish Sea. The ...
,
Erne River The River Erne ( , or ''An Éirne'') in the northwest of the island of Ireland, is the second-longest river in Ulster, flowing through Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and forming part of their border. Course The Erne rises on ...
in
Enniskillen Enniskillen ( , from , ' Ceithlenn's island') is the largest town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the middle of the county, between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 14,086 at the 2011 censu ...
and the club has even travelled to
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
to race the
Schools' Head of the River Race The Schools' Head of the River Race (SHORR) is the UK's largest school-age processional (head rowing) race and is organised by Westminster School for crews aged between 14 and 18 years old. It is held in Spring, the end of the head race season ...
on the
River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...
. The club is also very active during the summer months, competing at
regattas Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water body, water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and ...
such as Portadown, Neptune, Cork City and the college frequently brings crews down to Cork to race at the Irish Championships. In July 2017, a crew consisting of Alexander Wilson, Calum MacRae, Rory Eakin, James Kelly and cox Hannah Adams placed second in the coxed four, narrowly missing out on the gold to a superb Enniskillen crew, a tremendous result nevertheless. In June 2018, the MCB J16 8 won the Craig Challenge Cup, a very prestigious and major rowing competition for clubs and schools. The event is the
Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
championship for Junior 16 eights with Methody being crowned victorious 16 times in its 59 years of running. Led by long standing coaches and teachers Mr Marron and Mr Forsythe, along with great help from alumnus Mr Barr, a previous winner of the event in 2008, the club brought the cup back to the Lagan for the first time in 10 years on 9 June 2018, dethroning Enniskillen after their long string of wins, and beating crews from
Bann Rowing Club Bann Rowing Club is a rowing club in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. It is situated on the east bank of the Lower Bann river in Hanover Place south of the Coleraine Bridge. Founded in 1842, Bann is one of the oldest rowing clubs in all of Ireland ...
, RBAI and
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 forme ...
. Every year, Methody and their traditional rivals RBAI compete against each other on the Lagan in "The Race". "The Race" was rowed along with the Craig Cup in 2018.


Clubs and societies


Model United Nations

There is a Model United Nations Society within the college. The college has won prizes at the Bath International Schools Model United Nations Conference, Model United Nations at Cheadle Hulme and George Watsons College Model United Nations. In 2003, a delegation of students went to Yale University, New Haven, to attend the
Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...
Model United Nations Model United Nations, also known as Model UN (MUN), is an educational simulation of the United Nations, which teaches students about diplomacy, international relations, global issues, and how the United Nations is run. During a model UN confe ...
Conference. They won the overall best delegation award representing the United Kingdom. In 2005, a further delegation attended the North American Invitational Model United Nations Conference, hosted by
Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...
in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
In March 2007 a team from MCB went to New York for the National High Schools Model United Nations. In March 2008, another MCB team attended GWCMUN at
George Watson's College George Watson's College is a co-educational Private schools in the United Kingdom, private day school in Scotland, situated on Colinton Road, in the Merchiston area of Edinburgh. It was first established as a Scottish education in the eighteenth ...
, Edinburgh. The team was successful in attaining the best delegation in General Assembly award, as well as jointly winning the best overall delegation award with a team from
Hampstead School Hampstead School is a large comprehensive school in the London Borough of Camden, England. The school building is one of the oldest in the borough. It has about 1,300 students between the ages of 11 and 19 attending the Lower School (Year 7 thro ...
. A number of delegates also won individual awards. The college regularly sends delegations to the annual conference at its sister school, Wesley College.


Chess Club

Methodist College Chess Club was set up by Brian Thorpe and Arthur Willans in 1960. After Brian Thorpe's retirement in 1994, Dr Graham Murphy took over and presided over victory in both the Irish Colleges Chess Championship and the British Schools Chess Championship (sponsored at that time by ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' newspaper) in 1995. In addition to the outright victory in the British Schools Chess Championship in 1995, the college finished third in 1970 and 1979, and fourth in 1986 and 1997. The British Schools Championship Plate Competition for runners-up of the zonal heats was won in 1994, the first year the Plate competition was held. The most distinguished former member is International Master Brian Kelly, who occupied Board 1 in the successful 1995 team. Kelly also won a gold medal at the Chess Olympiad in Moscow in 1994 playing at Board 5. Past pupils Brian Kerr, Tom Clarke, Angela Corry and Roger Beckett have also represented Ireland at Chess Olympiads. The Ulster Chess Championship has also been won by Methody alumni on 11 occasions, although only John Nicholson (1971,1973), Paul Hadden (1975), and Brian Kelly (1994) won whilst still at school. Brian Kelly is the only Methody alumnus to have won the
Irish Chess Championship The Irish Chess Championship is the national Championship of Ireland, currently run by the Irish Chess Union (Irish Chess Union, ICU), the FIDE-recognised governing body for the game. Below is the list of champions. The first champion was J.A. Por ...
(in 1995 and 2007)—Tom Clarke having come close, but losing on Tiebreak.


Preparatory departments

Methody has two fee-paying preparatory schools, Downey House and Fullerton House, each with 280 pupils, aged 5–11. Their fees for the 2017/2018 year were £4,730. There is a pre-school on both sites catering for children aged 3 and 4.


Fullerton House

There has been a preparatory department in the main buildings of the college since it opened in 1868. It received the name Fullerton House in 1951 after the late W.M. Fullerton DL who had chaired Methody's Board of Governors. The present building was opened in 1975 at the Lisburn Road end of the Methodist College campus. The first position however, was in the vestibule of 11 College Gardens, Belfast. Fullerton's motto is 'Veritate Principio'.


Downey House

Downey House was opened in 1933 following the purchase of Pirrie Park from
Harland and Wolff Harland & Wolff Holdings plc is a British shipbuilding and Metal fabrication, fabrication company headquartered in London with sites in Belfast, Arnish yard, Arnish, Appledore, Torridge, Appledore and Methil. It specialises in ship repair, ship ...
, as the college playing fields. The existing buildings were modernised and extended. It was founded by William Fullerton and named after John Downey. Downey's uniform is traditionally different from the rest of Methody as its colours are royal blue and gold. The school's motto is 'Ad Augusta'.


In film and literature

*The 2008 film, ''
City of Ember ''City of Ember'' is a 2008 American science fantasy adventure film based on the 2003 novel ''The City of Ember'' by Jeanne DuPrau. Directed by Gil Kenan in his live-action directorial debut, the film stars Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway, Bil ...
'', used the school and in particular the Whitla Hall as a filming location. *In the 2008 adaptation of ''Cinderella'' in the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
TV series ''
Fairy Tales A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the Folklore, folklore genre. Such stories typically feature Magic (supernatural), magic, Incantation, e ...
'', starring
Maxine Peake Maxine Peake (born 14 July 1974) is an English actress and narrator. She is known for her roles as Twinkle in ''Dinnerladies (TV series), dinnerladies'', a sitcom on BBC One (1998–2000), as List of Shameless (British TV series) characters#Vero ...
, the McArthur Hall was used as a filming location. *In the 2008 film, ''
Miss Conception ''Miss Conception'' (original title "Buy Borrow Steal") is a 2008 comedy film directed by Eric Styles and starring Heather Graham. Graham plays a woman who learns she has only one month left to conceive a child. When her baby-phobic long-term boy ...
'', McArthur Hall is used as the setting for a nunnery. *The 2011 novel ''Popular'', and its 2012 sequel, ''The Immaculate Deception,'' by Gareth Russell are set in a fictional co-educational Belfast grammar school situated at the top of the
Malone Road The Malone Road () is a radial road in Belfast, Northern Ireland, leading from the university quarter southwards to the affluent suburbs of Malone and Upper Malone, each a separate electoral ward. The road runs parallel to the Lisburn Road and i ...
, based upon the college. *Interior shots for the 2014 TV miniseries '' 37 Days'' were filmed in the college's McArthur Hall. *The school was used as a location for the third series of the BBC children's TV series ''
The Sparticle Mystery ''The Sparticle Mystery'' is a British science fiction television series written and created by Alison Hume and produced by Sparticles Productions for CBBC. The series follows a group of ten children in modern Britain, where an experiment at a ...
''. *In September 2015, the McArthur Hall was used as a location for the film adaptation of '' The Lost City of Z'', starring
Robert Pattinson Robert Douglas Thomas Pattinson (born 13 May 1986) is an English actor. #Filmography, His filmography often sees him portraying eccentric characters across a diverse range of genres. Known for starring in both major studio productions and in ...
.


Notable alumni


Sources


External links


Official Website

Old Collegians – MCB Former Pupils Association
{{authority control 1865 establishments in Ireland Boarding schools in Northern Ireland Educational institutions established in 1865 Grade B1 listed buildings Grammar schools in Belfast Member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference Preparatory schools in Northern Ireland Protestant schools in Northern Ireland Methodist schools in Northern Ireland