Notable Former Pupils
See also: Category:People educated at St Columb's CollegeThe college's former pupils association makes an annual award (the Alumnus Illustrissimus Award) to "a past-pupil who has achieved something of major significance or has made a considerable contribution in his own field". Past winners of the award are as follows:
- 1994 The Most Reverend Dr Edward Daly
- 1995 John Hume, former MP, MEP
- 1996 Seamus Heaney, poet
- 1997 Brian Friel, playwright
- 1998 Professor Sean Mullan, Neurosurgeon
- 1999 Monsignor Brendan Devlin, cleric
- 2000 Sir James Doherty
- 2001 Professor Raymond Flannery, physicist
- 2002 Martin O'Neill, football player and manager
- 2003 Phil Coulter, composer
- 2004 Honouring all alumni (as part of the school's 125th anniversary celebrations)
- 2005 James Sharkey, diplomat
- 2006 Sir Liam McCollum PC, Lord Justice of Appeal in Northern Ireland
- 2007 Peter McCullagh/John Toland, mathematicians
- 2008 Professor Patrick Johnston, Director of the Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology (CCRCB) and Dean of the School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen's University Belfast
- 2009 Professor Seamus Deane - Poet and novelist
- 2010 Sir Declan Morgan - Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland
- 2011 Paul Brady - Singer, Song Writer, Musician
- 2012 Professor Declan McGonagle - Curator and Academic
Other alumni and names associated with St Columb's include:
- Liam Ball - Irish Olympic swimmer
- Craig Dillon - Dubsteppa
- Kevin O'Connell - Notable modern composer
- Josephy Avery -Notable author and swimmer
- Eamon Burns - Gaelic Athletic Association footballer
- Francie Brolly - Sinn Féin politician and father of Joe Brolly
- Ivor Canavan - Alliance Party of Northern Ireland Politician/Cllr/Mayor of Derry
- Tony Connelly - RTÉ European Correspondent
- Peter Cunnah - Pop musician
- Richard Doherty - Noted military historian and Chairman of the Institute of Road Safety Officers 1988-91 and 2000-02.
- Cillian de Búrca - Broadcaster & journalist
- Mark Durkan - Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Leader/politician/MP
- Darron Gibson - Footballer
- Paddy Gormley - Prominent Irish politician and member of the defunct Nationalist Party
- Seamus Mallon - Rugby player
- Martin Meenan - Playwright
- Eamonn McCann - Political activist
- Raymond McCartney - Sinn Féin politician
- Philip Gerard McFadden - Sculptor
- Mark McFadden - Broadcaster & journalist
- Brian McGilloway - Author
- Seosamh Mac Grianna - Writer
- Gerard McSorley - Actor
- Sir Paul Morgan - High Court Judge, Chancery Division
- Mark H. Durkan - Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Politician/MLA
- Marcás Ó' Murchú - Folk musician
- John O'Neill - Northern Ireland Soccer player
- Luke O'Reilly - Actor and "rock-star".
- Richie Kavanagh - Comical entertainer
- Gerard Diver - Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Politician/Cllr/Mayor of Derry
- Paul McLoone - Musician
- Brian Dooher - (GAA star) - All Ireland winning captain
- Sir Charles Bartley - Judge of the High Court in Calcutta
- Eamon McAuley - Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Politician/Cllr
- William Bartley - President of Municipal Commissions in Singapore
- Francis S. K. McCullagh - Knight Commander of the Order of St Sava, Captain in the Royal Irish Fusiliers, author and war correspondent for the New York Herald.
- George Leeke - Northern Irish Nationalist MP
- George Leeke McLoughlin - Barrister, Crown Counsel in Northern Rhodesia 1958-63, solicitor general in Zambia 1968-70.
- Liam McCormick - Architect and winner of RIAI gold medal. He designed the Church of St. Aengus which won Irish building of the century in 1999.
- Daniel Joseph Bradley - Physicist
- Dermott Henderson - Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Politician
- Anselm Ó Fachtna - Franciscan priest and scholar
- Paul Brady - Folk/Rock musician
- Patrick McGilligan - Lawyer, politician and academic. TD for NUI and Minister for Industry and Commerce 1924-32. Founder of ESB.
- Louis Joseph Walsh - Lawyer, political activist and playwright
- Charlie McGee - Tenor singer
- Michael O'Duffy - Ballad singer (appeared in The Quiet Man (1952))
- Thomas Quigley - Music teacher and composer/arranger for RTÉ
- Colum Eastwood - Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Politician/Cllr/Mayor of Derry/MLA
- Patrick Healy - Marathon Runner
- Johnny McDaid - Snow Patrol, Vega4
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Famous quotes containing the words notable and/or pupils:
“Every notable advance in technique or organization has to be paid for, and in most cases the debit is more or less equivalent to the credit. Except of course when it’s more than equivalent, as it has been with universal education, for example, or wireless, or these damned aeroplanes. In which case, of course, your progress is a step backwards and downwards.”
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963)
“Close to the academy in this town they have erected a sort of gallows for the pupils to practice on. I thought that they might as well hang at once all who need to go through such exercises in so new a country, where there is nothing to hinder their living an outdoor life. Better omit Blair, and take the air.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)