St Columb's College - Notable Former Pupils

Notable Former Pupils

See also: Category:People educated at St Columb's College

The 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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