RSD began life as one of five Royal Schools set up by James I for the education of the sons of English and Scottish planters in Ulster.  In 1614 a school was founded at Mountjoy, on the shores of Lough Neagh, but in 1636, 22 years later, it moved to Dungannon, probably to Union Place.  The school was badly damaged and temporarily closed due to war and rebellion, in 1614 and again in 1689, but re-opened each time and eventually in 1789, the year of the French Revolution, was relocated to its present situation in Northland Row.  The building then consisted of the present Headmaster’s House.  If you look closely you can see the similarities in style with the houses in Northland Row, especially the unusual shape of the fanlights above the front doors.  The 1789 building acquired the nickname of “The Old Grey Mother” when the sandstone with which it was built was rendered, or covered with cement.  This happened because sometime in the 19th Century when new windows and doors were required, the Board of Governors had not enough money for more sandstone blocks and so had to use handmade brick.  This looked ugly but also the sandstone was porous and so the moisture got through easily.  Hence the grey (which was originally lighter) in the Old Grey Mother.

The new Ranfurly Building reflects the original appearance much more accurately.

The earliest record of school colours goes back over 300 years to 1674, when the boys were described as playing football in “yellow … jerkins and black breeches”.  In the 19th century cricket colours of violet, yellow and red were worn as a ribbon round a bowler hat!  The present colours of chocolate and magenta for rugby and for school uniform were adopted in 1870.  Chocolate is a rich dark brown.  Magenta is the description of a mixture of red and pink.  The magenta braid on the old blazers used to darken until it became a purple and for a time blazers did have a purple braid because the suppliers believed this to be the case.

The school badge was redesigned at amalgamation in 1986 when the motto was added from the former High School for Girls.  Unlike most great schools, RSD never had a motto until it became co-educational.

The current coat of arms was redesigned at the request of Mr Hewitt for the millennial year of 2000 by Mrs Kathleen Hobson, who was a former Chairman of the Board, as well as a former Head Girl of the High School for Girls Dungannon.  She also recreated the beautiful framed extracts from the 1614 Charter which can be seen in various places around the school.  The letters and colours are faithfully copied from Jacobean times.

Beresford

John George Beresford was one of two brothers who each became Archbishop of Armagh and Primate if All Ireland.  In 1850 the Archbishop gave RSD a substantial sum which was used to build the cloister, (see the plaque above the door leading to the Robinson Wing), the gymnasium and two classrooms.  This gym is now the Marshall Library.  In memory of Beresford’s generosity, the “blue” house is now named after him.

It is not widely known that RSD generously gave the land beyond its northern side to the Roman Catholic Church so that it could build the first St Patrick’s Academy.  The RSD community also provided, by collection half of the funding to help build our sister school which moved to the present Killymeal Road site in the 1970’s.

Bullingbrook

In 1614 James, angry that there had been a six-year delay since he had ordered the building of a “free school” for County Tyrone, demanded that the Archbishop of Armagh take immediate action.  Accordingly, a Headmaster, John Bullingbrook was appointed in May 1614.  The School he ran was about twelve miles from this site, on the shores of Lough Neagh, at Mountjoy, just north of Coalisland.  The area is still called “College Lands” although it is just a field today.  The Royal School lasted until 1636 when it moved to Dungannon.  But five years later in 1641 Irish rebels attacked and destroyed this school, which they saw as a symbol of English plantation of Ulster, and Bullingbrook, together with his son, was forced to flee for his life.  He sought refuge in the great forest of Glenconkeyne which then stretched the length of the western shore of Lough Neagh, but it was nearly winter time and both Bullingbrook and his son died of hunger and exposure.  Thus the career of our first Headmaster ended in disaster.  Bullingbrook lent his name to the House whose colours are green.

There have been just twenty-one Headmasters in nearly 400 years, fewer that all the other Royal Schools.  The shortest serving Headmaster lasted less than a day, one under a year and the longest serving was the great Dr Frederick Ringwood who was Headmaster for 42 years from 1850-1892.

Mountjoy

Four hundred years ago there was no British link or presence in Dungannon – Ulster was the most Gaelic part of Ireland, resolutely defying English attempts to extend their control over the province.  The leader of Ulster’s resistance was Hugh O’Neill, whose headquarters were in Dungannon.  O’Neill fought off a series of English armies, until a new commander, Lord Mountjoy was appointed.  Mountjoy fought a ruthless and determined campaign against O’Neill until the great Irish chieftain surrendered in 1603.  In the years which followed, English and Scottish planters made Ulster their home and RSD was registered as one of the schools for the planters’ children.  Without the military success of Mountjoy there would have been no Ulster plantation and no Royal School, so it is fitting that we commemorate his name for one of RSD’s houses – the “red” house.

Nicholson

General Sir John Nicholson was a pupil of RSD in the 19th Century.  He went on to achieve fame as a soldier, dying a hero’s death during the Siege of Delhi in the Indian Mutiny of 1857.  A statue of Nicholson stood beside the Delhi Gate for many years until Indian independence, when it was removed, eventually finding its way to Dungannon in 1960, when it was unveiled by Lord Mountbatten, the late uncle of Prince Philip.  Nicholson House was the last of the four RSD houses to be founded, in the year 1967 – the “yellow” house.

Two biographies have been written about him, both of them available in the school library.  To this day, in the area of India (the North west frontier) where he was most famous, he is regarded by some as being virtually a God, such was his awesome appearance, strict judgement and amazing bravery.

Prof RL Marshall (one of two famous brothers after whom the library is named) wrote a poem in a School Magazine of the 1930’s in which he described a dream of the Nicholson statue in Delhi standing not there but in front of their old school (RSD).  Amazingly this came to pass some 30 years later.  He was reappointed Chairman of the Board of Governors for a second term for the 350th Anniversary of the school in 1964.

Post Amalgamation Houses were renamed to incorporate Dungannon H.S. House names,colours remained the same

• Beresford became Beresford/Charlemont,

• Bullingbrook became Bullingbrook/Tyrone,

• Mountjoy became Mountjoy/Ranfurly,

• Nicholson became Nicholson/Dungannon

The names of those RSD Old Boys who died in the Great War of 1914-18 are inscribed on the left-hand memorial board in the Dining Hall.

In R1 there is a World War I stained glass memorial window depicting a procession of soldiers watched by the Angel of Death but overlooked by the figure of the crucified Christ.  It reads, “In memory of many boys of the Royal School Dungannon who gave their lives in the Great War”.  It was designed and made by a former head of Art in RSD.

At every Remembrance Day service at the War Memorial in the Market Square Dungannon, a wreath is laid on behalf of those pupils of RSD who in the World Wars or since have given their lives in the service of their country.

A beautiful clock, situated in the Cloisters area was presented in 1997 by the Former Pupils’ Association in honour of RSD pupils who had suffered or been killed during the troubles in Northern Ireland.  A plaque beneath this high clock is suitably inscribed to remind all pupils of this sacrifice by their predecessors.

Nowadays Belfast “Inst” is among our keenest sporting rivals, but during World War II rivalries were suspended for a number of years.  RBAI then had a Boarding Department and after the two major air raids on Belfast in the spring of 1941 it was no longer considered safe for boarders to stay in the centre of the city.  They were evacuated (by train) to Dungannon. 150 were lodged with the families of RSD pupils and 100 were lodged in Northland Row a large hostel opposite the school and became pupils of RSD for the duration.  Of those who were evacuated, the Hostel boys stayed the longest and were taught partly by RBAI staff and partly by RSD teachers.  Games were played frequently between RSD and RBAI boys in Dungannon at a time when travel was restricted due to the war.  In 1991, 50 years on, many of the Inst Boys came to Dungannon to attend the RSD Old Boys Dinner and relive those historic times.  The camaraderie and respect still exists between these two great schools.  A photograph of the evacuation is in the Museum showing the Inst boys on the platform of the Great Northern Railway, which was just beside where the Europa Hotel is today. 

The Armstrong Field was formerly known as the Prep Pitch, after the Prep House, which once stood at the touchline beside the Convent School.  Originally a sanatorium, built in 1850 to isolate boarders with infectious diseases (remember this was before antibiotics and even antiseptics), it later housed the Preparatory Department, finally becoming, under Mr Edgar, a boarding house for senior boys.  The Prep House lay vacant for a number of years until it was demolished in 1988.

The first mention of the Prep Department being in existence was in the December 1940 issue of the School Magazine and it closed in 1999 after 59 years of outstanding work.

The School Scout ‘Cubs’ group was founded in 1938-39 with the Scouts continuing until its closure and merging with local Church group in 1981.

At the Prep’s peak in the 1990s there were three teachers and nearly 70 pupils.  They took part in the School Concerts and Carol Service every year, put on a Christmas Nativity Play or Pantomime, ran sports day, went on trips to Scotland and London and helped run stalls at the Annual Funfair.

The idea of a Prep. Department was simply to prepare primary aged pupils better for a Grammar School education.  It was situated in its last 30 years in the classrooms underneath the flyover and Headmaster’s Study.  The Prep Pupils had the front lawns and a fine timber climbing frame to play in.  Rounders and croquet were popular in the Spring and Summer terms.  The outstanding teachers of the Prep were: Miss Marjorie McMillan, Mr David Kirkwood, Mrs Laura Swaile, Miss Carol Calvert and Mrs Yvonne Stevenson.

The old Prep Pitch was formally renamed in 1998 as the Armstrong Field, in honour of Mr Ken Armstrong, who taught in RSD from 1962 to 1991.  Ken was a gifted athlete who played at out-half for Ireland, represented Ulster at basketball, and was on Leicester City’s books while a student at Loughborough.  But his great contribution to sport in RSD was as the 1st XV coach between 1962 and 1983.  His teams were then known for their attacking, free running style, and came close to winning the School’s Cup in 1975, when RSD lost to method at a packed Ravenhill final.

Mr Armstrong was the first proper coach to the Senior Ulster Rugby Team in the 1960’s and was one of several RSD staff to have coached Ulster, the others being Mr Jimmy Davidson and Mr David McMaster, who were on the staff of RSD in the 1970’s and 1990’s respectively.

Mr. John Wilson, Vice -Principal and Deputy Head in RSD in the 1990’s, also coached Junior Ulster at a time when RSD boasted the Senior Schools’ and Junior Ulster coaches.

How many of you know that the gates in Northland Row are named after a former RSD Headmaster? 

The Bingham Gates are so called in memory of Mr. R.W. Bingham, (see his photograph in the Headmaster’s Gallery in the Flyover Corridor), Headmaster for 20 years from 1911 to 1931.  During his time RSD was the first Irish school to go on a continental trip (to the Vosges in 1913), the School Magazine was begun, and RSD won the Medallion Shield in two successive years.

Until the Bingham Gates were inaugurated in 1957, the main Northland Row entrance was at the junction of Perry Street and Northland Row, beside the present mini-roundabout.

The Old Gates were removed in the 1940’s to help in the war effort by being melted down and used for building tanks and ships.  However, it is believed that the beautiful old gates were never actually used for this purpose as the war ended before it could happen.

Today, traffic restrictions would not permit a main gate on the corner of a huge intersection but when RSD moved from Castle lane to Northland Row in 1789 there would only have been horse and cart traffic and this would have been very light. 

The “New” main entrance was opened at the Gate Lodge in the 1960’s and today only Staff, Boarding and deliveries use the Northland Row gates.  All gates and railings are due to be replaced.  It is of interest to note that up until the 1940’s all pupils entered school by the Headmaster’s House.

This was formerly the Gymnasium and Assembly Hall, built in 1850 and used for its original purpose until the late 1960’s when it was converted into a Library, taking over from the more cramped surroundings of R28...It is named after two Marshalls both old boys of RSD.  The first is W.F. Marshall, a Presbyterian minister who wrote many poems including “Mary Ann”, “I’m Livin’ in Drumlister” and the School Song, “Hurrah, Hurrah Dungannon wears the crown”.

The “other” Marshal is Rev Professor RL Marshall, an author, clergyman an academic, for 20 years Professor of History and English at Magee College, Londonderry.

The Library was redesigned in the early 1980s when Mr Hewitt himself designed the stairs and podium which leads into what was a Modern Language classroom but now houses the Hutcheson Fiction Library.  This development allowed all the extra High School books to be shelved for amalgamation in 1986, when the Marshall Library was dedicated solely to the academic collection of books.  Computers were introduced in the 1990s and a computerised library system was first used in the late 1990s.

Since Amalgamation there have been three Librarians: Mr David Kirkwood, Mr David Cranston and Mr James Graham.  Mrs Jan Brennan is the longest serving Library Assistant and dozens of pupils have acted as Assistant Librarians.

The two other important portraits in the Library, along with the photographs of Chairmen of the Board are of Leebody, an Old Boy who became Sub Editor of the Times, and John Mark, Earl of Ranfurly, who was not an RSD pupil, but who owned the land currently occupied by the Gate Lodge and Memorial Field and went as Governor General to New Zealand in the early years of the 20th Century.

A Cloister is defined as a “covered walk or arcade connected with a monastery or college, often running around the open court of a quadrangle”.  Some of you might remember the cloisters of Trinity College Cambridge, round which the athletes race I the epic film “Chariots of Fire”.  RSD’s cloister, however, only has one side instead of four, and faces outwards from the court of the Headmaster’s Garden rather than inwards.  It was built with money donated by the Archbishop of Armagh, Beresford, in 1850.  Above the door leading to the Taylor Recital Room and R2 is a plaque which commemorated the donor and the date of its construction.  Check it out next time you are in RSD’s Cloister.  The Cloister floor slabs and the step are the original ones.

Behind the Cloister is the walled garden of the headmaster’s House, which in the early 19th century was the scene of many garden parties.  From this garden the grounds used to slope down to the “bowl” field which was a boggy and smelly rugby pitch, originally where the Assembly Hall now stands.  Then the ground rose to a field which grew vegetables and fruits to feed the boarding pupils from 1789 until it was converted in the 1960s into the current excellent Armstrong Field.  Mr Hewitt had a small shrub and bush area bulldozed into the current Arnold Field for junior rugby in 1989.  It is named after a former pupil and Governor, Arthur Arnold who had a great love and interest in RSD.  The Arnold Shield is a trophy presented by the Arnold Family in memory of Arthur, who was Head of History in the Rainey Endowed School Magherafelt.  This is played for in matches between the two schools at Junior Level.

The structure which stands at the north end of the Cloisters playground was a ball alley, used for the game of handball, a game similar to squash but played, as the name suggests, with the closed fist rather than a racquet.  The game is still played in parts of Ireland, but it is many years since RSD pupils participated.

The new Robinson Link and new Cloister form a back wall to the ball alley enabling it to be used for the modern break and lunch time practice of soccer, tennis and other ball sports.  It was designed by Mr Hewitt to link the new buildings with the old.  The old Cloister, which date from 1850, used to be the setting for PE classes and some whole school assemblies.  A huge iron gate used to link the Robinson Wing with the Ball Alley.

Dungannon High School for Girls was founded in 1925, based in the Robinson Wing of RSD, before moving to what is now the Lower Campus in 1935.  Look for the plaque on the outside wall at the Lower Campus main entrance commemorating its opening by Lady Charlemont.  This can be seen incorporated in the front wall of what in now the Lower Campus Sports Complex.  In 1986 the Girls’ High School amalgamated with the boys Royal School and the 620 pupils of the new school became the first co-educational Grammar school in Dungannon.  In a way this was the wheel turning full circle as in the early 1900’a Miss McDermott’s Girls school, the forerunner of the High School, had been based in the North Wing of the Royal School.

The High School had just four Headmistresses.  Miss Morton succeeded Miss MacDermot in 1925.  Miss Leith took charge from 1948 to 1968 when Miss Macbeth became Headmistress until amalgamation in 1986 when she became, with Mr RD Stewart, Deputy Head under Mr Hewitt.  Shortly after her retirement in 1994 she joined the Board of Governors.  The High School also has a Prep school which took some boys for many years and eventually closed in the 1970s, merging with RSD Prep Department.

At amalgamation in 1986 RSD took the High School motto “Perseverando” as it had not one of its own, something very unusual for one of the oldest schools.  The motto is formulated to mean: “Never Say Die” – keep on trying if you wish to succeed.