Methodist College Belfast
Methodist College Belfast (MCB), locally known as Methody, is a co-educational voluntary grammar school in Belfast, located at the foot of the Malone Road, Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1865 by the Methodist Church in Ireland and is one of eight Northern Irish schools represented on the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. It is also a member of the Independent Schools Council[1] and the Governing Bodies Association.[2]
The college was ranked just outside the top 100 in the United Kingdom and 19th in Northern Ireland in the 2023 The Sunday Times Parent Power Best UK Schools Guide, which ranks schools based on GCSE and GCE Advanced Level examination results, truancy rates and pupil destinations. [3] A 2001 profile of the College in The Guardian 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".[4]
In rugby, the college has won both the Ulster Schools Cup and the Medallion Shield a record 37 times outright.[5] The college choirs have won Songs of Praise Choir of the Year, Sainsbury's Choir of the Year and RTÉ All-Island School Choir of the Year.[6] The Chapel Choir has performed in Westminster Abbey and the Carnegie Hall as well as during Queen Elizabeth II's visit to the Republic of Ireland.[7]
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, Hong Kong and Canada.[8] The college has links with Belfast Harlequins, the successor of the former sports club for staff and past pupils, Collegians.[9] Methodist College is a registered charity.[10]
Sport[edit]
Rugby Club[edit]
The college 1st XV have won the Ulster Schools Cup a record 37 times outright,[5][74] and the Medallion Shield 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.[75] In 2012, the Medallion XV defeated Wallace High School 10–7 in the final of the Medallion Shield.
In October 2009, the 1st XV won the invitational Blackrock Rugby Festival, organised by Blackrock College, Dublin a once off event to celebrate that school's 150-year anniversary.[76]
Hockey Club[edit]
The school has played hockey since the 1890s. One of the earliest matches was when a Collegians ladies' team beat the schoolgirls 4–0 in 1896.[77]
The college possesses its own artificial turf pitch, located at Belfast Harlequins on the Malone Road.
The boys' 1st XI were the Burney Cup 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.[78] 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 that met with President Mary McAleese in Phoenix Park, Dublin. This meeting was to mark the club's cross community work.[79][80]
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.[81] The school has the most wins in the history of the Cup, however most of the success came prior to World War II. The girls also won the Kate Russell All Ireland Championship in 2016.[82]
Clubs and societies[edit]
Model United Nations[edit]
There is a Model United Nations Society within the college.[87][88] 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 Model United Nations 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 in Washington, D.C. 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, 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. A number of delegates also won individual awards.[89] The college regularly sends delegations to the annual conference at its sister school, Wesley College.[90][91]
Chess Club[edit]
Methodist College Chess Club was set up by Brian Thorpe and Arthur Willans in 1960.[92] 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 newspaper) in 1995.[93] 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.[94]
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 (in 1995 and 2007)—Tom Clarke having come close, but losing on Tiebreak.