Portora Royal School
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Portora Royal School is a boys' school located in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It was one of a number of 'free schools' founded by Royal Charter in 1608, by James I. Originally called Enniskillen Royal School and located outside Enniskillen, the school moved to its present location on Portora Hill, Enniskillen in 1643.
Formerly a boarding school, Portora now caters for 490 day students. Originally the school only accepted men, but in the 20th century females were first admitted to Portora; the school's website states, "the year 1979 saw a break from the tradition of the previous 361 years when a small number of girls were accepted as pupils. The number of girl pupils increased from the original 9 boarders and 2 daygirls of 1979 to a maximum of 31 girls in 1984." No girls currently attend Portora, the last graduated in the early 1990's. In 2008 Portora will celebrate the Quatercentenary of its founding proclamation by King James. Plans are being made to commemorate this occasion jointly with the other Royal Schools. The other Royal Schools that were established under the same proclamation are the Royal School Armagh, Royal School Cavan, Royal School Dungannon and Royal School Raphoe in County Donegal.
Statistics
- Age range: 11 - 18
- Day pupils: 490 boys
- Annual day fees: £100-125
- Total pupils: 490 boys
- Including 6th form/FE: 130 boys
- Staff numbers: 33 full time
- Method of entry: application to school
- Professional affiliations: HMC, ISC
- Religious affiliation: Protestant
- Headmaster: Mr Neill Morton
- Bursar: Mrs A Stronge
Famous alumni
- Samuel Beckett, winner of Nobel Prize in Literature
- Nigel Dodds, politician - MLA and Member of Parliament
- Neil Hannon, singer and song writer
- Bishop Michael Jackson, Church of Ireland Bishop
- Rev Henry Francis Lyte, Anglican minister and Hymn writer
- Harry West, politician (Ulster Unionist Party leader and Stormont Minister)
- Oscar Wilde, playwright
References
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