The Old Grey Mother

RSD began life as one of 5 Royal Schools set up by James I to educate sons of English and Scottish planters in Ulster . In 1614 a school was founded at Mountjoy on the shores of Lough Neagh , however after 22 years (in 1636) , it moved to Dungannon - probably Union Place . The school was damaged and temporarily closed because of war and rebellion in 1614 and 1689 but re -opened each time. Eventually, in 1789 (the year of the French Revolution ) it was relocated to its present site in Northland Row . The building then consisted of the present Headmaster’s House and was built from sandstone . This 1789 building acquired the nickname of “ The Old Grey Mother “ after the sandstone with which it was built was rendered with cement sometime in the 19th Century . New windows and doors were required , the Board of Governors had insufficient funds for sandstone blocks and instead used hand made brick . To preserve a unified appearance the building was covered with cement . The new Ranfurly Building may reflect the original appearance more accurately .

School Colours

Records of school 'colours' go back 300 years. In 1674 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 around a bowler hat ! The present colours of chocolate and magenta for rugby and for school uniform were adopted in 1870 . The School badge, originally -the castle and the crown- was altered at amalgamation in 1986 and a motto added from the former Dungannon High School for Girls . Unlike most great schools , RSD was without a motto until it became co–educational in 1986. The current coat of arms was redesigned at the request of Mr. Hewitt for the Millennial Year of 2000,by Mrs. Kathleen Hobson , a former Chairman of the Board, who had also been Head Girl of Dungannon High School for Girls . Mrs. Hobson also re-created the beautiful framed extracts from the 1614 Charter with letters and colours faithfully copied from Jacobean times .

School Houses

BERESFORD . John George Beresford was one of two brothers who each became Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland . In 1850 the Archbishop gave RSD a substantial sum of money, this 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 .       BULLINGBROOK . In 1614 James, angry that there had been a six year delay since he had ordered the building of a “ free school “ for Co .Tyrone , demanded that the Archbishop of Armagh take immediate action . A Headmaster, John Bullingbrook was appointed in May 1614 . The school was then at Mountjoy (an area is still called “College Lands “) although just fields now . In 1636 the Royal School was moved to Dungannon . Five years later in 1641 this new school was attacked and destroyed by Irish rebels . Bullingbrook and his son were forced to flee and sought refuge in the great forest of Glenconkeyne on the western shores of Lough Neagh . They both sadly died of hunger and exposure . In nearly 400 years there have only been 20 Headmasters of RSD . The shortest serving Headmaster lasted less than a day, another less than a year. The longest serving was the great Dr. Frederick Ringwood , Headmaster for 42 years from 1850-1892 . MOUNTJOY . 400 years ago Ulster was the most Gaelic part of Ireland and resolutely defied English attempts to extend control over the Province . Hugh O’Neill had his headquarters in Dungannon and led the Ulster resistance . O’Neill fought off a series of English armies. A new commander, Lord Mountjoy, fought a ruthless and determined campaign against O’Neill until the great Irish chieftain surrendered in 1603. In the years following, English and Scottish planters made Ulster their home and RSD was registered as one of the schools for the planters’ children . Without Mountjoy there would have been no Ulster plantation and no Royal School , thus his name is commemorated in one of RSD’s houses 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 until Indian independence , when it was removed . The statue eventually found its way to Dungannon in 1960, was erected in front of the school . It was unveiled in the year 1967 by Lord Mountbatten , late uncle of Prince Philip . Nicholson House was the last of the four RSD houses to be founded , . Nicholson was most famous in the Northwest Frontier of India . He was amazingly brave , administered strict justice and had an awesome appearance . In India he was regarded by some as being virtually a God . Professor R. L. Marshall wrote a poem in a school magazine of the 1930‘s in which he described a dream of the Nicholson Statue standing, not in Delhi, but in front of RSD . This did come to pass some 30 years later. 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 RSD and World War I 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 and 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 . During every Remembrance Day Service at the War Memorial in Market Square Dungannon , a wreath is laid on behalf of the school by the Head Boy and Head Girl and another presented by the Former Pupils’ Association in honour of all 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 the sacrifice by their predecessors . Evacuation (1940-42) 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, but after 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 families of RSD pupils and 100 were lodged in Northland Row at a large hostel opposite the school , they became pupils of RSD for the duration . Of those who were evacuated , the Hostel boys stayed longest and were taught partly by RBAI staff and partly by RSD staff . 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 back to Dungannon to attend the RSD Old Boys Dinner and relive those historic times . Great camaraderie and respect still exists between these two fine schools . A photograph of the evacuation in the RSD School Museum shows Inst. Boys on the platform of the Great Northern Railway , which was just beside where the Europa Hotel is today .