Royal Belfast Academical Institution
Encyclopedia
The Royal Belfast Academical Institution, is a Grammar School in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Locally referred to as Inst, the school educates boys from ages 11–18. It is one of the eight Northern Irish schools represented on the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.

The school occupies an 8-acre site in the centre of the city on which its first buildings were erected; major additions in 1953, 1957, 1960, 1964, 1983, 1991, 2000 and 2003 provide modern and specialised facilities and account for half the present accommodation. In addition to 40 classrooms, there are 16 science laboratories, 2 lecture rooms, 2 gymnasia, art and music departments, sixth form centre, common hall, dining hall and indoor heated swimming pool. A new sports hall has been added and Christchurch—a state-of-the-art facility encompassing a new library, careers suite and 3 IT suites—has recently been opened.

Candidates for admission to the Main School should be under 12 on July of the year of admission and applications must be received by mid-February. Boys who are regarded by the Department of Education for Northern Ireland as qualified for Grammar School education have their Tuition Fee paid by their local Education and Library Board. There is an annual capital fee for the 2005/06 academic year of £690 and £45 stationery. For new pupils there is also an insurance charge of £15.75 and a refundable book deposit of £65. Scholarships are awarded to the School boys whose work shows outstanding progress during their School career.

History

The firsted demands for the school which would become Inst. came from a group of well-to-do Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

 merchants, and professional gentlemen. They insisted that the existing Belfast Academy
Belfast Royal Academy
The Belfast Royal Academy is the oldest school in the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is a co-educational, non-denominational voluntary grammar school situated in north Belfast. The Academy is one of eight Northern Irish schools whose Headmaster is a member of the Headmasters' and...

 under Dr. William Bruce did not offer a "complete, uniform, and extensive system of education." They hoped that a new school would give more access to the ‘higher' branches of learning as well as to those which would fit youths for a practical commercial career. The foundation stone of Inst. was laid, in pouring rain, on 3 July 1810 by George Augustus Chichester, 2nd Marquess of Donegall
George Chichester, 2nd Marquess of Donegall
George Augustus Chichester, 2nd Marquess of Donegall, KP, PC , styled Viscount Chichester until 1799, was an Irish nobleman and politician....

. Donegall owned much of the land in the Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

 area and granted the school a lease for the grounds at an annual rent of £22-5s-1d. The eminent English architect John Soane
John Soane
Sir John Soane, RA was an English architect who specialised in the Neo-Classical style. His architectural works are distinguished by their clean lines, massing of simple form, decisive detailing, careful proportions and skilful use of light sources...

, who designed the new Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...

 in 1788, offered to draw up plans in 1809. Building began in 1810. Money was collected to pay for the buildings by encouraging rich merchants and businessmen to subscribe one hundred guineas each for the privilege of being able to nominate one boy to receive free education at Inst. The roof of the main building was completed during the winter of 1811. The Institution was formally opened at 1:00pm on the 1st of February 1814. William Drennan
William Drennan
William Drennan ,a physician, poet, educationalist and political radical, was one of the chief architects of the Society of United Irishmen...

 announced that the aim was to ‘diffuse useful knowledge, particularly among the middling orders of society, as a necessity, not a luxury of life.' He also referred to the particularly noble and rural setting of the school - in front a fair and flourishing town, and backed by a sublime and thought-inspiring mountain. Until the middle of the 19th Century Inst. was both a school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...

 and a university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

, a dual function which the Belfast Academy never had. This was of course before Queen's University was opened and the only University in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 was in Dublin. The present system of Headmasters of Departments is a reminder of the days when Inst. had professors and what today we would call ‘faculties‘. RBAI is one of the smartest schools in Northern Ireland

Curriculum

For the first three years boys normally follow a common curriculum: in the fourth year the curriculum is still general but certain options are introduced, and at the end of the fifth, boys sit the examination for the Northern Ireland GCSE. Subjects studied at AS/A2 level in the VIth Form include English, Modern History, Geography, Economics, French, German, Spanish, Greek, Latin, Technology, Mathematics, Physics Politics, Chemistry, Biology, Music and Art.

Houses

  • Dill - House Colour - Red
  • Jones - House Colour - Yellow
  • Kelvin - House Colour - Green
  • Larmor - House Colour - Black (However, the tie stripe is white due to the black background)
  • Pirrie - House Colour - Blue
  • Stevenson - House Colour - Brown

Sports and Societies

There are numerous Clubs and Societies, a School Orchestra, Choir and Band, a contingent of the Combined Cadet Force, Scout and Venture Scout units and a Community Service Group.

Sport

The school offers a wide selection of sports, with rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 being the most dominant. Inst have won the Ulster Schools Cup
Ulster Schools Cup
The Ulster Schools' Challenge Cup is an annual competition involving schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The Schools' Cup has the distinction of being the world's second-oldest rugby competition, having been competed for every year since 1876...

 outright 29 times along with 4 shared titles. Rugby Football and Hockey are played in the winter; Athletics, Cricket and Lawn Tennis occupy the summer months; Badminton, Fencing, Rowing, Squash and Swimming (including Water Polo and Life-saving) take place throughout the year. Teams representing the School take part not only in matches and activities within the Province, but also in events open to all Schools in the United Kingdom.

The school hockey teams have achieved many successes. The 1st XI consistently feature in the finals of all three competitions they enter (The Irish Schools Tournament, The McCullough Cup
McCullough Cup
The McCullough Cup is a hockey competition. It is an annual tournament played for by schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Hockey Association...

 and the Burney Cup
Burney Cup
The Burney Cup is an annual competition involving the strongest schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Hockey Association...

). The current Ireland captain, Patrick Brown, is an Instonian.

In recent times other school sports have also been more frequently making headlines. Inst is one of only four schools in Northern Ireland to participate in competitive rowing. In 2005 the first ever Inst crew travelled to the Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...

 in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. It regularly participates in various regattas throughout Ireland and abroad.

In swimming the school teams regularly go to competitions within Ireland and abroad. In 2005, 3 of the team qualified for the Irish International Schools Squad. In the same year the Senior team came 3rd in the Bath Cup competition held in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. Recently the team picked up a number of medals in the Irish Schools, held in the NAC in Dublin on the 4 February 2006. Again one swimmer qualified for the International Schools Squad, while the Senior Relay Team became Irish champions in both the medley and freestyle relays, breaking both Irish Schools records in the process. On the 12 May 2006 the senior team again won the prestigious Bath Cup competition, in a new record time. In February 2007, the team again performed well in the Irish Schools, gaining numerous medals and retaining both senior relay titles. The team narrowly missed out on the 2007 Bath Cup title, being beaten by 0.4 seconds in a thrilling race which was down to the wire. However, the team did shave a huge 3 seconds off the record that they themselves had set the year before, and also took the Otter title and record for the 4x50 medley relay. In March 2008, they won the Bath Cup again, in a new record time. They also broke the Otter Medley title, with two members winning both titles for a second time.
Water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...

 teams have competed in various events and tours. The most recent to Holland in 2006. In January 2007 the team came runners up in the Irish Schools Water Polo Championships. Numerous players have gone on to gain representative and international honours.

Unlike some other grammar schools in Ireland, which play Gaelic Games or Rugby to the exclusion of soccer, soccer is played at Inst with 3 senior teams regularly competing in league and cup competitions, although it is not played below 5th Form.

The school hosts a number of students who represent their country in various sports.

Music

The Music Department is overseen by Mr Philip Bolton, who in his time at the school has managed to create an award winning musical community. He is a member of the acclaimed Priory Singers and is intrinsic to the Northern Ireland musical scene.

Musical groups include the choir, which won the UTV
UTV
UTV is a television channel based in the UK region of Northern Ireland. The channel is the Channel 3 or Independent Television licensee for Northern Ireland and is operated by UTV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media.- Terrestrial :* Analogue: Normally tuned to 3 * Freeview : 3...

 Choir of the Year competition in 1999, the orchestra, the jazz band led by past pupil David Howell, and the string group. All of which have gathered a plethora of distinguished musical awards and achievements.

Other notable figures in the music department are:
  • Mrs Ann Reid, a distinguished Violin Performer and Concert Pianist, who tutors both of these instruments in the school. She holds qualifications from the Royal Academy of Music, London. She accompanies much of the Music performances on the piano.
  • Miss Kimberley O'Hara, who teaches Music in the main school. She holds qualifications in solo piano performance and composition from Queen's University Belfast. She also tutors piano in the school.
  • Mrs Antoinette McMichael, part time teacher at Inchmarlo Preparatory school. She has gathered much respect through her work in the preparatory department, for which she is the director of music.


The music performed is of all varieties and styles. In one concert, a listener could be treated to choral, jazz, gospel, classical, modern classical, rock and alternative in the space of 2 hours. Concerts have a reputation of being incredibly different from other school performances, with plenty of visual aspects and also frequent light-hearted humour, courtesy of the conductor, Mr Bolton who arranges the music himself.

Among public performances and television recordings, the music department have two major concerts a year in November and March, along with the annual Carol Service
Christmas carol
A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.-History:...

, details of which may be found on the RBAI Official Website.

In 2010, the Easter concert took place on 29 April in the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, to mark the 200th anniversary of the school. Furthermore, in the Bicentenary year, Philip Bolton chose to compose a new arrangement of the school song which was much more instrumental, to a largely positive response.

Debating

The school's debating society, more properly known as the Royal Academical Debating Society, is the oldest continuously extant body of its kind in Irelandand is currently overseen by Marina Matchett and Chris Leathley. The society meets regularly at both junior and senior level and aims to develop initiative, confidence, and an appreciation of the culture of both debate and civilised argument. Debates are lively, sometimes controversial, and provide a platform for social, political and cultural debate articulated in a considered and eloquent manner. Two internal competitions are run within Inst. There is an Inter-House Debating Competition (current champions are Larmor) and the Gawin Orr Public Speaking Competition which are both held annually. The Royal Academical Debating Society also holds an annual dinner at which members celebrate past successes and wish leaving members well.

The inaugural RBAI Invitational Debating Tournament was held in 2007 and has continued on an annual basis since then. Inst have won this tournament on three occasions (2007, 2009 & 2010) whilst St Malachy's were the victors in 2008. In 2008, an Inst team won the first Debating Matters Competition to be held in Northern Ireland and the following year, Michael Frazer won Best Individual Speaker. The school debating team has reached the final of the Northern Ireland Schools Debating Championship
Northern Ireland Schools Debating Competition
The Northern Ireland Schools Debating Competition is an annual competition involving schools from across Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1993 by Fionnuala Jay-O'Boyle CBE during her time as Chairman of the Belfast Civic Trust. The final of the competition is held every year in the Senate...

 on four occasions (1998, 2007, 2010 and 2011), and have won the prestigious competition twice, defeating Thornhill College
Thornhill College
Thornhill College is a Roman Catholic girls' grammar school in Derry, Northern Ireland. It was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1886 and moved to Culmore in 1932. It moved into its new building in 2003. It has a student population of approximately 1500 and a staff of 100 teachers. Miss Hamilton...

, Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...

 in 2007 and Bangor Grammar School
Bangor Grammar School
Bangor Grammar School , is an all-boys, voluntary grammar school situated in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1856 by the Conservative politician and Bangor man, Col The Hon. Robert Ward PC MP who lived at Castle Ward...

 in 2011 in the final at Parliament Buildings, Stormont.

Inst have also successfully competed in many European Debating Competitions. In 2009, the Inst team won the NI European Youth Parliament Competition and went on to represent Northern Ireland in the UK Finals held in Durham. In March 2010, Inst also participated in the All-Ireland European Council Debates held annually at Dublin Castle. Representing Germany, the RBAI team were awarded 2nd place out of the 28 teams from across Ireland who competed, with RBAI also winning the TE Utley Memorial Award with an essay on the future of Britain in geopolitics. Inst also regularly participate in the European Council Debates held in Stormont.

Combined Cadet Force

Another prominent society is that of the Combined Cadet Force (CCF), which is overseen by Emma Johnston and, former RBAI student and CCF member, Gareth Johnston. With both RAF and Army sections the Inst CCF contingent is regarded by many as one of the strongest in the UK. The Army-section is the current holder of the Northern Ireland Cadet Championship Trophy for Team and individual skills (currently held by Elliot Lyness). Various other trophies are held, both individually and collectively for performance in military and civil skills.

Old Instonians

The school has an "old boys" club known casually as Instonians and formally as the Belfast Old Instonians Association (B.O.I.A.).

At present the Rugby, Golf and Cricket section of the club are open for all to join, whilst the Hockey club is still open to past members of the school only. Originally set up as an "old boys" only club, the sports club was opened up to the public in response to the notable flow of Instonians to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 for further education, many of whom did not return to Northern Ireland. This led to fears that the club would die out as current members grew older but were replaced by less and less 'new blood' owing to the dwindling number of Instonians choosing to remain in Northern Ireland.

The association also functions as a means for ex-pupils to find old school friends, or get in contact with other Old Instonians in their area if they move abroad. The association provides this by producing a directory of all members on a regular basis. There are annual Instonians dinners held by the association, in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, which aim to further the feeling of brotherhood in the shared experiences of the school's sons.

Inchmarlo

R.B.A.I. also has a preparatory department (Inchmarlo), founded in 1907 and now set in a 6 acres (24,281.2 m²) site on Cranmore Park, off the Malone Road in South Belfast. Inchmarlo House was the former home of Sir William Crawford, a Director of the York Street Flax Spinning Mill.

It employs 11 full-time staff and caters for boys aged between 4 and 11 whose standard uniform consists of traditional school-caps, shorts, knee-high socks, school-blazers and leather satchels. It constantly attains impressive results in the '11 plus' examination with 75% of pupils gaining an 'A' grade. Of those, approximately 99% (around 40) transfer to the main school every year.
The Headmaster of Inchmarlo Preparatory School is Alan Armstrong, and his Vice Principal is Malcolm Guy.

Bicentenary

The foundation stone at RBAI was laid on 3 July 1810, and in 2010 the school is celebrating its bicentenary. This celebration takes place throughout the calendar year and includes events such as Old Boys evenings, school open days, a Gala dinner and the RBAI Grand Concert at the Waterfront hall, Belfast. It is planned that this concert will include music from both the choir and school orchestra, with a mix of musical styles all arranged by head of music, Philip Bolton.

Alumni

  • John Miller Andrews, second Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
    Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
    The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland was the de facto head of the Government of Northern Ireland. No such office was provided for in the Government of Ireland Act 1920. However the Lord Lieutenant, as with Governors-General in other Westminster Systems such as in Canada, chose to appoint someone...

  • Thomas Andrews
    Thomas Andrews (shipbuilder)
    Thomas Andrews, Jr. was an Irish businessman and shipbuilder; managing director and head of the draughting department for the shipbuilding company Harland and Wolff in Belfast, Ireland. Andrews was the shipbuilder in charge of the plans for the ocean liner...

    , chief designer at Harland and Wolff
    Harland and Wolff
    Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries is a Northern Irish heavy industrial company, specialising in shipbuilding and offshore construction, located in Belfast, Northern Ireland....

     shipyards and RMS Titanic architect
  • Sir Kenneth Bloomfield
    Kenneth Bloomfield
    Sir Kenneth Percy Bloomfield is a former head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service who was later a member of the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains and for a time Northern Ireland Victims Commissioner...

    , former Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service
    Northern Ireland Civil Service
    The Northern Ireland Civil Service is the permanent bureaucracy of Crown employees that supports the Northern Ireland Executive, the devolved government of Northern Ireland....

    , current Chairman of the Board of Governors
  • Wesley Burrowes
    Wesley Burrowes
    Wesley Burrowes is an Irish playwright and screenwriter. Originally from Northern Ireland, he is now a resident of the Republic of Ireland...

    , playwright and screenwriter
  • Lord Carswell of Killeen
    Robert Carswell, Baron Carswell
    Robert Douglas Carswell, Baron Carswell, PC, QC , is a retired Lord of Appeal in Ordinary.The son of Alan and Nance Carswell was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Pembroke College, Oxford, where he received a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in classics and law in 1956...

    , Law Lord and former Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland
  • Colonel Tim Collins, Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment in Iraq during Operation Telic
    Operation Telic
    Operation TELIC was the codename under which all British military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the Invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on 22 May 2011...

     (2001)
  • Sir Donald Currie
    Donald Currie
    Sir Donald Currie GCMG was a British shipowner.Currie was born in Greenock, Scotland. However, he spent his school days in Belfast at the Belfast Academy and later at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and at a very early age he was employed in the office of a shipowner in that port...

    , shipping magnate and founder of the Currie Cup
    Currie Cup
    The Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring , featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...

     rugby union competition held in South Africa
    South Africa
    The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

  • William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, physicist. (The school's Kelvin house is named after him)
  • Lord Laird, Ulster Unionist life peer
  • Sir Joseph Larmor
    Joseph Larmor
    Sir Joseph Larmor , a physicist and mathematician who made innovations in the understanding of electricity, dynamics, thermodynamics, and the electron theory of matter...

    , Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, Cambridge University
    University of Cambridge
    The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...

     1903-1933. (The school's Larmor house is named after him)
  • Sam Lee, Irish international rugby player, captained Ireland in the 1892-1893 season, again in 1895-1896, and in 1894 he was a member of Ireland's first Triple Crown triumph
  • Michael Longley
    Michael Longley
    Michael Longley, CBE is a Northern Irish poet from Belfast.-Life and career:Longley was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and subsequently read Classics at Trinity College, Dublin, where he edited Icarus...

    , poet
  • Lord Lowry, former Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland
  • Denis MacEoin
    Denis MacEoin
    Denis M. MacEoin is a former editor of the Middle East Quarterly and is also a novelist. A former lecturer in Islamic studies, his academic specialisations are Shi‘ism, Shaykhism, Bábism, and the Bahá'í Faith, on all of which he has written extensively. His novels are written under the pen names...

    , novelist and Islamicist
  • Derek Mahon, poet
  • Bowman Malcolm
    Bowman Malcolm
    Bowman Malcom was an Irish railway engineer. He became Locomotive Superintendent of the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway at the age of 22 and later took on the additional role of Civil Engineer...

     (1854–1933), railway civil and mechanical engineer
  • Brian Mawhinney
    Brian Mawhinney
    Brian Stanley Mawhinney, Baron Mawhinney PC is a British Conservative Party politician. He was a member of the Cabinet from 1994 until 1997 and a Member of Parliament from 1979 until 2005.-Early life:...

    , a member of the Cabinet
    Cabinet of the United Kingdom
    The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....

     until 1997 and a Member of Parliament until 2005, currently Chairman of the Football League
  • R. B. McDowell
    R. B. McDowell
    Robert Brendan McDowell MA, PhD, Litt.D, LLD, MRIA, FTCD, was an Irish historian. He was a Fellow Emeritus and a former Associate Professor of History at Trinity College, Dublin. He was born in Belfast...

    , fellow of Trinity College Dublin, historian of 18th-century Ireland
  • Graham McKee, member of the band Bel's Boys
    Bel's Boys
    Bel's Boys refers to a pop/rock band based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and also to a children's television program which the band feature in.-The band:...

  • Charles Monteith, London publisher who was the first person to accept William Golding's
    William Golding
    Sir William Gerald Golding was a British novelist, poet, playwright and Nobel Prize for Literature laureate, best known for his novel Lord of the Flies...

     Lord of the Flies
    Lord of the Flies
    Lord of the Flies is a novel by Nobel Prize-winning author William Golding about a group of British boys stuck on a deserted island who try to govern themselves, with disastrous results...

  • Kenneth Montgomery
    Kenneth Montgomery
    Kenneth Montgomery OBE is a British conductor, the only child of Lily and Tom Montgomery. His upbringing was in Wandsworth Parade and he attended the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. His musical studies were at the Royal College of Music...

    , principal conductor, Ulster Orchestra
    Ulster Orchestra
    The Ulster Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Belfast, the only full-time professional orchestra in Northern Ireland. The orchestra plays the majority of its concerts in Belfast's Ulster Hall and Waterfront Hall...

  • Stephen Nolan
    Stephen Nolan
    Stephen Nolan, born Belfast in 1973, is a radio and television presenter for BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Radio Five Live. He was educated at Royal Belfast Academical Institution, and Queen's University Belfast where he studied French and Business Studies....

    , BBC radio and television presenter
  • Lembit Öpik
    Lembit Öpik
    Lembit Öpik is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Montgomeryshire in Wales from 1997 until he lost his seat in the 2010 General Election...

    , former Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire
    Montgomeryshire (UK Parliament constituency)
    Montgomeryshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created in 1542, it elects one Member of Parliament , traditionally known as the knight of the shire, by the first-past-the-post system of election.The Montgomeryshire Welsh Assembly...

  • Christopher Salmon Patterson
    Christopher Salmon Patterson
    Christopher Salmon Patterson was a Canadian Puisne judge of the Supreme Court of Canada.Born in London, England, the son of John and Ann Patterson, he studied at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution in Ireland. In 1845, he emigrated to Picton, Canada West , Canada...

     (1823–1893), judge of the Supreme Court of Canada
    Supreme Court of Canada
    The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...

  • William Pirrie, Viscount Pirrie, Chairman of Harland and Wolff
    Harland and Wolff
    Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries is a Northern Irish heavy industrial company, specialising in shipbuilding and offshore construction, located in Belfast, Northern Ireland....

     1895-1924. (Pirrie House is named in his memory)
  • Mark Pollock
    Mark Pollock
    Mark Pollock is an adventurer, athlete, rower, kayaker, author and international motivational speaker from Northern Ireland who became the first blind man to reach the South Pole...

    , blind international rower and entrepreneur
  • Paul Rankin
    Paul Rankin
    Paul Rankin is a Scottish born, Northern Irish celebrity chef from Ballywalter, County Down, Northern Ireland. Born in Glasgow, Scotland his parents moved back to Ballywater, where he grew up. This was stated when he was the subject of an episode of a short programme named Proud Parents on Channel...

    , television chef
    Chef
    A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...

     and owner of a chain of restaurants in Belfast
    Belfast
    Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

  • Forrest Reid
    Forrest Reid
    Forrest Reid was an Irish novelist, literary critic and translator. He was, along with Hugh Walpole and J.M. Barrie, a leading pre-war British novelist of boyhood...

    , Ulster novelist and literary critic
  • Brigadier John Alexander Sinton
    John Alexander Sinton
    Brigadier John Alexander Sinton, VC, OBE, FRS, DL was a British medical doctor, malariologist and soldier, being a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Early...

     VC, OBE, FRS, MB, DL (1884–1956), doctor, malariologist and recipient of the Victoria Cross
  • Paul Smith, founder of Celador
    Celador
    Celador is a global light entertainment company originally formed as an independent production company in 1983. It has produced a number of popular light entertainment shows and is probably best known for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and co-producing the film Slumdog Millionaire which collected...

     and creator of the game-show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
    Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
    Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers large cash prizes for correctly answering a series of multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The format is owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television International. The maximum cash prize is one million pounds...

    and executive producer for the film Slumdog Millionaire
    Slumdog Millionaire
    Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup...

  • Leonard Steinberg, Baron Steinberg
    Leonard Steinberg, Baron Steinberg
    Leonard Steinberg, Baron Steinberg was a British life peer and multi-millionaire businessman.Born in Belfast on 1 August 1936, Steinberg was the founder and Non-Executive Chairman of Stanley Leisure Ltd...

    , life peer and businessman
  • Dawson Stelfox
    Dawson Stelfox
    James Dawson Stelfox MBE is a Northern Ireland architect and chairman of Consarc Design Group. In May 2008, he was elected President of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects.-Education and career:...

    , the leader of the 1993 Irish Expedition to Mount Everest
    Mount Everest
    Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...

     and the first Irishman to reach the summit
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    , Northern Ireland
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     International Footballer
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    , captain British and Irish Lions
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     rugby team 1955, South Africa
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    , the Ireland Cricket Team's all-time leading wicket taker
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    , Irish Rugby international, member of first official British Isles Rugby team in 1910, decorated military officer, and surgeon to King George VI of the United Kingdom
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  • Ryan Caldwell
    Ryan Caldwell
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  • Major Tom McDowell, Chief Executive of the Irish Times from 1953–1997
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External links


Sources

1.[www.rbai.org.uk]
2.http://www.rbailibrary.co.uk/
3.http://www.inchmarlo.org.uk/
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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