History

St Columbanus’ College is a well established and successful co-educational Catholic College which serves Bangor, Groomsport, Donaghadee, Holywood, Newtownards and Comber. The foundation stone for St Columbanus’ Secondary Intermediate School, as it was formerly known, was laid by Bishop Daniel Mageean on the Feast of the Assumption, 15th August 1959.

The College was built to serve the parishes of Bangor, Holywood and Newtownards and opened within a week of the feast of St Columbanus on 29th November 1960. A wide curriculum was offered with an emphasis on the teaching of vocational and technical skills. Many students left at the age of fifteen to take up employment while a small GCE class remained to study for external examinations. The late 1960s and early 1970s saw a significant growth in enrolment which required a major extension to the original building. In the modern era the college continues to go from strength to strength evolving to best meet the needs of young people in the Bangor area.

In the last twenty years the College’s intake has changed significantly. In addition to students from our maintained Colleges we welcome students from many controlled primary Colleges in North Down. We are proud that our school attracts people of all religious denominations and is a community where diverse beliefs and cultures fuse together to form a vibrant college where the academic, pastoral and spiritual growth of our students are valued equally. We are pleased that our College is a place where we can make a positive contribution to the spiritual development of each student. Prayer plays a central part in College life.

We are privileged to have St Columbanus as our patron. He was a man born in the south of Ireland, educated in the north and imbued with a missionary zeal to take the gospel message to Europe.

St Columbanus is the patron saint of our College. From an early age his mission was to follow the teachings of Jesus and to bring this message to others. He spent time in Fermanagh, Bangor, France and Italy. Our College motto “Lex Dei in Corde Meo” means the “God’s Law is in my heart”. Daily in our College and home lives we are asked to show God’s love to others through our words and actions.