Kilkeel High School

Kilkeel High School

Kilkeel High School is a comprehensive (non selective) secondary school located in Kilkeel, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is within the Southern Education and Library Board area.

Sport

Kilkeel High has a successful hockey team and the school fields teams in competitions from U-13 to an U-18 1st XI. Despite being a comprehensive state school, it competes in the Cup competitions dominated by the powerhouse grammar schools in Ulster, and the school regularly qualifies for the "All-Ireland" schools hockey tournament. In 2001 the boys 1st XI reached the final of the prestigious McCullough Cup and despite a brave performance, they eventually lost in a penalty shoot-out.^[1]

Kilkeel High school also competes at rugby. All age groups in the school also compete locally at football. The rugby team reached the high schools cup semi-final in which they played against 5 mile town. The team was beaten narrowly due to refereeing errors.

Pupils from the school regularly qualify for County and "All-Ireland" athletics events including cross-country which the school has experienced great success in, in recent years.

Other competition

In 2006 a team from Kilkeel High won the Business and Professional Women UK National Public Speaking Championship.^[2] The women's speaking team from Kilkeel has been very successful in recent years, winning various local and national competitions.

Community activity

In 1981 Kilkeel High School students erected a memorial to the victims of the 1916 Carlingford Lough disaster.^[3]

Notable former pupils

• Jeffrey Donaldson, Unionist politician, who played the part of the Artful Dodger in a production of the musical Oliver! while attending the school.^[4]

References