Enniskillen Royal Grammar School


Enniskillen Royal Grammar School, located in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, is an academically selective, co-educational, non-denominational voluntary grammar school. The school opened its doors on 1 September 2016. Two former Enniskillen grammar schools were amalgamated to form the school. It is located on two sites.

Formation of Enniskillen Royal Grammar School

A proposal by the Department of Education to merge Portora Royal School with the Enniskillen Collegiate Grammar School to form "Enniskillen Royal Grammar School" was approved by the Minister of Education, John O'Dowd, in June 2015, but the matter was taken to the High Court in October 2015 due to a lot of local opposition. However, the High Court bid to stop the amalgamation of the two Enniskillen grammar schools failed.
Subsequently, Portora Royal School and the Enniskillen Collegiate Grammar School closed at the end of the 2015/2016 school year. Enniskillen Royal Grammar School then opened on 1 September 2016. Initially, the school is operating on two sites. However, there are plans to build a single new school at the current Lough Shore site.

Sports

Rowing and rugby are the biggest sports at Enniskillen Royal Grammar School.
The school’s rowing club has established itself as one of the top rowing clubs in all of the UK and Ireland. The club is based at the grounds of the school’s Lough Shore site, at the Portora Boat House. Students from all schools in the local area are allowed to join the club. Around 8 volunteers, supported by the head coach, coach the club. 2 members of the coaching team, Derek Holland and Iain Kennedy, are former Olympians.
On Friday 22 September 2017, the outstanding level of success achieved by the boat club was recognised in an event at Enniskillen Castle Museum where the Chairman of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Stephen McCann, presented the rowing coach, Derek Holland, with a trophy to mark the occasion.