Qualla: Limavady Grammar School

Limavady Grammar School: Introduction

Sun, 24 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Jason Smyth was once a pupil here. By the time he retired in 2023, the Limavady-born sprinter had won six Paralympic gold medals across four Games, held the title of fastest Paralympian in history, and ran the 100 metres faster than any visually-impaired athlete had ever run it. He went to school in a building on Ballyquin Road that opened in 1957 - one of the three secondary schools clustered into Limavady's so-called education circle. Limavady Grammar School currently enrols 910 pupils aged 11 to 18. In 2008 it was ranked 139th in The Times school league table for the entire United Kingdom. That is the kind of academic standing that turns a market town's grammar into a quietly important place.

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Limavady Grammar School: A Town with Three Schools

Sun, 24 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Limavady's three secondary schools sit within walking distance of each other along Ballyquin Road and Irish Green Street - Limavady Grammar, Limavady High School, and St Mary's High School. The clustering means pupils from different backgrounds and abilities pass each other every...

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Limavady Grammar School: The Foundation

Sun, 24 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The origins of Limavady Grammar can be traced back to a late-nineteenth-century foundation, but the current school was established in 1957. It originally occupied the site that now houses Limavady High School. The move to the present site on Ballyquin Road came later, with major ...

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Limavady Grammar School: Rugby, Hockey, and the Astroturf

Sun, 24 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Rugby is the main boys' sport. The school fields two teams at each age level from U12 to Medallion, with a 1st XV and 2nd XV at senior level. The 1st XV plays in the Danske Bank Schools Cup - one of the great Ulster school rugby competitions. Past pupil Derek McAleese earned a si...

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Limavady Grammar School: The French Debaters

Sun, 24 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The school's French Debating Society won the Northern Ireland NICILT Post-16 French Debating Championship in 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010 - four titles in five years. The choir, the orchestra, the jazz band, the brass band, and the traditional Irish music group perform at festivals...

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Limavady Grammar School: Notable Alumni

Sun, 24 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Jason Smyth holds the most stellar record - six Paralympic golds, world records, and a sprint career that ended on his own terms. He is one of the most decorated Paralympians ever to come out of Ireland. Chloe MacCombe, a Northern Irish paratriathlete, won a silver medal at the C...

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