Irish Society donates £10,000 for College Union endowment scheme

The Trustees recently called to St. Columb’s College and met with the Principal, Mr. FJM Madden, pupils and members of the SCCPPU to officially hand over the contribution.

The endowment is one of a number of new initiatives SCCPPU is progressing as it sets about ensuring the College Union fulfils its objective of being a valuable resource for former St. Columb’s College boys in terms of networking, both locally and it is hoped internationally, once work on upgrading the Union website is completed.

Alongside the website upgrade, work also continues on the digitisation of the College’s significant historical archive.

Mr. Garvan O’Doherty, President of the College Union, has significant business connections with THTIS and St. Columb’s College has enjoyed a relationship with THTIS from the school’s foundation in 1879.

The earliest record of this relationship can be found in the book ‘Derry Columbkille’ published by Browne and Nolan in 1899.

It relates how “Saint Columba’s College should be permanently endowed to the extent of £600 a year…a committee of that Corporation, known as the Irish Society, still administers the trust, and a few years ago, they, owing chiefly to the representations of the city member, Mr. Knox, and in deference to the public opinion created on the subject by the editor of the ‘Derry Journal,’ granted the above annual sum out of their revenues and secured its perpetuity by a bond for £20,000.”

Since that time the Society has made regular visitations to the College and other significant donations have been made over the years and in recent times.

Mr. O’Doherty concluded: “He hopes that this renewed friendship will strengthen the connection between St Columb’s College and THTIS and may present opportunities for the College to open up ties with the City of London.”