St. Joseph's
Grammar School, Donaghmore
Educating For the Future Since 1922
Development of the School 2026 and Beyond
We are very fortunate that our school is situated on one of the gentle hills that overlooks the historic settlement of Donaghmore, a village with a long history dating back to the time of St Patrick. When in 1922, the Daughters of the Cross undertook to provide a school for local children in this area, the building they acquired was the old manor house of the Lyle family which you can still see today sitting proudly at the top of the school site as you approach from the Castlecaulfield Road. Along with the manor house came several acres of surrounding lands that the Sisters began to farm so that they could be as self-sufficient as possible. In spite of early challenges, the school began to thrive and “the Convent”, as it was affectionately known, has expanded ever since.
In the decades after its foundation, government grants permitted the Sisters to develop and expand upon the original school premises so that by the late 1960s, the pupils and staff were able to move to what was then their brand new school building.
Today, the school estate consists of an eclectic mix of buildings from the 1830s, the 1930s and the 1960s. But more recently, we were delighted to take possession of our state-of-the-art sports hall and drama facilities, constructed under the Schools Enhancement Project in 2017.
As the new year beckons, we are awaiting the next phase of school development which is due to come to fruition after several years of planning and design. In 2025, the Department of Education acquired additional lands adjacent to the existing school site, adding an additional 6.5 acres to the school estate. Plans are about to be submitted to Mid-Ulster Council for approval for a new building which will include a new canteen, a library, a sixth form centre and several new general teaching classrooms. The new building will be located on the newly acquired lands and will allow the Department to progress further replacement of the 1960s buildings with more modern and appropriate accommodation for our children.
As well as the planned new building, we are also progressing the development of a 3G pitch which will be located at the back of the school site close to the sports hall.
There is a saying, “great oaks from little acorns grow” and that has certainly been the story of St Joseph’s. We are excited about the future of our school and we would be delighted if you could be part of that journey with us.