page_title: Royal School Dungannon
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Royal School Dungannon / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Royal School, Dungannon. The Royal School in Dungannon was founded in 1614, and is the oldest school in Ireland according to its web-site: http://www.royaldungannon.com
context_page_description: The Royal School is a mixed boarding school located in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It was one of a number of 'free schools' created by James I in 1608 to provide an education to the sons of local merchants and farmers during the plantation of Ulster. Originally set up in Mountjoy near Lough Neagh in 1614, it moved to its present location in 1636. It was founded as a boys school but became coed in 1986 when the school amalgamated with the Dungannon High School for Girls.
  It has four 'sister' schools, The Royal School, Armagh in Armagh, County Armagh, The Portora Royal School in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, The Royal School Cavan in County Cavan, and the Royal and Prior School in Raphoe, County Donegal. The original intention had been to have a "Royal School" in each of Ireland's counties but only five were actually established, the schools planned for other counties never coming into being.
context_section_description: The Royal School, Dungannon is one of several Royal Schools ordered in 1608 by James I with the intended purpose "that there shall be one Free School at least appointed in every County, for the education of youth in learning and religion." These schools provided an English style education to the sons of landed settlers in Ireland, most of whom were of Scottish or English descent. A Royal Charter of 13 May 1614 records the appointment of John Bullingbroke as the first Headmaster. Three more headmasters were appointed by royal charters before the Archbishop of Armagh (Church of Ireland) took over the selection of Headmasters from the Crown in 1682. A later Archbishop lost interest in the school and the management was taken over by the Presbyterian Congregation in Dungannon. This was quite a turn round as in earlier years Presbyterians were not allowed to attend except on condition that they converted to Anglicanism. In the literature of the Nineteenth century the Royal School Dungannon is sometimes referred to as "Dungannon College" and in the writing of the Eighteenth century it is referred to as  "the Dungannon school". 
  Mr Paul Hewitt was the twentieth Headmaster and oversaw the major change to  co-education in 1986, the huge expansion and rebuilding of the campus, the development of close links with Dilworth School,New Zealand, in a vibrant exchange scheme for GAP pupils and the growth of the school to over 650 pupils including a boarding department of 46 pupils and 6 full-time staff. Mr Hewitt was Chairman of the 1608 Royal Schools of Ulster when they celebrated their quatercentenary of the original charter in 2008 and were visited by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and the President of the Republic of Ireland, Mrs Mary McAleese. He was the fifth longest serving Headmaster of RSD when he retired after 25 years' service in 2009 and was succeeded by Dr David Burnett, previously Deputy Head of a boys' grammar school in Essex. The school has consistently figured in the top 10 grammar schools in Northern Ireland and the top 150 schools in the UK at Advanced Level.
  RSD is one of 66 selective Grammar Schools in Northern Ireland and has championed the system in the face of persistent attempts by Labour Party direct rule ministers and Sinn Féin ministers of education to end academic selection in favour of a neighbourhood-based Comprehensive school system.
  On 11 March 2015 His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester visited the school to join in its 400-year celebrations. The Duke unveiled a plaque, and signed the visitor book along with raising a new school flag.
caption: Royal School, Dungannon
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