By Lisa Ramsden
A near century of memories were celebrated on Saturday, when Down High School opened its doors to well over 1,000 former students and staff for the last time.
As the bittersweet day—filled with overdue reunions and alumni, known as Old Dunumians, and former staff alike chatting about their time at the Downpatrick school—came to an end, the bell rang one final time. It did so at 3.20pm, marking the end of the traditional school day.
Almost 1,500 people visited on Saturday, giving them the chance to walk the corridors, share stories, see their old classrooms, and reconnect with many aspects of their time at Down High.
One of the very special guests on the day was former English teacher, Mr Geoffrey May. Now aged 102, Mr May taught at Down High in the 1950s.
Following the weekend’s event, the school described it as “overwhelming” and acknowledged that it was “hard to describe the palpable sense of community, celebration and connection” witnessed during Saturday’s Old Dunumian Open Day.
In social media posts, a spokesperson for the school added that the Mount Crescent institution “has profoundly shaped so many lives.”
They wrote: “It was overwhelming to welcome almost 1,500 people from across the generations to Mount Crescent today. It’s hard to describe the palpable sense of community, celebration and connection that emanated from this place and its people, as they gathered in halls, corridors, classrooms and outdoor spaces for one last time.”
Referring to its future at its new site, the school representative continued: “The Down High story will continue, but this was a special moment in time and a fitting tribute to this place that has profoundly shaped so many lives. Thank you, Mount Crescent!”
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