Fivemiletown College celebrated the official opening of its new school building yesterday (WED) in the presence of His Grace the Duke of Abercorn KG and Northern Ireland's own rugby star Dr David Humphreys MBE.
The state of the art facilities at the SELB school which has had over £11m investment in the design and build project, cater for almost 500 students, and are open to community and primary schools, under the school extension policy.
Principal Alistair Dunne said the College is one of Northern Ireland's leading all ability schools with outstanding reputation for academic excellence and achievement in music and sport.
"Fivemiletown College boasts the most up to date sporting facilities with provision of a new four-courts sports hall, five all-weather tennis courts, football, and rugby pitches, and a 'technogym' fitness suite, running track an indoor heated swimming pool.The youth club is in youth annex. n astro-turf hockey pitch has been completed making these facilities among best in the Province," he said.
It is the first school in Northern Ireland, to have such advanced fitness technology at its 'techno-gym' fitness suite.
The school is so well subscribed that it is turning pupils away, he said.
Significantly, it opened on the day its U16 rugby team were going to Ravenhill to compete in High School Cup finals for the first time. Given the Ireland team's victory in the Six Nation's Championship and grand slam at the weekend, David Humphrey's visit served only to spur everyone's enthusiasm.
Mr Humphreys met U16 team, and wished them success for the game.
Impressed by facilities, he said they are to a standard many professionals aspire to having. He described them as great for the team and for encouraging people to take up more sport, he hopes the school turns out some new rugby stars of the future.
Reflecting on glory of what was achieved last weekend Mr Humphreys said: "I asked myself, if I had been educated at a place like this, would I have been as good a rugby player s Ronan O'Gara."
What better advert to encourage activity and PE could there be, than getting children out there playing sport, he said.
His Grace the Duke of Abercorn spoke of the excellent quality of facilities: "Quality invariably attracts quality," he said.
He spoke of Northern Ireland's need to create an enterprising entrepreneurial economy to compete with other area in the global economic turmoil. Blaming a culture of impulse buying as one root cause of plunging millions into the misery of debt, he said a new culture will arrive where people have self discipline and self control and who are less impulsive with respect for others and the family unit. He urged young people being educated at the new school to make the most of the years that lie ahead.
The Southern Education and Library Board school build and design project delivered by Tracey Brothers, and Acheson and Glover, cost £10m. An additional £1.1 million was spent equipping the facility. Big Lottery Fund provided £300,000 for sports extension, especially in light of the fact that over 50 community groups also use the school sports facilities.
Other speakers at the ceremony included Board of Governors chairman Dr Boyd, Walter Rader, chief executive Big Lottery Fund; Rev Colin Dickson; Ronnie Gregg, principal architect SELB; Mrs E Donnell, chairperson SELB and Kenny Graham, youth and community tutor Fivemiletown College.
Among the invited guests were Lady Brookeborough, and Arlene Foster, DETI Economy Minister.

TOUR OF SCHOOL

Launch guests invited to tour the school, met pupils hard at work, in the technology and design wing, creating furniture and showing their creative skills and finished products fit for an enterprising culture of the future.
The smell of freshly baked produce emanated from the Home Economic department, where pupils were learning to make yogurt loaf, and pizzas, with healthy toppings.
The school also boasts a computer room and computer suite, with rooms interlikned flooded with natural light.
At the indoor swimming pool used by the school and community, pupils were canoeing and preparing for their bronze medallion award, with sports coach Kerry-Ann Tenor. The pool initially an outdoor facility, was formally declared open in 1976 by Ulster Olympic sports woman Mary Peters.In 1995, the pool was enclosed for all- weather activity.
In the techno-gym year 13 pupil Dale Noble explained he come to the gym an hour before school starts to work on his fitness regime.
"I come in before school at 7:45am, work in the gym until 8:45am before lessons start, and then go to school," he said.
Some of his friends said they come to the school gym after school.
Teacher Janice Allen, head of PE, explained that pupils have a key for the computerised equipment which records information on their activities and individual persnoal fitness programmes and progress.
The facility is especially helpful for PE theory GCSE and A level students.
Sports teams also use the hi-tech facility in Fivemiletown College, as the nearest public sports centres in Omagh or Enniskillen are over 20 miles away.
The school teams are involved in rugby, hockey, netball, swimming, Duke of Edinburgh awards, tennis, and much more. Pupil Ashley Robinson, is a table tennis champion, currently ranking fifth in Britain, and first in Ulster U14.
Fivemiletown College continues to develop its long held tradition of holding the annual Summer scheme with use for pupils and community of its indoor activities at the swimming pool, and sports hall, youth annex and outdoor pitches and tennis courts.
The school's innovative design, promotes a low carbon footprint, and helps pupils develop awareness of their inpact on the environment. Energy efficient Solar panels are used for heating, and grey water (including rain water) is recycled for use in the toilet flush system.
Pupils can keep track of energy savings on the penel in the school entrance which shows to date, over two years, there have been savings of over 46,014 units of electricity, at 11 pence each.