placenamesFortwilliam
Dún Liam
Dominican College’s history traces the conversion of Fortwilliam residences into a growing campus for girls’ education in north Belfast.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Dún Liam · Irish · main form · validated name
- Fortwilliam · English · main form
Place & story
The Walton house becomes a school
In 1930 the Dominican Sisters bought Walton from the Morrow family and renamed it the Convent of the Holy Rosary. Under Mother Peter Flynn, a preparatory school opened that September and a commercial college followed in October. A new grammar-school wing began with the laying of its foundation stone in May 1933; official recognition followed in 1934. [2]
An expanding campus
The college acquired neighbouring residences as its needs grew, including Fairbourne in 1946 and Ormisdale in 1957. Its assembly hall was completed in 1963 and chapel in 1966. The sisters left Walton for Iona House in 1998, but the original building was retained within the later campus. The new grammar school opened officially in October 2006. [2]
Geographic information
- Place type
- Population centre
- County
- Antrim
- Barony
- Belfast Upper
- Civil parish
- Shankill
- Coordinates
- 54.62358, -5.94057 (approximate)
- Logainm ID
- 135773 ↗
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Fortwilliam. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- School History, Dominican College Fortwilliam · Dominican College Fortwilliam
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2021-05-26. How this page was prepared.