Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School, Newtownkennedy/ Springhill, Strabane, Co Tyrone, BT82 8NQ

Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School is a large, modern-style school complex located to the north of Newtownkennedy/Springhill, Strabane. It was originally built in 1958-59 to designs by Corr & McCormick and extended to the south side in 1981-82. The school comprises several blocks arranged roughly on a north-south axis. The original complex features two long, flat-roofed blocks, one two-storey and one three-storey. To the west of these is a smaller, two-storey gabled block, all linked by corridors and stairwells. Further south are two large, square, three-storey, flat-roofed blocks added in 1981-82, and to the south again, a lower, freestanding gabled block, which appears to be part of the original building. The upper floors of the northern, original blocks feature long rows of glazing with timber cladding between floor levels. Their end walls are finished in painted roughcast, with the recessed bases in plain painted render. The gabled block to the west has a more even window-to-wall ratio and features rows of relatively small windows to its south end. Flat-roofed projections, some timber-clad, extend from the north and south ends of this block. The two square extensions to the south have a utilitarian appearance with unpainted roughcast and rendered walls and large windows to the west elevation of the western block.

The school was originally ‘Our Lady of Mercy Girls Voluntary Intermediate’ and built in 1958-59 by the nuns of the neighbouring Convent of Mercy. It cost £145,000 to build and was officially opened on 6 February 1960 by Bishop Farren, initially catering for 600 pupils.