Rory McIlroy’s old high school has very proudly recognised his Grand Slam winning ways with a special celebratory dinner in honour of the champion Northern Ireland born golfer.
Guests paid £85/head to be present at the Culloden Estate and Spa to honour the former Sullivan Upper School student following April’s triumph at Augusta National in becoming only the sixth player in the history of the game to capture all four majors.
Sullivan Upper School is located on Belfast Road in Holywood.
OLD SCHOOL HONOURS @McIlroyRory …
Rors old Holywood hig school ‘Upper Sullivan’ has celebrated golf’s newest Grand Slam champion with a special dinner and fund raiser @cullodenestate
Read: https://t.co/WSmG3zT0ge
✅ @TOURMISS pic.twitter.com/FTH0o9Ev57
— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) June 1, 2025
He had returned to the school in 2011 proudly bringing the US Open trophy he won on Father’s Day in June that year, and also the first of his now five major championship wins.
McIlroy had first attended St. Patticks’s Primary School in Churchill Street, Belfast before then moving on to be a student 15 miles away at Sullivan Upper in Holywood for five years from 2000 to 2005, and is remembered as a teenager who was “golf mad”.
The school offers a green blazer for pupils who excel at sport, which principal Craig Mairs said McIlroy achieved during his time at the school, adding the current pupils are hoping he might bring his latest home to show them.
“It’s incredibly inspirational for our current pupils to have someone to look up to and to aspire to, not just in the world of golf but generally, Rory talked last night to his daughter about never giving up on your dreams and chasing that dream, he certainly did when he was a pupil here, and whether they are sporty or into their music or focused primarily on their studies, he is a real inspiration to our young people,” he said in speaking with PA.
McIlroy was not in attendance at last night’s dinner but he did sign a number of limited Masters edition TaylorMade golf bags that raised a good few tousand pounds at the dinner.
The event, as reported by news outlets, was co-orndiated by the school’s parents’ association and the Sullivan Connect Council alumni organisation.
Thanks to Belfast Telegraph
