Belfast college tries to narrow the divide

A Belfast Catholic teacher training college is celebrating its 100th anniversary by becoming a full university campus committed to the peace process.

St Mary's College, on the Falls Road, was given the go-ahead by the Privy Council to become a college of Queen's University. It has taken on a wider remit including a BA in liberal arts, human development studies and research. The college hopes this will attract entrants from across the sectarian divide.

Irish, history and English will be studied in collaboration with the faculty of humanities at Queen's. Students will take on a work placement in each of their three years.