Pictures: Students from 30 Cork schools put to the test for Garda school quiz 

STUDENTS from 30 secondary schools from across Cork city gathered last week in Douglas GAA Club for the Cork Garda Transition Year School Quiz, the first such event since before the covid pandemic.

Quizmaster for the evening was Garda John O’Driscoll, who is based in Togher. He told The Echo the quiz had been a labour of love by community gardaí and juvenile liaison officers from across the city.

“We had the first quiz in 2016 and we had it for four of five years and then there was a break for covid, and then last year, between the jigs and the reels, we didn’t get it going but this year we’re back on track,” Garda O’Driscoll said.

“There are 38 secondary schools in the Cork City Division and every one of them that has a transition year, which is most of them, would have been invited by their local juvenile liaison officer.

“Douglas GAA Club very kindly offered their facilities for free, and St Paul’s Garda Credit Union sponsored the cup day one, and the winners get vouchers. We had 30 schools there on Thursday from all over the city.”

The quiz covered general knowledge, history, geography, sport, TV and leisure and a picture round, and Garda O’Driscoll described the quiz as a nice way for students from different schools to meet in a relaxed environment, and he praised the young people who attended as “a credit to their schools”.

The quiz was won by Coláiste an Phiarsaigh, Glanmire, with Douglas Community School in second place and Regina Mundi College and St Peter’s Community School in Passage Passage West in joint third place.

Superintendent Finbarr O’Sullivan from Togher Station presented the prizes to the winning team.

Garda O’Driscoll said next year’s quiz will happen in March, and he thanked all of the schools for being involved this year.