All About Cork: St Columbas GNS win Cork City School Garden of the Year

The Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Kieran McCarthy paid tribute to St Columba’s Girls National School for winning the Overall Best City School Garden in the Muintir na Tire Cork School Garden Competition 2024.

Speaking at the Muintir na Tire Cork School Garden Awards at Cork County Hall Cllr McCarthy said: “I am impressed with the work being pursued in primary schools who enter the Cork School Garden competition. They are all winners and what they are learning now will stand to them in time. I congratulate all the schools who entered in 2024.

“I am delighted that schools are teaching children how to grow vegetables, fruit, and flowers, which is a skill they will never forget and is also an important climate action piece.

“I praise the commitment and dedication of the principals, teachers, SNA’s, Parents, and others involved in helping develop the gardens.”

Ellen Murphy, Executive Scientist Cork City Council expressed her delight that biodiversity is now a major feature of most gardens entering the competition.

She added that schools by allowing a patch of nettles to colonise a small corner of school garden, schools are providing food for the larvae (caterpillars) of once-common butterflies all of which lay their eggs on its leaves.

Even a narrow ribbon of lawn left to grow uncut is helping the butterflies, which depend upon various native grasses as a source of food for their larvae.

Upcycling in the garden was especially important as it helps lessen the amount of waste going into landfills and reduce Co2 emissions by using old materials instead of new ones.

She said schools in the competition are encouraged to rethink, repair, refurbish along with reusing and recycling items. She said she was delighted that colour and art is now a feature of most gardens and commended the use of recycled materials in making this.

Seán Holland, chair of Cork Muintir na Tire committee who organise the competition, which has been running since 2012 continues to be immensely popular with schools all over the county.

He said the standard is extremely high and he thanked all the schools in the city that entered in 2024.

He said: “We saw many gardens, big and small, new, and established. each one unique.”

He added that the children were amazing, welcoming, and eager to show off their garden and tell us about what they had done and learned.”

Find out more about Cork School Garden competition at Muintircork.com

Retirement club enjoy summer trip to Dungarvan

Ballinlough Men’s Retirement Club meets every Wednesday afternoon, from 2pm to 4pm at Ballinlough Community Centre.

The members enjoy an afternoon of short mat bowls (bowls supplied by the club) in an atmosphere of fun and camaraderie.

New members are welcome and if interested on joining contact 085 1615360. 

The club has a tradition of organising annual competitions in honour of deceased members, who gave unstintingly of their time to the club and to the welfare of Ballinlough Community.

In recent years the club has added an annual outing to its schedule; its most recent excursion was to The Causeway Bowl’s Club Dungarvan, whose members were very welcoming and generous hosts. 

The members enjoyed a friendly game of out-door bowls in brilliant sunshine.

A meal at the nearby Park Hotel brought to conclusion a very enjoyable outing.

The outing was organised by Simon Kennefick in association with Donal McGovern of The Causeway Bowls and Tennis Club and Garda Lorraine O’Donovan, who provided the transport and was very helpful to the members during the day.

Comhaltas na Dúglaise summer camps a success

The summer camps at Comhaltas na Dúglaise proved to be most successful, beneficial, full of fun and educational and finished up on Wednesday. 

This past week small groups of young musicians from Comhaltas na Dúglaise played at National Schools in the city. 

On Tuesday a large contingent of the branch played music at the first outdoor Céilí na Carraige Duibhe in Blackrock village.

Many of the branch musicians will play at the weekly Céilí Cois Locha at the Lough every Wednesday evening from this week. The branch plans a family outing during the summer break. 

Plans are also afoot for the new season of traditional Irish music classes which are due to start on Wednesday, September 18, at Gaelscoil na Dúglaise. 

Enquiries douglas@comhaltas.net.

Free choral concert

The Carrigaline Choral Group are hosting a visiting USA choir in a joint concert in St Mary’s Church of Ireland on Wednesday next. 

There will be a great programme of popular/classical/hymn/madrigal/traditional Irish and US contemporary and liturgical singing. 

The concert starts at 7.30pm and is free.

Culture Night Carrigaline is gearing up for Culture Night again this year. It will take place on Friday, September 20. 

To coordinate the event, which is planned to run from 4pm until late, an open meeting will be held on Thursday next, at the Lions Youth Centre at 7.30pm. All who are interested are invited to attend.

Men’s Shed back in Kerry

The Men’s Shed choir who continue to practice made a return visit to the day care centre in Kilgarvan, County Kerry on Tuesday where they were invited to sing for the locals. Eleven Shed members were stewarding at the Fort to Fort Cycle. 

Eight members were stewarding at Raffeen and Strawhall on Sunday for the Down Syndrome Centre Cork 21k walk. 

The men covered the most dangerous section of the extremely busy road from both ends of Raffeen Village, along all the corners on the road and the junctions at Strawhall to where the footpath starts by Murphs Bar. 

There was a big crowd of walkers at this fundraising event walking all the way from Haulbowline to Blackrock.

The Men’s Shed walking group enjoyed the beautiful walk around Haulbowline Island in ideal weather on Monday morning. 

Meanwhile last Monday three Shed members attended a one-day course on Abrasive Wheels.

Visitors and new members are always welcome, enquiries to Roger Morrissey 087 2203547.

Active Retired walk

Carrigaline Active Retirement Association members had their annual ‘Walk in the Park’ for the Irish Heart Foundation last Thursday after which they had a small party at the community complex because it was the last Thursday of the season. 

The last outing of the season is the trip to Bunratty next Thursday, the bus will leave from beside the bandroom at 10am.

Have Douglas news to share? Contact rory.noonan@theecho.ie