All About Cork: Presentation Ballyphehane welcomes first male students

A local secondary school has embarked on a new era as it welcomed male students for the first time in its history last week.

Presentation Secondary School Ballyphehane is now a coeducational institute, and school principal Barry O’Shea could not be more delighted.

Speaking to The Echo after the school welcomed its first male students, Mr O’Shea said:

“We were delighted to welcome our new first year class on Wednesday last which, for the first time in the almost sixty-year history of Pres Ballyphehane, included both male and female students.

“By opening our doors to boys as well as girls, we aim to create a vibrant community where young minds can learn, collaborate, and grow together.

“We look forward to a future where we will continue to develop and nurture the individual student with attention and care, empowering each one to develop their talents, abilities and skills to become the best person they can be.

“Children who join us at Pres Ballyphehane benefit from a caring supportive atmosphere where we focus on knowing students personally,” he added.

Each first-year student has been allocated a ‘Cara’ or a friend, a senior student who will help first years settle in, show them around and be a continued support throughout the year.

“The school also has a trained guidance counsellor for students who need to talk through difficulties and problems and a dedicated Parents Support Teacher or HSCL who will work closely with all parents to ensure that each student achieves their full potential,” Mr O’Shea continued.

“Our facilities and resources are second to none, as is our excellent teaching team.

“This team delivers a wide ranging and varied curriculum designed to support the individual learning style and needs of each student.

“This student centred approach has resulted in outstanding Leaving Cert results over many years,” he added.

“In 2023, 79% of our students progressed to university. The excellent results of 2023 were matched by this year’s Leaving Cert cohort, with many students achieving over 500 points, including one student who achieved 625 points and hopes to study dentistry.” The 2024/25 year will also see significant curricular developments for Pres Ballyphehane, Mr O’Shea revealed.

“Our school is one of the few schools nationally to be selected to provide the new Theatre, Drama and Film Studies subject at Leaving Cert,” he said.

“Given our school’s excellence in the dramatic and performing arts, this will provide all of our students with wonderful opportunities, particularly those who wish to work in the areas of film and theatre.

“We also hope to expand our provision of technical subjects, with the introduction of Wood Technology/Woodwork, for the first time in September 2025.

“A rounded education is provided to each of our students,” he added.

“While academic endeavour will remain at the school’s core, we also hope that our students contribute to the life of the school beyond the classroom.

“We offer a wide range of extra and co- curricular activities. We excel at sports and have won multiple Cork, Munster and All-Ireland titles in a variety of sports including basketball, athletics, Gaelic football, soccer, rugby, table-tennis and badminton.

“We look forward to adding to and further developing this extra curricular provision with the inclusion of boys this year.”

Plans to build homes on the former Vita Cortex plant in Ballyphehane have progressed.

Planning documents submitted to Cork City Council on behalf of Fronville Ltd, a Galway-based company, said the proposed development will “facilitate a future mixed-use residential development.” 

The documents state it would not result in a traffic hazard to surrounding areas and would not injure amenities in the vicinity.

Investigations revealed there is historic soil and groundwater contamination at the site.

“The investigations and subsequent reports produced identified potential risks to human health and the environment from the contamination on site, which require mitigation through remediation,” the documents said.

Remediation works will involve a combination of excavation and offsite disposal of impacted soils, pump and treatment of groundwater and importation of stone/soil for backfilling.

Cork Rebel Run returns

The 12th annual Cork Rebel Run will return to Munster Technological University (MTU) this October.

Up to 1,000 participants are expected to turn out for this year’s 5km and 10km routes.

In preparation for the run, 200 people from 11 different Cork communities will take part in Couch-to-5k programmes.

One of these eight-week, tutor-led programmes will take place in Turner’s Cross.

The run, sponsored by Cork City Council, Cork County Council and The Edge sports shop, is organised by Cork Sports Partnership, Leisureworld Cork and MTU.

Registration for this year’s Cork Rebel Run is now open.

To register or for more information on the event visit: www.rebelrun.ie.

Read Write Now open day

Read Write Now open day will take place on Tuesday, September 3, from 11am to 1pm at the Community Development Project on Lower Friars Walk.

The open day will give prospective learners the opportunity to meet tutors and staff members, tour classrooms and learn more about the courses and learning opportunities on offer.

It will also provide the chance to enrol in upcoming classes and, for those wishing to teach, allow people to sign up for initial tutor training.

The open day will also feature a fun ‘Connect Four’ challenge. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Courses are provided in partnership with Cork Education and Training Board and the Cork College of Further Education and Training.

Dolphin graduate advances

Dolphin RFC expressed the club’s delight and pride at seeing a former underage player included in the Connacht Academy.

In a statement, th club said: “Great to see our former under-age player Éanna McCarthy included in the Connacht Academy. Well deserved, best of luck Éanna.”

Pedestrian crossing needed

Calls have been made for a pedestrian crossing to be installed on Friars Walk, with two local politicians labelling it an “urgent road safety issue”.

Sinn Féin TD for Cork South-Central, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, and his party colleague, Cllr Fiona Kerins, highlighted the need for a pedestrian crossing on Friars Walk.

“The lack of a pedestrian crossing at Friars Walk adjacent to Ballyphehane Park is a huge issue for pedestrians,” said Deputy Ó Laoghaire.

“There is no safe crossing after Ballyphehane church as far as St Patrick’s Road.

“The need for a pedestrian crossing is there and has been there for some time now. This is an extremely busy road,” he added.

“There are large amounts of people crossing the road here to access the park, the library, the community centre and shops, and which school-going children and their parents use to get to Gaelscoil an Teaghlaigh Naofa.

“On the western side of Friars Walk, you have the numerous housing estates and Presentation Secondary School as well. For the past few months also, there is now a creche in the campus of Presentation Secondary School with numerous parents and children crossing this road.

“My colleague Cllr Fiona Kerins and I have highlighted this issue for several years and Cork City Council needs to give urgent consideration to this issue. We need to see the installation of a pedestrian crossing here without any further delay.”

Cllr Fiona Kerins added: “This pedestrian crossing is badly needed. Over the years I have been contacted by many people, young and old, concerned at the lack of a crossing here.

“Donnchadh and I have contacted Cork City Council again this week calling for the installation of this crossing at Friars Walk.

“We must ensure that we improve pedestrian safety for the general public and in particular, that children and their parents are safe in walking to and from school and creche each day.

“This must be at the centre of the decision-making process.”

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