All About Cork: Students celebrate first day at Ballincollig Community School

Ballincollig Community School welcomed back students as it reopened for the new school year.

Field of Dreams farm shop’s organic range

The Down Syndrome Cork Field of Dreams farm shop is offering a great selection of fresh produce at its farm shop this week, including fruit, veg and plants, all of which has been grown chemical-free and in season.

Among the items on offer at the farm shop are punnets of blackcurrants and raspberries at €4; onions at €3 a bunch; punnets of tomatoes for €3; and beetroot for €3 per bag. The shop also has a selection of perennial plants for €8 each and three for €20.

The farm shop is located just inside the gate at the Field of Dreams on the Clash Road in Curraheen, and is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm. The shop accepts cash and card payments.

Meanwhile, tickets are flying out the door for this year’s Down Syndrome Cork Field of Dreams Ladies’ Lavender Lunch, which takes place on Sunday, September 15, at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Little Island, and tickets are on sale now.

The event runs from 1pm until 7pm on the day and tickets are €55. Tickets are available through downsyndromecork.ie only.

The organisers promise the event will be an afternoon filled with lots of fun, with prosecco and finger food available on arrival, followed by a delicious three-course meal, and lots of surprises on the day.

The Down Syndrome Cork Field of Dreams was founded in 2017 to meet the ongoing educational needs of adults with Down syndrome from across Cork city and county.

The project was developed by the Cork branch of Down Syndrome Ireland and it has thrived in the years since, fulfilling its vision to provide adults with Down syndrome opportunities for ongoing learning and growth, offering them literacy and technology skills, ready-to-work training, and horticultural and cooking skills.

Successful album launch

A new album was launched at Ballincollig’s Nosh recently, featuring an eclectic mix of songs performed by a local duo. The album, ‘Calendar’, features classically trained singer Tony O’Brien and classical and jazz pianist Aaron Russ.

“We had a 25-minute concert where we did four songs from the album, with me singing and Aaron playing, and then Aaron did a piece by Andy Williams on the piano,” Mr O’Brien told The Echo.

“We had a lovely reception, and Nosh did a really good deal for us. We probably had about 30 people, and we had a brilliant response to the album from the people who heard it.”

The album features a selection of songs from a range of genres, all carefully chosen by Mr O’Brien, and he describes them as “all love songs, but different kinds of love songs”.

“The album is called Calendar, it has 12 songs and it has a love song for every month of the year,” Mr O’Brien said.

Calendar is for sale for €20 in Maurice Healy’s Post Office in Ballincollig and in Leaf and Bower. It is also available directly from Mr O’Brien at 085 7067564 and antonobrien7@hotmail.com.

Pyke Drama Group gathering

The Pyke Drama Group is holding its monthly get-together at Ballincollig Rugby Club at Tanner Park on Tuesday, September 10, at 8.30pm. All are welcome to an evening of music, song and dance, and admission is free. The group will hold a raffle on the night, and spot prizes will include tickets to the upcoming Ballincollig Drama Festival in October.

Members are busy rehearsing at the moment for that festival, and say they will have more on that closer to the date.

In keeping with tradition, on the Pyke group’s first night back after the summer break, brown bread, blacka jam and a cuppa will be served.

Pre-school places available

There are still a few afternoon places available at the Bun An Cnoic Pre-School in Grange Cross, Ovens, which has begun its autumn season. There are no morning places currently available. 

The preschool is offering free ECCE preschool places, with times available 12 noon to 3pm, five days a week, catering for infants aged from 2.8 months to six years, and children must be 2.8 months before September 1 of the year they start. Classes are now enrolling. 

Call 086 1754519, or email carolineoc86@gmail.com.

Ballincollig GAA lottery

The numbers drawn in the weekly Ballincollig GAA Club lottery on Thursday, August 29, were 5, 23, 26 and 30. With the club’s lottery jackpot at €20,000, the draw is now at the highest amount it can reach and must be won. There was no winner drawn, and consolation prizes went to Ava and Laura Fitzgerald (€100), John Winning (€50), and Deirdre Wyllie (€50).

The next draw will take place this week, on Thursday evening, September 3, with all proceeds going to Ballincollig GAA Club. For details on how to enter the draw, see Ballincollig GAA Club’s various social media pages.

Have Ballincollig news to share? Contact donal.okeeffe@theecho.ie