All About Cork: Community school’s adult education courses resume

Bishopstown Community School’s adult education evening courses will return for a second term.

Classes will run on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights and will start next week, from January 27.

On Monday night, classes will include sound therapy and meditation with Hayley Power who invites people to reset by using meditation and crystal-sound bath tools, which she says encourages the body and mind to align, promoting peace of mind and a successful week in work and in life.

Other classes will include Scrabble, photography, upcycling your kitchen, pilates, and sign language.

Tuesday will see courses on guitar for beginners, CrickHIIT, hockey, and boxing take place at the school.

On Wednesday, there is an afternoon bridge course, and for those who would like to know more about wine, the school is running an introduction to wines course, accredited by the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.

The course, run by O’Brien’s Wines manager Paul Fox, enables learners to understand the fundamentals of wine, from how to buy good wine to how to serve it.

An Alzheimer’s preventative course, a conversational French course, and a Spanish for improvers course are also taking place this semester.

TEG Irish language learning is also being offered each Wednesday and is aimed at those due to sit TEG Meánleibhéal 1 (B1), scheduled for May. Proficiency in Irish is required to commence the course.

A spokesperson said they were delighted to have adult education evening courses back at the school and hope to grow the variety available in the coming year.

Most classes start at 7pm and range in cost from €30 to €89.

The TEG Irish language learning starts at 6.30pm on Wednesdays and costs €325, with an instalments option available.

Early registration is encouraged and further information is available by visiting www.bishopstowncs.ie/adult-education.

Pupils celebrate their success at Sciath na Scol quiz

Self Help Africa support

St Joseph’s Church in Wilton has selected Self Help Africa for its charity collection this month.

A parishioner nominated the charity dear to their heart, asking the parish to support the charity’s work.

Self Help Africa is under the guidance of Gorta which seeks to help a range of projects throughout Africa.

People wishing to get involved in this month’s charity collection are asked to go to the back of the church where they will find plastic bags indicating the variety of items that can be donated.

Financial donations can also be made by placing donations in the charity boxes at the front of the church.

People who wish to continue supporting Gaza can do so by putting contributions in the wall box marked ‘Gaza’ at the back of the church.

O’Sullivan’s raise funds for Brú

Brú Columbanus has thanked O’Sullivan’s Pharmacy in Wilton Shopping Centre for raising money on behalf of the charity.

Brú Columbanus provides home-away-from-home accommodation for the relatives of seriously ill patients in Cork hospitals and at Marymount Hospice in Curraheen.

Over the Christmas period, O’Sullivan’s Pharmacy went above and beyond by offering gift-wrapping services to their customers in the name of Brú Columbanus, raising €1,232.26 for the worthy charity.

“We were thrilled to welcome Francis, Maureen, and Laura from O’Sullivan’s Pharmacy yet again, as they personally delivered the funds, which will go a long way in supporting families with loved ones in Cork hospitals,” a spokesperson said.

“This incredible gesture is part of a longstanding partnership — O’Sullivan’s Pharmacy has been supporting Brú Columbanus since 2019, and their total contributions now exceed an amazing €2,500.”

Lord Mayor’s Tea Dance

Cork City Hall will come alive on January 28 as young and old from across Cork and beyond gather for the annual Lord Mayor’s Tea Dance.

Organised by a local committee, the event is held in conjunction with the Lord Mayor of Cork, councillor Dan Boyle, and chaired by Dr Andrew Crosbie and will feature a raffle in aid of Cork University Hospital (CUH) Charity.

The evening will be led by the Cork Pops Orchestra, conducted by Evelyn Grant, and the orchestra will be joined by the winner of The Voice of Ireland Keith Hanley and eight-year-old singer Emma Sophia.

The MTU Carnival Samba Band, directed by Stephen Kelly, will also mark the 20th anniversary of their debut Tea Dance performance in 2005.

Guests will be treated to a mix of musical styles, from Johann Strauss to ABBA, with performances by Cork Swing Dancers and a floor-wide ‘Slosh’ led by Rona Coulter of Viva Dance Studio.

The raffle in aid of CUH Charity will see proceeds support projects and services to enhance patient care at both Cork University Hospital and Cork University Maternity Hospital.

Tickets for the Tea Dance are €10 and are available from Pro Musica on Oliver Plunkett St in Cork.

New sports seminars at MTU

Munster Technological University (MTU), in collaboration with MTU Lions Athletic Club, and Cork Sports Partnership has kicked off its sports seminar series.

Presented by Dr Ed Coughlan and focusing on developing world class training environments, the seminar series aims to share key lessons from high-performance sports that all levels of sport can learn from. The seminar series first kicked off in August and is now resuming following a break at the end of the academic year.

Three new expert speakers will share their lessons from high-performance sports through three key topics relevant to all levels of sport and life. Upcoming webinars in the series include ‘Implementing Real World S&C’ by endurance coach and lecturer in exercise physiology and performance nutrition at MTU, Joe O’Connor, on February 12.

‘Planning Training and the Coach-Athlete Relationship’ is another upcoming webinar by coach education officer at Sport Ireland Coaching, Hayley Harrison, on March 12.

All sessions will take place from 7pm to 8pm. Limited tickets are available by emailing craig.harrington@mtu.ie.

Swimming programmes

Cork Sports Partnership has partnered with LeisureWorld Bishopstown and Swim Ireland to offer two new women’s swimming programmes. The six-week aqua aerobics programme is specifically for midlife females and aims to support them through life’s milestones.

The first programme will kick off on Monday, February 10 and will continue on February 17, 24 and March 3, 10 and 24. The second programme kicks off on Wednesday, February 12, and will continue on February 19 and 26 and March 5, 12 and 19.

To register, visit https://tinyurl.com/3avn5drj.

Have Bishopstown news to share? Contact breda.graham@examiner.ie