Ballyhass NS in North Cork wins fittest school award

A North Cork primary school has been crowned ‘Ireland’s Fittest School 2025’.

Following a three-month competition, in which hundreds of schools from all over the island of Ireland took part, Ballyhass National School has won the live grand final in which the top school from each of the Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster provincial finals featured.

The final, which was held at the Athlone International Arena, was hosted by one of Ireland’s best-known Olympians — sprinter David Gillick — and saw the four schools contest for a prize package which included €8,000 worth of sports equipment.

Supported by Irish fruit importer Fyffes and tracked online, the competition was launched last December and is now in its fourth year.

Importance

The purpose of the competition is to promote the importance of exercise, fitness and healthy eating amongst young people.

A central feature of the programme was a series of exercise routines which competing schools could adopt as part of their PE curriculum, and against which performance could be measured.

Previous competition winners of the competition include Scoil Na Croise Naofa, Dunfanaghy, Co Donegal in 2022; Gilson National School, in Oldcastle, Co Meath, in 2023, and St Mary’s Touraneena National School in Co Waterford in 2024.

Emma Hunt-Duffy, head of marketing with Fyffes, offered her congratulations to the pupils, teachers and staff of all the schools who took part in this year’s competition.

Ms Hunt-Duffy praised the level of interest that the competition generated amongst schools throughout the island.

“It was really encouraging to see so many incorporating the exercises into their PE classes as a means to keep fit, whilst having so much fun doing it,” she said.

“Our sincere thanks to all involved for their enthusiasm, commitment and support.”