News
Two Mile School experiences huge growth in five years

By Michelle Crean
A small school which faced certain closure five years ago is now thriving and hoping to add a third teacher this September.
Two Mile Community National School, a State, co-educational, multi-denominational school opened in August 2017 with just nine pupils. Currently there's 40 pupils with plans to increase to 53 this coming September which would see a new teacher added to the staff.
Located on the site of the old Cahooreigh NS, a five minute drive from Killarney on the road between Madam’s Hill and Ballyhar, it is run under the patronage of Kerry Education and Training Board (KETB).
The move to open the school came after the Bishop of Kerry agreed to transfer the patronage of the old Cahooreigh National School to the State-run ETB. It serves the local community as well as the wider Killarney area.
Like all primary schools, Two Mile CNS follows the Primary School Curriculum as laid down by the Department of Education, Principal Catherine Barry explained.
"What distinguishes the school from other primary schools is the ethos or characteristic spirit which is underpinned by the core values of Excellence in Education, Care, Equality, Community and Respect," she told the Killarney Advertiser.
Described as a happy welcoming place, children of all religions attend and learn about diversity from each other under the new model of learning.
In terms of the education provided, the pupils experience all subjects and strands of the curriculum as they would in any other primary school.
However, in place of religious education, the children engage with the 'Goodness Me Goodness You' programme (GMGY); a multi-belief and values curriculum which enables children to encounter identity education, values education, philosophy and multi-denominational religious education. GMGY contributes to the holistic development of the child and as such aims to enable every child to realise their potential as a unique individual.
"We have Catholic children, some with no religion, Muslim, Hindu, and we teach about all religions. The children's experience is brought in to it. We try to find links between them and they learn from each other. We also do philosophy for children and Community National Schools are the only ones doing that. The programme underpins the ethos of the school. It's really interesting. It encourages them to look at things from other peoples' point of view and that has a knock on affect."
Catherine is keen to add that Two Mile CNS is like any other primary school - the only difference is the ethos.
"We'll facilitate any religion. Any group that wants to organise religion classes, we would facilitate that. We aim to provide the highest standards of teaching and learning, where children are guided to become lifelong learners," Catherine said.
"Children experience a very caring, child-centred environment which respects diversity and equality. Society is more diverse now than ever and Two Mile CNS provides a multi-denominational option for parents of children in the Killarney area. It's the way forward."
News
Five questions to ask yourself before buying a stock
By Michael O’Connor, theislandinvestor.com When it comes to investing, nothing is certain. There are no perfect stocks to buy because there’s no way of predicting the future with 100% accuracy. […]

By Michael O’Connor, theislandinvestor.com
When it comes to investing, nothing is certain.
There are no perfect stocks to buy because there’s no way of predicting the future with 100% accuracy.
The truth is, investing is hard, and building a portfolio of top stocks that beat the market is something that even financial professionals have trouble doing consistently.
For most people, investing in index funds is the perfect hands-off approach, providing broad exposure to the stock market at a very low fee. Even my own personal portfolio is made up of roughly 70% ETFs despite the fact I invest in the market for a living.
But I believe some stock picking is a good strategy for many hands-on people.
Taking a small portion of your overall portfolio and diligently selecting a small number of companies to invest in gives you an opportunity to learn about the investing process and fully understand the businesses you are investing in, which helps to build conviction in your positions.
From a psychological standpoint “collector’s instinct” kicks in, enabling people to participate and invest more money over time.
Lastly, for Irish investors, there are tax benefits to consider. If you invest in individual stocks, you are taxed at the CGT rate of 33%, and the first €1,270 of your gains are exempt from CGT each year. When investing in index funds or ETFs, you are taxed at the exit tax rate of 41% with no annual exemption.
For those interested in picking individual stocks, here are five questions you should ask yourself before investing in any company.
Do I understand the business?
Too many people invest in businesses they don’t understand because it ‘sounds good’. If you have no idea how the company works, you won’t have the conviction needed to hold onto the stock when an inevitable downturn comes.
Can the balance sheet withstand severe, temporary adversity?
This seems obvious, but so many people invest in companies without understanding how much money a company holds and who they owe money to. Economic cycles are guaranteed. You must ensure that the company has enough cash-on-hand to avoid becoming obsolete when activity slows.
Will the company benefit from long-term trends?
Make sure the company will remain relevant into the future. If the stock is cheap now, it may be cheap for a reason.
Is the company enjoying profitable growth?
Not growth at all costs, but a combination of sustainable growth and value. All this information can be found online at sites like stratosphere.io.
What are the risk factors?
Is the company trying something new and untested? If yes, who are its competitors and how successful are they? If other players are more established, this company may have a tough time breaking into the market.
News
Ballyspillane staff open up mental health conversation
By Michelle Crean “Hello, How Are You?” that’s the question staff at Ballyspillane Community Centre will be asking next week as part of a new campaign. It’s all in partnership […]

By Michelle Crean
“Hello, How Are You?” that’s the question staff at Ballyspillane Community Centre will be asking next week as part of a new campaign.
It’s all in partnership with Mental Health Ireland (MHI) and the centre will host an information/coffee morning on Thursday next (March 30) at 12.30pm at their centre and all are welcome to attend.
The campaign initiated by MHI identifies the need for positive engagement and connections with the people around us.
It asks people to engage in open conversations about mental health and prompts us all to ask the question “How Are You?”
The word HELLO is a useful acronym to guide everyone through such conversations, H: Hello, E: Engage positively with the person, L: Listen actively, L: Learn about the person and O: seek options to assist the person if required.
“We all need a listening and compassionate ear sometimes to get us through some challenges in our lives and I think the pandemic has opened a new way of looking at the world, where we can all recognise the challenges that people experience more readily,” Derek O’Leary, Manager of Ballyspillane Community & Family Resource Centre, said.
“Our team here are in the business of supporting families and individuals across the Killarney area and beyond and see the challenges that people face first hand. We also see the positive impact that a caring person can have in such circumstances and this campaign that encourages positive engagement, regarding mental health is a great reminder to us all, the role we can play is assisting others who are struggling.”
Ballyspillane Community & Family Resource Centre provide a suite of support and intervention services including family supports, social prescribing/community connection services and physiotherapeutic services across the Killarney municipal area and beyond.
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