St Brendan’s Four in a row All Ireland Secondary School Senior Pitch and Putt winners Brian McCarthy, Ronan Bennett and Nathan Cronin, College Principal Sean Coffey and their team manager Jason Arthur.  Photo by Michelle Cooper Galvin

St Brendan’s historic four-in-a-row All-Ireland pitch and putt title

St Brendan’s College made history by becoming the first school to win four All Ireland Schools’ Pitch and Putt tournaments in a row.

The three-stroke winning margin is the fourth lowest in the tournament’s history, and the lowest since the ‘Sem’ triumphed by a single shot at Hillview three years ago. The team’s score spread of 18 strokes is the highest by any winning side in the history of the competition.

This victory marks a seventh podium finish in eight stagings for St Brendan’s, an all-time record. The school stands as the most consistent in the event’s history with four wins, two seconds, and two thirds. This puts them four podium finishes clear of Davis College Mallow, Coláiste an Chraoibhín Fermoy, and St Francis College Rochestown.

St Francis College, Rochestown took third place, becoming the fifth winning school inhistory to also claim a third-place finish, a feat St Brendan’s has achieved twice. Rochestown has now filled all three podium positions at the event, adding this third place to their 2018 win and runners-up performances in 2019 and 2023. St Brendan’s and Coláiste an Chraobhín, Fermoy are the only other schools to boast at least one win, one second, and one third.

Individually, Brian McCarthy and Nathan Cronin now hold two winners’ medals, matching the tally of fellow St Brendan’s players Cillian Courtney, Fintan Martin, and Robert Harnett. McCarthy also became the first player to break 100 at the event since Cian O’Callaghan accomplished the feat three years ago at Hillview.

French For All concludes successful primary school language programme

Killarney-based language provider French For All has wrapped up another successful season delivering language and culture modules to local primary schools across the region.

The programme wrapped up at Kilgobnet National School, where fifth and sixth class pupils completed their “Say Yes to Languages” module. The milestone was celebrated with a French-themed dress party and a selection of French food alongside Principal Maura O’Connor.

Students at Tiernaboul National School also completed their second year of the language module, which is organised by Post Primary Language Ireland. The conclusion of the term was marked with a special food display and a thank-you card prepared by the children for Principal Maria Breen and teacher Karol Fleming.

Reflecting on the busy academic year, Hélène Olivier-Courtney, French For All course director and main teacher, expressed gratitude to the local school communities.

“As French For All course director and main teacher, I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in the children’s enjoyable discovery of the French language and culture,” Hélène said. “It also helps to promote a national initiative which encourages inclusion and proactive learning.”

It has been a busy period for the local service, which rolled out modules across numerous campuses including St Oliver’s National School, Ballifinane National School, Moyderwell National School, Scoil Caitlin National School, Beaufort National School, and Castleisland Boys National School.

Kilgobnet National School fifth and sixth class pupils completed their “Say Yes to Languages” module this week